Poetry therapy

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Poetry therapy employs the writing and reading of poetry as a means of expressing and exploring thoughts, feelings and behavior in order to bring about therapeutic change. It involves the use of language, symbol, and story in therapeutic, educational, growth, and community-building capacities. The purview of poetry therapy includes bibliotherapy, narrative therapy, and journal therapy (Mazza, 1999/2003).

Journals

• Journal of Poetry Therapy [1]

See also

• Psychotherapeutic techniques
• Survivorship poetry

Key texts

Books

• Abrams, A. S. (1994). Poetry therapy in the psychiatric hospital. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.
• Berry, F. M. (1994). Approaching poetry therapy from a scientific orientation. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.
• Clancy, M., & Lauer, R. M. (1994). Zen telegrams: A warm-up technique for poetry therapy groups. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.
• Davis, L. (1994). The paraprofessional and poetry therapy. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.
• Edgar, K. (1994). The epiphany of the self via poetry therapy. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.
• Fox, J. (1997). Poetic medicine: The healing art of poem-making. New York, NY: Tarcher/Penguin Group.
• Fox, J. (2007). Poetry therapy: Reclamation of deep language. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
• Gorelick, K. (2005). Poetry Therapy. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
• Heninger, O. E. (1994). Poetry therapy in private practice: An odyssey into the healing power of poetry. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.
• Hynes, A.M and Hynes-Berry, M (1994)Biblio/Poetry Therapy The Interactive Process: A Handbook.North Star Press
• Lauer, R. M. (1994). Abuses of poetry therapy. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.
• Lerner, A. (1994). Poetry in the therapeutic experience (2nd ed.). St Louis, MO: MMB Music.
• Longo, P. J. (2008). Tearing the darkness down: Poetry as therapy. New York, NY: The Haworth Press/Taylor and Francis Group.
• Makin, S. R. (1998). Poetic wisdom: Revealing and healing. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas Publisher.
• Malchiodi, C. A. (2005). Expressive therapies. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
• Mazza, N. (1999). Poetry therapy: Interface of the arts and psychology. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
• Schloss, G. A., & Grundy, D. E. (1994). Action techniques in psychopoetry. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.
• Stainbrook, E. (1994). Poetry and behavior in the psychotherapeutic experience. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.

Papers

• Abell, S. C. (1998). The use of poetry in play therapy: A logical integration: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 25(1) 1998, 45-49.
• Akhtar, S. (2000). Mental pain and the cultural ointment of poetry: International Journal of Psychoanalysis Vol 81(2) Apr 2000, 229-243.
• Akhtar, S. (2000). "Mental pain and the cultural ointment of poetry": Reply: International Journal of Psychoanalysis Vol 81(6) Dec 2000, 1221-1222.
• Anabar, R. D. (2002). Self-expression through poetry in hypnosis: Clinical Pediatrics Vol 41(3) Apr 2002, 195-196.
• Anthony, E. (2003). Review of Poiesis: The language of psychology and the speech of the soul: Transcultural Psychiatry Vol 40(2) Jun 2003, 293-295.
• Baerg, S. (2003). 'Sometimes there just aren't any words": Using expressive therapy with adolescents living with cancer: Canadian Journal of Counselling Vol 37(1) Jan 2003, 65-74.
• Bowman, D. O., & Halfacre, D. L. (1994). Poetry therapy with the sexually abused adolescent: A case study: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 21(1) 1994, 11-16.
• Bowman, T. (1999). Literary resources for bereavement: Hospice Journal Vol 14(1) 1999, 39-54.
• Buslau, O. (2004). Story Telling and Analysis: Creative Writing in Therapy and Literature: Musik-, Tanz- und Kunsttherapie Vol 15(1) 2004, 1-4.
• Capen, K. (2006). Review of Expressive Therapies: Clinical Social Work Journal Vol 34(3) Fal 2006, 397-399.
• Cartwright, T. (1996). Poetry, therapy, letter-writing and the lived life. Comment on Maryhelen Snyder, Gonzalo Bacigalupe and Alfred Lange: Journal of Family Therapy Vol 18(4) Nov 1996, 389-395.
• Collins, K. S., Furman, R., & Langer, C. L. (2006). Poetry therapy as a tool of cognitively based practice: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 33(3) 2006, 180-187.
• Cruz, R. F. (2005). Introduction to special issue: The international scope of arts therapies: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 32(3) 2005, 167-169.
• Diaz de Chumaceiro, C. L. (1998). Poetry and prose syntheses: An update of neuropsychological assumptions: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 25(4) 1998, 277-279.
• Furman, R. (2003). Poetry therapy and existential practice: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 30(4) 2003, 195-200.
• Furman, R., & Collins, K. (2005). Guidelines for responding to clients spontaneously presenting their poetry in therapy: Families in Society Vol 86(4) Oct-Dec 2005, 573-579.
• Gende, M., & King, R. (1998). Poetic vividness and aesthetic preference: Individual differences in poetry writing styles: Perceptual and Motor Skills Vol 86(2) Apr 1998, 428-430.
• Hamilton, J. W. (2000). "Mental pain and the cultural ointment of poetry": Comment: International Journal of Psychoanalysis Vol 81(6) Dec 2000, 1221.
• Heine, R. (1969). Review of Poetry Therapy: The Use of Poetry in the Treatment of Emotional Disorders: PsycCRITIQUES Vol 14 (7), Jul, 1969.
• Hiltunen, S. M. S. (2003). Bereavement, lamenting and the Prism of Consciousness: Some practical considerations: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 30(4) 2003, 217-228.
• Holman, W. D. (1996). The power of poetry: Validating ethnic identity through a bibliotherapeutic intervention with a Puerto Rican adolescent: Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal Vol 13(5) Oct 1996, 371-383.
• Johnston, S. (2005). Review of Mythopoetic Perspectives of Men's Healing Work: An Anthology for Therapists and Others: Men and Masculinities Vol 8(1) Jul 2005, 120-122.
• Kack-Brice, V. (1997). The poetics of abortion: Women & Therapy Vol 20(3) 1997, 79-95.
• Kazdin, A. E. (1988). What is the Meaning of This? : PsycCRITIQUES Vol 33 (2), Feb, 1988.
• Kushner, T. (2005). Termination or Sonnet LXXV or Lass mein Schmerzen nicht verloren mein or Ambivalence: Studies in Gender and Sexuality Vol 6(4) Oct 2005, 329-343.
• Lantz, J. (1997). Poetry in existential psychotherapy with couples and families: Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal Vol 19(3) Sep 1997, 371-381.
• Lerner, A. (1997). A look at poetry therapy: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 24(1) 1997, 81-89.
• Lorenzetti, M. (1994). Perspectives on integration between arts therapy areas: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 21(2) 1994, 113-117.
• Maeve, M. K. (2000). Speaking unavoidable truths: Understanding early childhood sexual and physical violence among women in prison: Issues in Mental Health Nursing Vol 21(5) Jul-Aug 2000, 473-498.
• Magee, J. J. (1994). Using poetic paradox to enhance the self-esteem of shame-driven older adults: Activities, Adaptation & Aging Vol 19(1) 1994, 27-35.
• McArdle, S., & Byrt, R. (2001). Fiction, poetry and mental health: Expressive and therapeutic uses of literature: Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Vol 8(6) Dec 2001, 517-524.
• Reed, M. A. (1999). Contributions of Shakespeare's Paulina to the contemporary practice of poetry therapy: The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 26(2) 1999, 103-110.
• Reiter, S. (1994). Enhancing the quality of life for the frail elderly: Rx, the poetic prescription: Journal of Long Term Home Health Care: The PRIDE Institute Journal Vol 13(2) Spr 1994, 12-19.
• Rojcewicz, S. (1999). Medicine and poetry: The state of the art of poetry therapy: International Journal of Arts Medicine Vol 6(2) 1999, 4-9.
• Sanousi, H. A. (2004). The Psychological Role of Expressive and Literary Writing - A Case Study on Kuwaiti Women: PsyART Vol 8 Jul-Sep 2004,
• Shapiro, J. (2008). Putting a broken doll back together again: Families, Systems, & Health Vol 26(2) Jun 2008, 232-233.
• Snyder, M. (1996). Our "other history": Poetry as a meta-metaphor for narrative therapy: Journal of Family Therapy Vol 18(4) Nov 1996, 337-359.
• Tamura, H. (2001). Poetry therapy for schizophrenia: A linguistic psychotherapeutic model of renku (linked poetry): The Arts in Psychotherapy Vol 28(5) 2001, 319-328.

Additional material

Books

• Hicks-Lankton, C. A. (2007). Scared speechless: Goal-oriented and multiple embedded metaphors in a case of psychogenic dysphonia. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Papers

• Google Scholar

Dissertations

• Boone, B. C. (2008). The impact of poetry therapy on symptoms of secondary posttraumatic stress disorder in domestic violence counselors. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering.
• Campbell, L. (2007). Poetry therapy for adults with developmental disabilities. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering.
• Coffey, A. R. (1996). Sibling-bereaved adolescents: An exploratory study. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering.
• Gallagher, D. M. (1997). Poetry as therapy: A reading of selected poems by Dickinson, Sexton, and Gallagher. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Golden, K. M. (1995). The effect of collaborative writing on cohesion in poetry therapy groups. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Johnson, D. B. (1993). Masks of identity: Performance, persona, poetry therapy, and AIDS: Dissertation Abstracts International.
• Meyer, G. (1999). An exploratory study of the theory and technique of five expressive art therapy modalities. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering.
• Reiter, S. (2001). A poetry therapy guidebook for the helping professional: Part I. Poetry therapy; understanding its essence. Part II. A poetry therapy curriculum. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Roscoe, S. S. (1998). Mind-body conversations: Hypnosis, meditation, and poetry. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering.
• Ross, R. N. (1994). Parsing concepts: A discovery technique for poetry therapy. St Louis, MO: MMB Music.

External links

• Website of US National Asociation of Poetry Therapy