 Sharon Bray, EdD ~ San Diego ~ 7 Hrs
Saturday, October 25, 2008 ~ 9:00am-5:00pm Sharon Bray, EdD, has over 25 years' experience in education, adult learning, writing, counseling & consulting, with particular emphasis on expressive writing and healing. She has also led therapeutic writing workshops for men & women living with cancer for Scripps Green Cancer Center, the Stanford Cancer Center and others, as well as teaching professional development courses for MSW, psychologists, healthcare and clergy on writing & healing at Santa Clara University Professional Development Center, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA., Western Theological Seminary, Los Gatos, CA. Please click here for a KPBS news story on one of Sharon Bray's writing groups. Writing is an art form that belongs to every one of us. It is also a powerful tool for personal healing. In recent years, a growing body of research shows that the simple act of writing down thoughts and feelings can help people with chronic illness improve their health. (Journal of the American Medical Association, April 14, 1999; Pennebaker, 1996, 1999). But the healing power of writing extends well beyond physical illness. Writing also reduces stress, discharges complex emotions and helps us gain perspective. When we suffer pain or loss, writing about our feelings can help to relieve our burdens, establish a perspective, and cope more effectively with life's hardships. Writing and telling our stories helps to integrate our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, and it nourishes our desire for creative self-expression. This class is designed to introduce the value of expressive writing as an adjunct to therapy. Participants will be introduced to key research findings and a variety of approaches to expressive writing that are being used with populations such as cancer patients, prisoners, victims of sexual abuse, at risk teens, and war veterans. |
