From destruction to creation, from silence to speech: Poetry therapy principles and practices for working with suicide grief

Literature and Art Therapy in Post-Stroke Psychological Disorders

“…By reading the words of a poet who expresses heartfelt emotions, patients experience changes in their emotions that allow them to look back at the past and to portray and heal themselves (Mazza 2006). For example, the poem of Rainer Maria Rilke who cries out for the pains and sufferings of patients can have a therapeutic effect, as it allows depressed patients to concentrate on their treatment (Stepakoff 2009). …”

Resolving Child and Adolescent Traumatic Grief: Creative Techniques and Interventions

“…When clients can connect with a character's feelings in a story or poem, it can assist them in expressing similar emotions (Heath et al, 2008;Stepakoff, 2009). Therefore, trauma symptoms, such as feeling estranged or disconnected from others and experiencing a restricted range of affect, may be reduced.…”

“…Poetry therapy has been effectively used in conjunction with CBT to assist clients in processing the totality of a loved one's life, not just the traumatic circumstances surrounding the death (Mazza, 2001;Stepakoff, 2009). Acrostic poems are one of many facilitated/guided expressive forms used by poetry therapists that provide an outlet for containing strong emotions via a written format (Stepakoff, 2009).…”

“…Writing letters to the deceased is another creative intervention that can be helpful in addressing CTG (Stepakoff, 2009). When letters are discussed in therapy, it provides a window into cognitions a child may have related to unrealistic self-blame, fear, or other fantasies of revenge (Cohen & Mannarino, 2004).…”

“…Acrostic poems are one of many facilitated/guided expressive forms used by poetry therapists that provide an outlet for containing strong emotions via a written format (Stepakoff, 2009). This technique is useful in CTG because it focuses attention on commemorating the loved one in positive images that may counterbalance the traumatic imagery associated with the death (Stepakoff, 2007).…”