This training provides an overview of expressive writing and its many benefits for clients. We will explore how to introduce journaling to clients and how to structure writing activities. There will be plenty of experiential activities, so be sure to have your favorite journal on hand!
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify the evidence-based for using writing activities with clients
- Discuss different formats for expressive writing
- Practice various writing techniques
- Discuss how to integrate journaling into clinical work with various populations
Syllabus:
Foundations of Therapeutic Journaling
- Define journal therapy as the purposeful use of writing for psychological healing and growth
- Trace the history of expressive writing, including contributions from Ira Progoff and Kathleen Adams
- Explore the goals of journaling in therapy: self-awareness, emotional relief, clarity, narrative development, and reframing life events
Objective #1: Evidence-Based Benefits of Expressive Writing
- Review empirical findings linking journaling to improved mental and physical health outcomes
- Discuss reduced depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and stress as common benefits
- Highlight studies showing impact on emotional regulation, addiction recovery, and grief processing
Objective #2: Therapeutic Writing Formats and Techniques
- Distinguish between free-form journaling and structured therapeutic writing
- Explore mechanisms of change: emotional catharsis, narrative coherence, cognitive processing, and control
- Practice directive formats such as: Pennebaker’s Four-Day Method, The WRITE method, Sentence stems for emotional exploration, The Five-Minute Sprint, Unsent letters to various recipients (past/future self, loved ones, body parts, regrets), AlphaPoems and acrostic prompts, Dialogue exercises with inner parts, emotions, symbols, or symptoms
Objective #3: Creative and Reflective Writing Activities
- Life mapping and journaling about life phases and turning points
- “Period Log” and “Intersections” from Progoff’s method
- Journaling for gratitude, inner wisdom, and parts work (IFS)
- Exploring identity, values, and meaning through structured prompts and narratives
Objective #4: Clinical Applications Across Populations
- Apply journaling with clients dealing with:
- Depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief, and addiction
- Body image, chronic illness, and IBS
- Adolescents building emotional intelligence
- Veterans and refugee populations coping with trauma
- Integrate journaling into therapy: As homework assignments; At session openers, closers, or during live sessions; Through mixed media (writing, art, photos, digital tools)
Objective #5: Addressing Barriers to Journaling
- Identify common challenges: perfectionism, lack of time/motivation, privacy concerns
- Offer strategies to overcome resistance: flexible methods, accessible materials, digital alternatives
- Normalize inconsistency and encourage experimentation to find resonant journaling styles
Objective #6: Conclusion and Integration
- Reflect on the journaling process as a means of making the internal visible
- Emphasize journaling as a lifelong, adaptive tool for insight and emotional processing
- Quote from Kay Adams: “We can read our own minds… and have documentation of the therapeutic process”
Objective #7: Additional Resources for Continued Practice
- Recommended reading from Kathleen Adams, James Pennebaker, and others
- Videos and online tools to support client engagement
- Practical tools for therapists seeking to incorporate journal therapy into various treatment modalities
Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 Clinical asynchronous continuing education credits.
For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 1.5 Clinical continuing education training.
Instructor: Dreya Blume, LCSW
Recording Date: March 24, 2024
CEUS On-Demand, LLC, provider #2274, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/7/2026 - 08/6/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.5hrs Clinical continuing education credits.
CEUs On-Demand, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7091. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CEUs On-Demand, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
System Requirements: Firefox, Chrome, Brave, Safari, Edge on any modern operating system (Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS). A desktop browser is recommended. We do not provide support resources for issues encountered using a mobile device.
Request for Special Accommodations: Learners can request special accommodations by contacting the administrative team at admin@ceus-ondemand.com