Expressive Writing

A therapeutic technique involving the exploration and expression of deep personal thoughts and feelings through Writing.

(Related: Using Writing to Process Your Emotions)

Example (grossly simplified):

  1. Pick a stressor.
  2. Write down your deepest feelings about it (these need to be authentic, feeling real and true to you).
  3. Continue for 15–20 minutes without taking any breaks to edit yourself; just keep writing as long as your text remains even somewhat coherent.
  4. Repeat 3-5 times, ideally over the period of a week to a month.
  5. Review.

Confronting a traumatic event: Toward an understanding of inhibition and disease.

Pennebaker, J. W., & Beall, S. K. (1986). Confronting a traumatic event: Toward an understanding of inhibition and disease. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95(3), 274–281. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.95.3.274

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