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