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What is expressive writing in Psychology?
Expressive writing is personal and emotional writing without regard to punctuation, verb agreement, or other technical aspects of writing. The expressive purpose is used to communicate, or express, the personal feelings or thoughts of the writer. This kind of writing is concerned primarily with the writer as an individual. Much expressive writing could be termed anecdote. The three basic steps of expressive writing – prewriting, composing, and revising – have to be taught explicitly. Expressive writing is a form of writing therapy developed primarily by James W. Pennebaker in the late 1980s. The seminal expressive writing study instructed participants in the experimental group to write about a ‘past trauma’, expressing their very deepest thoughts and feelings surrounding it.
What kind of intervention is expressive writing?
Expressive writing is a brief psychosocial intervention, also called written emotional disclosure. Expressive writing interventions are individually focused and designed to improve emotional expression and processing during adaptation to stressful situations. The goal is to improve psychological and physical health. Self-expressive writing is often used in therapeutic settings where people are asked to write about their thoughts and feelings related to a stressful event. While you can journal in many different ways, one of the most well-studied techniques is called Expressive Writing. To do this, you write continuously for 20 minutes about your deepest thoughts and emotions around an issue in your life. Generally, though, poetry refers to writing that is highly personal and expressive. Therefore, when I use the phrase “expressive writing” I am using it as synonymous with what, in the U.S., we most often term “creative writing,” which includes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction (or the personal essay). In addition to the mental benefits, writing can even improve physical wellbeing. Research by Dr. Pennebaker and Joshua Smyth PhD., Syracuse University, suggests that writing about emotions and stress can boost immune functioning in patients with HIV/AIDS, asthma, and arthritis. You can earn a master’s degree in psychology, educational psychology, counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, or another mental health discipline as a precursor to obtaining a credential in expressive therapy.
Is expressive writing the same as journaling?
Is expressive writing the same as journalling? Just like a diary or journal, expressive writing is a private place where you can write without inhibitions. You don’t need to heed proper spelling, punctuation or grammar. But unlike a diary, it’s not a place to record daily events just for the sake of having memories. Types of expressive writing include personal journals, essays, memoirs, songs, poetry, and opinion pieces. Expressive writing is done in the first person and gives the writer, as well as those who are reading whatever form the expression takes, insight into that person. Expressive writing can result in a reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression; improve our sleep and performance; and bring us greater focus and clarity. These effects of writing as a tool for healing are well documented. Expressive language is the ability to request objects, make choices, ask questions, answer, and describe events. Speaking, gesturing (waving, pointing), writing (texting, emailing), facial expressions (crying, smiling), and vocalizations (crying, yelling) are all variations of expressive language.