Writing is a form of expressive therapy that uses poetry, storytelling, journalling, memoir, humor and narrative. Writing therapy is also used in music as songwriting; we hear a tale or story in most of the songs we hear. Writing therapy can help people to pour out emotions that they otherwise have trouble expressing and can help them to feel more control in their lives. It helps articulate and organize emotions.


Writing therapy has been used in health situations to help people come to terms with abuse, disease, sickness, depression, and trauma. Writing can take place in individual or group therapy in person with a therapist or as remote or distance therapy through mailing, chat, phone calls, or the Internet. Writing therapy groups exist on-line, in hospitals in universities to aid student development. Distance therapy is useful for those who prefer to remain anonymous. Assignments can range from writing unsent letters followed by imagined replies or a running dialogue. The oldest and most widely practiced form of self-help through writing is that of keeping a personal journalor diary. This can allow tormenting thoughts or emotions to escape on the paper.


There are several advantages of writing therapy and distance counseling. People can express their feelings while they are fresh, which gives them more freedom in a therapeutic relationship. The client may feel more active in his or her own healing process and they have a permanent record of the process. Distance therapy may also be cheaper for both client and counselor. There is no travel involved, and chat and email are usually free, requiring only a computer. Distance and remote counseling can also provide services for the disabled when they cannot physically get to a site for therapy. There are also sites where one can call a counselor to discuss issues that may be troubling and get some direction. One form of writing therapy that has become widespread are blogs. There are many that deal with tough issues and they are usually free to set up and write.

Expressive writing can improve mood and feelings of well being, which can lead to better socialization and behavioral patterns in a depressed person. Writing can also exercise the brain: improve memory, which can lead to better performance in school and on the job. People who are ill can share their experiences with others in a nonthreatening way and receive feedback and social support. Writing can also be nonstructured and follow few rules so people are free to express themselves on paper. They can emotionally soar, explore, or simply describe whatever they want. This nonhindering experience can be freeing in ways that traditional therapy cannot. Many have turned their words into books or narratives that help others by a sense of recognition by readers. The fact that there is someone else who has had similar experiences can reduce the loneliness a person feels when they have too much to cope with.


Many people get started with journals and diaries and set aside a small amount of time each day to write. There are numerous free blogging sites and chats to get started on the Internet. For those that prefer writing longhand, all that is needed is a small notebook or just some paper. The important thing is to start writing and see where the journey takes you.