Hello there,
Happy New Year and all of that. : )
I wanted to post about men undertaking writing therapy. Having conducted many workshops with women, I long been seeking men to participate in writing therapy. I approached my friend a while ago, and he only did the first few exercises, he stopped at the autobiography part. Sometimes it seems men will not want to go to some levels of emotion or pain for fear of what it will unearth. However, in my humble opinion, perhaps men need this more than women even. Women are used to sharing their emotions and I know men do this as well. With writing therapy men can express these deeper things without having to speak or have an audience it is between themselves and the page. This provides complete release and also allows them control over the process so they feel safe. I think writing therapy is quite an amazing tool for men. I will be conducting workshops again soon and I believe I have a few men attending.
Men need writing therapy but they shy away from it. I would love to know the thoughts of male readers of my blog. There are men dealing with a lot of trauma in the armed forces, police force, in different professions and stations in society. All people can and do benefit from writing therapy, though men seem more reluctant. Physiologically, men recover from emotional outbursts and arguments slower than women, they take longer to calm down. Their blood pressure and heart rate rises and stays up much longer than a woman. Is this why men fear emotion? I am not sure but either way, writing therapy is a gentle and healing way to address emotions. I was telling my male friend the other day who said he had been avoiding emotional issues, that once we face them they are released. If we face them they are not powerful over us. If we face them and write them down truthfully and deeply we are released.
I would appreciate any thoughts from my male readers.
Thanks for your time. Hear from you soon.
Suzanne
Suzanne Strong 