Tag: freedom writers

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People’s Experiences at Writing Therapy workshop

cropped-threegliders-2.jpgBelow is the response of some people who attended my most recent workshop.

Justin came to Australia from Congo as a refugee and had experienced many traumatic events, including losing his parents and having to flee with his brothers to safety from his war-torn country. Tia is a university student, she had experienced stress within relationships previously and was discovering herself as a person. This was their response to the writing therapy workshop.

Justin, Journalism Student

“I was expecting some sort of writing but what about exactly I had no idea. I didn’t know what to expect, it surprised me how easy it was to discover my emotions that I thought were not there. I was surprised with the things I was discovering as I was writing them.

Writing a letter to someone I found that challenging but I felt so good at the end.

I felt released, it helped me let me go of a lot of emotions I had. I felt positive after the workshop. I would definitely do more writing therapy. I think we should all do writing therapy workshops because it can definitely help a lot of people out there.”

Tia, Business Student

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect. My experience with the workshop was not what I expected. I have never heard of writing therapy and what it does to you. I didn’t expect writing therapy to be some form of remedy.

The part of the workshop I enjoyed the most was where I had to write descriptions of myself as a young child, a teenager and myself in the present. It made me feel overwhelmed but in a good way. I could see how far I have come over the years, and how matured I’ve become as an adult.

The part that was the most challenging was writing a letter to an old friend with whom there was an issue. Doing this I remembered past memories and conflict.  I felt very relieved after my experience with writing therapy. It made me understand where I currently am in life.

Before writing therapy, I had been feeling anxious about something that has been in the back of my mind for a very long time. After my experience with the therapy, I felt a sense of relief and less pressure on myself. I felt a lot more positive about myself, because I could finally face what I had been thinking about inside my mind.

I would 100% recommend writing therapy to other people!”

If you are interested in discovering the powerful secrets of writing therapy and how you can be free, you can purchase my short book on amazon as an e-book or in print. Click on the link below.

Freedom Writing -E-book on Amazon

Reviews of Freedom Writing – Amazon Australia

Freedom Writing – Amazon – Print Version

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Reader’s comments about Freedom Writing

Hello,

I thought I would post a couple of reader emails I received. I may share them from time to time. I was so happy to receive this feedback. Thanks for reading.

Suzanne

Kylie, Mother and Florist:

“I started reading your book last night. You are amazing! Very enlightening, I used to use this technique when I couldn’t sleep. Helps to unscramble your mind. I am looking forwards to the rest of the book.”

Amanda, University Student:

“This book is amazing, I am up to page 20 already but had to get off the train, it is such a blessing, this book.

It’s amazing, you have done such a beautiful job. I want to purchase some more as it would make such a lovely gift. I would like to order six.  It’s such an easy book to read, flows really well and is easy to understand.”

“I’m so excited. Thank you for sharing this tool and I would love to come to a workshop.”

“I read the rest of your book… it’s amazing and I cannot wait to start the exercises tonight. It made me cry as I was starting to think of things that I have been masking for a long time. I didn’t realise it was consuming so much as it just became second nature. I just read 20 more pages and I can’t wait to get to the exercises.”

Freedom Writing E-book Click Here to buy!

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Freedom Writing in Print, Click Here!

FreedomwritingFront

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“Freedom Writers”- tells story of writing therapy transforming lives…

The Freedom Writers movie tells the true story of Erin Gruwell, who taught at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. This was shortly after the Rodney King riots in 1994 when she began teaching a disadvantaged class who were at risk. Many students were from different racial backgrounds, members of gangs who had been in and out of prison and had experienced indescribable violence from extremely young ages. These students would not accept a white woman from Long Beach would know or even have a clue about what they faced every day.

Erin was not dissuaded, most of all she cared. She knew she could make them see they mattered, their lives mattered and they could have a different life. She came up with a brilliant idea, and she utilised writing therapy without even knowing it.

One morning in the class she told them all she had bought them their own diaries. In these diaries they could write anything they wanted, a story, a poem, an account of their day, anything, a song. She specified it didn’t matter about the grammar or structure, what mattered was they could be honest and they could write something. Lastly, she said to them, this is for your eyes only. “Write as if no one else will see. But if you want me (Erin) to read it place it in this cupboard at the end of the day and I will be the only one who reads it.” They took their journals slowly and she had no idea if they were open to the idea or not. But the following day, she checked the cupboard and it was filled with 40 books of students who wanted her to read it.

For the first time in their life, they felt they had a voice and that someone cared.

Erin utilised the power of writing therapy:

  • to write completely honestly
  • to without an audience unless you want to share it
  • to not be concerned with grammar, spelling etc
  • to write every day

These students did this, and you know what happened – through her teaching and this writing, they completely changed their lives. They were able to express the things that were happening to them – in words on a page, and this is the power of writing therapy that can be anyone’s. These students were the first in their families to finish high school and the first in their families to go to college and now they have a foundation that visits schools and inspires other students that they can have a different life.

This is the power of writing therapy. 🙂 I have seen it with the people I have worked with, I have seen it in my tutorials at university when I read their life stories and tell them I will be the only who reads it and I care about their life story. It is one exercise of writing therapy I do with my tutorials. You should see the honesty I receive and the healing they also receive. Below is a link to the movie; which shows an overview of the story. This movie is a stunning account of an amazing woman who used simple techniques of writing therapy along with her desire to see people free from prejudice and hate, and from the violence and poverty they could not escape. She is my hero as are all of those students and the students I have known who have suffered horrendously but who still stand tall and survive. I have known many of these students as well and I have been inspired by them. As Erin says in her talks, when the teacher becomes the student and is humbled by her students. Check it out…takes my breath away.

Freedom Writers Movie

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