Poetry Therapy: The Art and Science of Healing Through Words

When the Mind Won’t Rest, Poetry Listens

In my work as a licensed clinical social worker, I have found poetry therapy to be a gentle yet profound remedy for rumination—those looping thoughts born of overthinking, overanalyzing, and anxious mental states. The act of poem-making becomes a form of catharsis, offering the restless mind a container for release and transformation.

Often, when clients struggle to articulate complex or nuanced emotions, reading or listening to a poem (carefully selected by the therapist)—or engaging with a creative writing or journaling prompt—touches them in a deeply personal way. The poem speaks for them, giving voice to what had felt unspeakable. This resonance between the inner self and the poem’s language can open pathways to healing that transcend ordinary conversation.

This, to me, is the essence of poetry therapy: a bridge between emotion and expression, between silence and speech—where language itself becomes medicine.

So, What Is Poetry Therapy?

Poetry therapy is a dynamic, evidence-based form of expressive arts therapy that uses the reading, writing, and sharing of poetry as a vehicle for healing, self-discovery, and transformation.

Rooted in both psychological theory and the ancient human tradition of storytelling, poetry therapy bridges the creative and the clinical. As pioneers such as Sherry Reiter, Perie Longo, Nicholas Mazza, and Kathleen Adams have shown, engaging with poetry invites integration of mind, body, and spirit—fostering emotional resilience, cognitive insight, and self-awareness.

As poet and past president of the National Association for Poetry Therapy, Perie Longo writes, “Poetry speaks the language of the heart. It allows us to give shape to what we feel and meaning to what we live.” Through rhythm, metaphor, and reflection, poetry helps us articulate what ordinary language cannot—revealing truths that long to be witnessed and understood.

A Bridge Between Research and Reflection

Contemporary studies in expressive writing, narrative therapy, and psychoneuroimmunology demonstrate that writing about emotional experiences can reduce physiological stress, enhance immune function, and promote psychological well-being.

The research of Dr. James Pennebaker at the University of Texas established that structured expressive writing about trauma and emotion supports measurable improvements in both physical and mental health outcomes. Poetry therapy extends these findings by engaging both hemispheres of the brain—the analytical and the imaginative—facilitating what Nicholas Mazza calls “the integration of affect, cognition, and imagination.”

In this way, poetry therapy becomes a meeting place between science and soul—between evidence-based practice and the healing power of creative expression.

Evidence-Based Benefits

Clinical research and decades of therapeutic practice consistently show that poetry therapy can:

• Reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress

• Support emotional regulation and foster greater empathy and insight

• Interrupt rumination and cognitive looping, creating mental spaciousness and calm

• Enhance communication skills and relational understanding

• Promote grief processing and meaning-making after loss

• Encourage mindfulness, presence, and creative flow

• Cultivate resilience, self-compassion, and personal growth

As Kathleen Adams, founder of the Center for Journal Therapy, reminds us, “When we write, we witness ourselves. And in that witnessing, healing begins.”

Accessible and Inclusive

You do not need to be a poet to benefit from poetry therapy. This modality welcomes all voices and levels of writing experience. The focus is not on literary perfection but on authentic expression—on finding words for what lives within you.

Whether you are navigating a life transition, coping with illness, processing trauma, or seeking creative renewal, poetry therapy meets you exactly where you are.

Creative Process, Clinical Structure

In therapy sessions, poetry becomes both a mirror and a map—reflecting your lived experience while guiding you toward growth. Sessions may include:

• Reading and discussing published poems for insight, resonance, and connection

• Responding to personalized writing prompts designed around therapeutic themes

• Writing and sharing your own poems as a form of self-reflection and catharsis

• Exploring metaphor and imagery as tools for emotional understanding and change

This process draws upon principles from expressive arts therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based practice, and poetry therapy theory, supporting both emotional release and insight integration.

Finding Your Voice

As Sherry Reiter writes, “In poetry therapy, we are not fixing people—we are giving them language to live by.”
Poetry therapy empowers you to reclaim your voice—literally and metaphorically. Through this process, many people experience:

• A renewed sense of agency and self-compassion

• Clarity in communication and boundaries

• Relief from anxious rumination and overanalysis

• Deeper connection to their own stories and identities

• A spiritual sense of belonging to something larger than the self

Your Healing Journey

Poetry therapy honors the full spectrum of human experience—the grief and the grace, the breaking and the becoming.
In our work together, you bring your authentic voice, your courage, and your curiosity. I bring a therapeutic structure grounded in both clinical science and the art of the written word. As my poetry therapy mentor, Perie Longo, taught me poetry is about the poem, poetry therapy is about the person.

Together, we will use poetry as a path of self-discovery—one that transforms pain into meaning, silence into expression, and words into healing.

You don’t have to write perfectly. You only have to begin. The healing is in the process not the product.

Words as Medicine: What the Research Says

• James W. Pennebaker’s groundbreaking studies on expressive writing demonstrate that translating emotional experiences into words improves immune function, lowers blood pressure, and decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety.

• Nicholas Mazza’s model of poetry therapy emphasizes the integration of feeling, thought, and imagination—uniting psychology with creativity.

• Perie Longo and Sherry Reiter highlight poetry’s role as a form of “emotional literacy,” helping individuals name and transform what was once unspeakable.

• In clinical practice, poetry therapy has been shown to help regulate the mind’s tendency toward repetitive thinking, offering emotional release through language and symbol.

Together, this growing body of work—and decades of lived experience—affirm that language itself, when used with intention and care, can be a profound instrument of healing.

How It Works

Sessions may include:

• Writing prompts tailored to your therapeutic goals

• Reading and discussing published poetry for insight and connection

• Creating original poems as a form of self-reflection

• Group sharing and feedback in a supportive community setting

Who Benefits

Poetry therapy is particularly beneficial for those seeking:

• Alternative ways to process emotions and experiences

• Creative outlets for self-expression

• Support with grief, trauma, or life transitions

• Enhanced self-awareness and personal growth

• Connection with others through shared creative experiences