Discusses the ancient "Bardic Mystery" and its descent into the body to let an old Self die. Analyzes the poetry of three contemporary poets to provide substantial support for the role of the poet in the therapeutic process. Connects self-discovery, transformation, and communal awareness to the healing aspects of the lyric, epic, and…

Relates a case history of the stormy psychotherapy of a young man with borderline syndrome involving powerful self-hatred and self-destructive urges. Concludes that his progress in therapy was marked by distinct changes in the poetry he wrote for his therapist. (PA)

Describes the ways in which the use of poetry in group therapy facilitates therapeutic goals consistent with interpersonal theory. Discusses the relationship between poetic interventions and I. D. Yalom's therapeutic factors, and offers a case example of an in-patient therapy group. (SR)

Argues that the dichotomous nature of poetry may lend itself well to the complementary structural deficits of well-defined borderline personality disordered patients. Suggests that the emotive aspects of the poem may permit the patient to engage in the work, whereas the more rational, structured aspects of the poem facilitate personality…

Examines how the author's work in nursing has helped reveal, through poetry, her own "key images" (images that unconsciously bring life, energy, and universality to a poet's work). Suggests ways writers might encourage intense personal imagery to enter their own poems or the poems of their students. (SR)

Suggests that adults with mental retardation, even those unable to read or write or who have limited verbal skills, can express their ideas, feelings, and thoughts through poetry. Presents poetry written or dictated by the author's clients. Discusses how poetry can become the vehicle for self-esteem building through processes of self-creation and…

Discusses poems written by the author, an analyst, as a study of her own journey through the labyrinth of countertransference during treatment of a woman who belonged to an alcoholic family. Notes that the poems served several functions: as a means to study countertransferential feelings; as holding environments; as diagnostic tools; and as…

Provides a brief case report on the use of poetry writing in the treatment of a patient with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. Notes that, after 23 sessions in which the patient said nothing, the patient brought a poem for the therapist to read at the 24 session. (SR)

Describes a young man who suffered multiple handicaps and cruel deprivations from birth, became a street person at an early age, and who, after a suicide attempt, responded well to intensive time-limited psychotherapy with a Zen approach. Includes his spontaneously written poetry which recorded his gradually reducing alienation. (SR)

Describes how a patient with Borderline Personality Disorder underwent significant regression in response to poetic material during a therapy session. Offers a prototypical questionnaire (Poetic Response Assessment Scale) to assess a patient's response to a particular literary work. (SR)

Demonstrates that poetry is a valuable tool in individual and couples therapy; specifically, that the Bowen Family Systems Theory and attachment theory are useful paradigms for including poetry. Offers several case examples demonstrating the usefulness of poetry within a therapist's practice model. (SR)

This paper reports the results of creative writing workshops in various psychiatric hospitals that have demonstrated that individuals in psychiatric settings have particular needs, affinities, and receptivities to the means of self-expression and communication available through creative writing. The purgative effect of Emily Dickinson's poetry and…

Examines life-space diagrams as a form of nonverbal poetry which taps personal feelings, tells a story, and characterizes a particular life situation, forming a useful therapy technique that provides a family the opportunity to examine its internal family relationships. Offers two case studies, discusses five levels of knowing and awareness, and…

Discusses the similarities between what librarians call activity bibliotherapy and psychotherapists call poetry therapy, and the need for cooperation between these professions. The interactive aspects of bibliotherapy and the need for professional training in this process are emphasized. (CLB)

Investigates the effect of poem selection on therapeutic process and outcome. Examines the use of three different poems by three different therapists in a variety of contexts. Concludes that the "success" or "failure" of poems is based, in part, on what the therapist and poem ask of a client. (SR)