Write It Out: The Journal as a Tool for Growth and Lasting Change. Journal Writing Workshops and Retreats

Journal Writing in Healing Support Groups

Write It Out Journal Workshop Facilitators are available to attend support group meetings to lead journal-writing exercises, discuss the healing value of writing, and offer further resources for members interested in learning more about writing to heal.

Research Findings on the Value of Writing to Assist in Healing

Baikie, K. A., & Wilhelm, K. 2005. Emotional and physical Health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11, 338–346.
Cameron, L. D., & Nicholls, G. 1998. Expression of stressful experiences through writing: Effects of a self-regulation manipulation for pessimists and optimists. Health Psychology, 17, 84–92.
Christensen, A. J., Edwards, D. L., Wiebe, J. S., Benotsch, E. G., McKelvey, L., Andrews, M., & Lubaroff, D. M. 1996. Effect of verbal self-disclosure on natural killer cell activity: Moderation influence on cynical hostility. Psychosomatic Medicine. 58. 150-155
Davidson, K., Schwartz, A. R., Sheffield, D., et al. 2002. Expressive writing and blood pressure. In The Writing Cure: How Expressive Writing Promotes Health and Emotional Well-being. eds S. J. Lepore & J. M. Smyth., pp. 17–30. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Earnhardt, J. L., Martz, D. M., Ballard, M. E., et al. 2002. A writing intervention for negative body image: Pennebaker fails to surpass the placebo. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 17, 19–35.
Francis, M. E., & Pennebaker, J. W. 1992. Putting stress into words. The impact of writing on physiological, absentee, and self-reported emotional well-being measures. American Journal of Health Promotion, 6, 280–287.
Gallant, M. D., & Lafreniere, K. D. 2003. Effects of an emotional disclosure writing task on the physical and psychological functioning of children of alcoholics. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 21, 55–66.
Greenberg, M. A., Wortman, C. B. & Stone, A. A. 1996. Emotional expression and physical heath. Revising traumatic memories or fostering self-regulation? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 588–602.
Greenhalgh, Tricia. "Writing as Therapy. " British Medical Journal. July 1999.: 270-271.
Hockemeyer, J. R., Smyth, J. M., Anderson, C. F., et al. 1999. Is it safe to write? Evaluating the short-term distress produced by writing about emotionally traumatic experiences [abstract]. Psychosomatic Medicine, 61, 99.
King, L. A. & Miner, K. N. 2000. Writing about the perceived benefits of traumatic events: implications for physical health. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 220– 230.
Klein, K. & Boals, A. 2001. Expressive writing can increase working memory capacity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130, 520–533.
Kovac, S. H. & Range, L. M. 2002. Does writing about suicidal thoughts and feelings reduce them? Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 32, 428–440. Lepore, S. J. 1997. Expressive writing moderates the relation between intrusive thoughts and depressive symptoms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 1030–1037.
Lepore, S. J. & Greenberg, M. A. 2002. Mending broken hearts: Effects of expressive writing on mood, cognitive processing, social adjustment and health following a relationship breakup. Psychology and Health, 17, 547–560
Lepore, S. J. & Smyth, J. M., eds. 2002. The Writing Cure: How Expressive Writing Promotes Health and Emotional Well-being. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Norman, S. A., Lumley, M. A., Dooley, J. A., et al. 2004. For whom does it work? Moderators of the effects of written emotional disclosure in a randomized trial among women with chronic pelvic pain. Psychosomatic Medicine, 66, 174– 183.
Nye, Emily F. "Writing as Healing. " Qualitative Inquiry. December 1997.: 439-450.
Páez, D., Velasco, C. & Gonzalez, J. L. 1999. Expressive writing and the role of alexythimia as a dispositional deficit in self-disclosure and psychological health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 630–641.
Park, C. L. & Blumberg, C. J. 2002. Disclosing trauma through writing: testing the meaning-making hypothesis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26, 597–616.
Pennebaker, J. W. & Francis, M. E. 1996. Cognitive, emotional, and language processes in disclosure. Cognition and Emotion, 10, 601–626.
Pennebaker, J. W. & Graybeal, A. 2001. Patterns of natural language use. Disclosure, personality, and social integration. Current Directions, 10, 90–93.
Pennebaker, J. W. 1997. Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8, 162–166.
Petrie, K. J., Fontanilla, I., Thomas, M. G., et al. 2004. Effect of written emotional expression on immune function in patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection. A randomized trial. Psychosomatic Medicine, 66, 272–275.
Schwartz, L. & Drotar, D. 2004. Effects of written emotional disclosure on caregivers of children and adolescents with chronic illness. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 29, 105–118.
Scott, V. B., Robare, R. D., Raines, D. B., et al. 2003. Emotive writing moderates the relationship between mood awareness and athletic performance in collegiate tennis players. North American Journal of Psychology, 5, 311–324.
Sloan, D. M. & Marx, B. P. 2004. A closer examination of the structured written disclosure procedure. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 165–175.
Smyth, J. M., Hockemeyer, J. R., Anderson, C., et al. 2002. Structured writing about a natural disaster buffers the effect of intrusive thoughts on negative affect and physical symptoms. Australasian Journal of Disaster and Traumatic Studies, 1. http://www. massey. ac. nz/%7Etrauma/ issues/2002-1/smyth. htm
Smyth, J. M. 1998. Written emotional expression. Effect sizes, outcome types, and moderating variables. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 174–184.
Smyth, Joshua M. "Written Emotional Expression: Effect Sizes, Outcome Types, and Moderating Variables. " Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1998: 174-184.
Smyth, Joshua M. et al. "Effects of Writing About Stressful Experiences on Symptom Reduction in Patients With Asthma or Rheumatoid Arthritis. "Journal of the American Medical Association. April 1999: 1304-1309.
Spera, S. P., Buhrfeind, E. D. & Pennebaker, J. W. 1994. Expressive writing and coping with job loss. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 722–733.
Spiegel, David. 1999. “Healing Words: Emotional Expression and Disease Outcome. “Journal of the American Medical Association. April 1999: 1328-1329.
Walker, B. Lee, Lillian M. Nail, and Robert T. Croyle. “Does Emotional Expression Make a Difference in Reactions to Breast Cancer?” Oncology Nursing Journal. July 1999: 1025-1032.