A Writing Haven’s Origin Story
A random Google search shifted my life. As a newcomer to Boise, I’d recently transplanted from Phoenix, Arizona. I was sitting in Caffeina feeling aimless. I didn’t know anyone yet. My husband was at work and it felt like an excruciatingly long time before he came home each day. I was beginning to build my therapy practice, but no clients yet. I had nothing to do and not in the good “I’m on vacation” sort of way. I didn’t know what the next chapter of my life had in store. I was upside down. I’d temporarily lost my roots that had taken over a decade to solidify in my former life. I felt bad, depressed, bored, and lonely compared to how I’d previously felt in Phoenix — connected, purposeful, and interested in the day ahead. A little voice in my mind reminded me that in previous times of transition I had turned to writing, though quite casually and on my own. I thought I may as well search for “therapeutic writing groups in Boise” and a curious thing called “poetry therapy” turned up.
As described by the National Association of Poetry therapy, poetry therapy is, “ the use of language, symbol, and story in therapeutic, educational, growth, and community-building capacities. It relies upon the use of poems, stories, song lyrics, imagery, and metaphor to facilitate personal growth, healing, and greater self-awareness. Bibliotherapy, narrative, journal writing, metaphor, storytelling, and ritual are all within the realm of poetry therapy.”
I read more about poetry therapy and found a local facilitator — my curiosity was piqued and I sent off a quick email. Soon after I got a response from a local Registered Poetry Therapist, Sue Furness, who has since become my mentor. We met in her office the day before the city shut down — COVID had just reached Boise. I am incredibly grateful to have connected with her when I did. I don’t think it could have happened at a more poignant time. I joined one of her poetry therapy groups and writing carried me and others in our circle through drastic changes and uncertainty. I am pleasantly surprised that coming out the other side of a few turbulent years, I feel more myself than before. The experience strengthened my philosophy that self-reflection and inner listening is a generous resource that each of us holds within if we tap into it.
Though it began with joining a poetry therapy group that met for a few hours once a month, my interest grew into making poetry therapy a permanent fixture in my life personally and professionally. I began learning to facilitate groups myself. It has been four years now of consistently participating in poetry therapy and still each time I am moved hearing the participants’ latent wisdom made explicit in their writing. Truly, it has yet to disappoint me.
William Stafford once said, “I keep following a hidden river of my life, you know whatever the topic or impulse which comes, I follow it trustingly. And I don’t have any sense of it coming to a crescendo or petering out. It just goes steadily along.”
Stafford’s word’s “hidden river” seem synonymous perhaps with one’s own authentic voice. Life is busy of course, we get distracted, bogged down, unexpected things happen — I think it’s quite easy to forget how important our inner world is when the outer world feels chaotic. Yet, finding the hidden river beyond the external noise tends to reveal resilience and an inner map to guide the way. And even better — we get to be alongside each other instead of alone when we feel lost.
I hope to write with you soon.