Writing Practice Prescription

There gets to be a place in chronic illness where you realize that being ill is not going to stop you from living well.
–Rachel Naomi Remen
When you carry the burden of a chronic disease or health condition, life can be downright hard and seem quite unfair. Still a ray of freedom resides in the [...]

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Marlene Buckler, MD, FACEP, has arrived at a point where she thinks that she may be able to help more people not by actually practicing medicine, but by writing and speaking about it. In a recent article about her in the Pelican Press she is quoted at the beginning of the article as saying, “Stay [...]

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I just attended a conference where one of the workshop leaders suggested we take titles of our articles and enter them into Google Alerts to see if anyone else had referenced or used our work. One of my past posts was titled “Writing as Therapy.” Today, Google Alerts notified me that a post with the [...]

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Here is the handout used for a recent 1.5 hour workshop:
Learn to write your story for healing and helping
Handout for January 31, 2008 workshop
by
Ellen Taliaferro, MD
Overview

The stories you hear and observe each day weave the rich fabric of your work and personal life. No wonder that at least one friend or relative has no [...]

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It may not be a surprise to you at all to know that writing your own life story can be healing and helpful to you. But did you know that writing your story can help others?
Dr. Robert Sommer, in his 2003 article, The Use of Autobiography in Psychotherapy, notes that a recent explosion of published [...]

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by
Ellen Taliaferro, MD
In a previous post, What Is Your ACE Score, I noted that the founders of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study reported 10 adverse childhood experiences that impact your current state of health. That post also provided a link to a site that will let you determine what your ACE score is. (You [...]

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I have coined the term WellWriting® to name an ongoing writing practice. WellWriting is a form of therapeutic, expressive, and focused autobiographical writing that has been shown to improve numerous health conditions. This form of writing is easy to do, inexpensive, and requires no research other than self-exploration.
WellWriting has helped many people recovering from traumatic [...]

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After the Diagnosis by Donna L. Pikula, D.D.S., M.S., lives up to its subtitle: How to Look Out for Yourself or a Loved One. This 275-page book may be one of the best self-help books available for the lay reader receiving a new diagnosis of life-altering concern.
Most self-help books in the health area come from [...]

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By
Ellen Taliaferro, MD
Can the woes and traumas of your yesterdays take a toll on your state of health today? Indeed they can and do. At least that’s what our grandmothers always seemed to know.
Now, thanks in large part to the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, medical research validates this concept. Dr. Vincent Felitti, [...]

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The stories of our life drive us. And yet, so many of us don’t even know what our stories are. Long forgotten trauma may be the story denied that we live with. Sometimes the stories are so painful and remarkable that they are far from hidden. There’s no need to explore your inner universe to [...]

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