Field Research

Expressive writing is largely believed to have been started by Dr. James Pennebaker in the 1980s and has lead to hundreds of more studies and research papers discussing the benefits of writing. In recent years, the field has become popular and more and more people are looking into reasons for writing and how that is beneficial to one’s health, physically, emotionally, or mentally. Below are citations for articles we use in Butler University’s Writing for Wellness. Some of these researchers are more scientifically based, such as James W. Pennebaker, while others are more artistically focused, such as Geri Chavis.

If you would like to discover your own Writing for Wellness articles, enter phrases such as, “Writing for Wellness,” “Expressive Writing,” and “Narrative Therapy” into your search engine.

Alvarez, N. & Mearns, J. (2014). The benefits of writing and performing in the spoken word poetry community. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 41(3). pp. 263-268.

Baker, M. (2007). Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds. Stanford Medicine.

Chavis, Geri Giebel and Lila Weisberger, co-editors. The Healing Fountain: Poetry Therapy for Life’s Journey. St Cloud, MN: North Star Press, Inc.. 2003.

Colino, S. (2016). The health benefits of expressive writing. U.S. News and World Report.

Lengelle, R., Meijers, F., Poell, R., Geijsel, F., and Post, M. (2015). Career writing as a dialogue about work experience: A recipe for luck readiness? International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 16(1). doi: 10.1007/s10775-014-9283-1

Lepore, S. J. and Smyth, J. M. (2002). The writing cure: How expressive writing promotes health and emotional well-being. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

MacRae, C.D. (2001). Flourishing forums for expressive teens. Voice of Youth Advocates, 24(1).

Mazza, N.F. & Hayton, C.J. (2013). Poetry therapy: An investigation of a multidimensional clinical model. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 40(1). pp. 53-60.

Pennebaker, James W. and Evans, John F. (2014). Expressive Writing: Words That Heal. Enumclaw, WA: Idyll Arbor, Inc.

Pennebaker, James W. and Smyth, Joshua M. (2016). Opening Up by Writing It Down. New York, NY: The Guildford Press

Pflaum, J. (2012). Using “music writing” to trigger creativity, awareness, motivation, and poetry: The contemplation music writing project develops communication skills, creative self-expression, character education, and values clarification in young people through reflection, writing, discussion, and self-assessments. Edutopia.

Reiter, S. (2009). Writing away the demons: Stories of creative coping through transformative writing. St. Cloud, Minnesota: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.

Schneider, B., Austin, C. & Arney, L. (2008). Writing to wellness: Using an open journal in narrative therapy. Journal of Systematic Therapies 27(2). pp. 60-75.

Suttie, J. (2017). How music helps us me more creative: A new study suggests that listening to happy music promotes more divergent thinking–a key element of creativity. Greater Good Magazine.

Tydell, M. How to use music as writing inspiration. [Blog Post].

Warren, J., Morgan, M.M., Morris, L.B., and Morris, T.M. (2010). Breathing words slowing: Creative writing and counselor self-care—the writing workout. Journal of creativity in mental health, 5. pp. 109-124. doi: 10.1080/15401383.2010.485074