I offer this group for healthcare professionals because I’ve seen a need in clients I’ve worked with, as a colleague in a medical practice, and even just as a patient myself: a place for overtaxed providers to slow down and process their experiences in the field. This group will be a place to give voice to the stray thoughts and observations that otherwise have nowhere to go; to process emotions by working them through on the page, and then sharing them with a group of people who get it. Tapping into one’s creativity and sense of fun and experimentation can also help keep burnout at bay (or show it the way out).

Is this a therapy group? A writing group?

I’m a therapist, and I’m a writer. In the groups I run, I make use of my training as a therapist, but they are not therapy groups. The intent is to combine creative spark, steady encouragement to write, and, importantly, the camaraderie of people with whom you have something important in common. They’re writing groups for people who would like to write as a way out of a rut, or to avoid falling in one. Writing experience or ambition is not necessary. The only thing you need is the desire to be real with yourself on the page, and to be interested in spending time with other healthcare professionals who share that desire.

What will the group feel like?

I intend for this group to provide a (virtual) space for healthcare professionals to be able to refuel by both looking within, and connecting out to others. While some may write about hard things, my aim is that this group is something you’ll look forward to. The vibe is friendly, warm, encouraging, even fun. There’s enough heavy difficulty in the world, and in the work you do. This group is to help counter that.

How will it work?

The group will meet weekly for six weeks. Each session will last 90 minutes. Groups will have between 8 - 10 members. The cost is $300 for the six week program.

We’ll start each session with a five minute warm-up prompt, which will give us the chance to see where we are, and what we’re bringing to the group that day. After hearing from everyone who’d like to share what they wrote, I will offer a framework for the day’s main writing exercise. It could be a piece of artwork, an artifact from nature, a comedy clip, a poem, a movie scene, a paragraph from a piece of fiction. We will then write for about 30 minutes. Participants will have a chance to read from what they wrote, and receive encouraging feedback from the group.

How do I sign up?

If you are interested in this group, please fill out the form below. I’ll get in touch to answer your questions, and you can make sure the group is right for you.

We will start our 6 session workshop in September 2024. Once we have 8 - 10 participants signed up, we will set our start date.