Tuesday 12 December 2017

Finding Strength in Uncertain Times - Ted Bowman's Inspirations

Ted included The WordTherapy Centre once again as part of his UK tour.
On Saturday 11th November we were delighted to welcome Ted Bowman and a full house of workshop participants to the Psychosynthesis Trust in London. We were grateful for the opportunity to create a valuable space for the exchange of words and feelings as well as the sharing of resources. 
Ted, a leader in the field of writing for therapeutic purposes, facilitated a thought-provoking workshop on the theme of Living with Uncertainty.    
The day began in a unique way with us joining together to sing the uplifting words of 'Somewhere to Begin' sung by Sara Thomsen. 
Ted spoke about giving voice to or moving our story from the inside to the outside and invited everyone to write about a song or poem they use at difficult times in their lives. One participant shared how she finds strength from the song by Labi Siffre 'Something Inside so Strong.' 
The poem 'Father's Song' by Gregory Orr inspired us to think about coping messages and risk.  

'Another Reason Why I Don't Keep A Gun In The House' by Billy Collins provided a humorous prompt for us to write from on how we reframe our perspectives. 
There was a poignancy in the lines of Gillian Clarke's poem 'The Miracle on St David's Day' - a true story about a person with dementia who 'remembered there was a music of speech and that once he had something to say'. This reminded us that even in the most uncertain and unlikely times there is joy and meaning to be found. 
We ended the workshop by writing on hope and where we find peace.
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