Poetry and Therapy: Why words help

Using her own extensive practice as a therapist and her deep understanding of how language and poetry works, Stephanie Aspin has written a remarkable book which articulates what I have felt for a very long time as a practicing poet – all poetry writing has the potential for therapeutic benefit. This is an excellent foundation to understanding the connections between poetry and therapy, between poems and dreams, between alchemy and metaphor.  Aspin translates theory into practical application and offers a generous amount of tried and tested exercises, many of which would be just as useful in a poetry writing workshop as they have proven to be in her own clinical practice. Helen Ivory, poet, tutor, author of Constructing a Witch (Bloodaxe 2024)

In this personal and readable book, Stephanie Aspin skilfully weaves the work of poets and poetry with insights into psychoanalysis and semiotics. She applies the theory to her experiences working with clients and poetry therapy groups, bringing their voices into the space. Therapists concerned with the healing potential of language as an art form will find inspiration here, whether in thinking about ritual, identity, or looking for practical ideas to offer to others. Dr Victoria Field, writer and poetry therapist

Poetry and Therapy is a remarkable achievement, an insightful and practical text that has grown fromthe author’s extensive knowledge of literary analysis, critical theory and theories of therapy, but firmly grounded in her own therapeutic practice and decades of experience of running poetry workshops. Writing in a simple, clear and engaging style, Aspin demonstrates how giving clients’ words the same quality of attention that we would bring to the words of a poem may open a whole new world of discovery, insight and exploration. Meanwhile, the act of writing, allowing words to resonate and speak in a new way, can restore clients’ sense of agency, while generating new meanings and ‘edges’ of understanding.This book is a must-read both for therapists who wish to enhance their practice by giving closer attention to the resonances of clients’ words as well as for those who wish to experiment with writing themselves or run workshops. Practical exercises are given throughout the text and in an Appendix. Meanwhile the value of allowing texts and words to speak in a new way is demonstrated through meaningful examples from the author’s own life, including the therapeutic value for her of the writing of this book. Judy Moore, Former Director of the Centre for Counselling Studies, University of East Anglia

If you are a therapist or about to become one, then please read this beautifully written book about poetry, language and words. Stephanie Aspin describes how poetry allows us to understand deeper meanings and find order when we are mentally unwell. Hence using language as a therapeutic tool. She moves on to encourage us to use poetry in groups and gives helpful tips on how to go about it. A range of examples of extracts from poems explains how impactful they can be. Stephanie next sharesinterviews with actual poets so that we can fully understand poetry’s meaning for the professionals’ point of view. It is fascinating and intriguing… Regardless of what you think of poetry, I believe you will find this book very interesting. It is all about finding different ways to connect with your client. This book provides you with another tool to use as a possible way to help people maintain their psychological wellbeing by exploring words, poetry, and articulating images in our minds’ eye. The reading is simply captivating…  enjoy! Susanne Lindqvist, Executive Coach and Professor in Interprofessional Practice at University of East Anglia

Poetry and Therapy is a rich, intelligent, and deeply humane offering that weaves together the power of poetry, therapeutic insight, and philosophical depth. As someone committed to moving beyond pathologising models of distress, I found this book both affirming and inspiring. Stephanie Aspin invites therapists and those in training into a textured and thoughtful exploration of how and why words can transform. This is not just a book about using poetry in therapy, it is a powerful and compelling reminder that language, metaphor, and creative expression are central to the telling of stories, the making of meaning, and the journeys of healing. Jo Watson, psychotherapist, supervisor, trainer, activist and Editor of 'We Are the Change-Makers: Poems supporting Drop the Disorder!'

This is a fascinating and wide-ranging book which explores in depth ways in which poetry and psychotherapy are related.  The author draws on ideas from both fields, bringing together theoretical discussion with the practical use of poetry in therapy, as well as reflections on the therapeutic impact of individual reading of poetry. Aspin gives much attention to the issues that arise in connection with therapy and poetry, arguing that while the primary aims of poets and therapists are different, the two kinds of activity have very significant things in common. The commonality is a shared concern with language. The book is subtitled Why Words Help: this ‘helpfulness’ of words is associated with many different elements in both therapy and poetry. For example, poetry takes us to the ‘edge’ of what can be said, as do the practices of psychoanalysis (Freud’s ‘evenly hovering attention’) and person-centred therapy (Rogers’ reflective listening, Gendlin’s ‘focusing’). Poetry can also act as a ‘container’ for emotion, allowing us to feel intensely without being overwhelmed. Aspin has interesting things to say about imagery and ritual, drawing significantly on the work of Jung.  She sees poetry as involving ‘sensing out the image that connects’. Aspin packs an extraordinary amount into this short book, which can be read both as a study of the relationship between poetry and therapy, and as a kind of practical manual – complete with exercises – for using poetry therapeutically. Campbell Purton, Author of Person-Centred Therapy: The Focusing-Oriented Approach and The Trouble with Psychotherapy: Counselling and Common Sense