With Pen In Hand: The Healing Power Of Writing

by Henriette Anne Klauser

In moments of grief or loss, we often turn to the written word to say what cannot be said aloud. Indeed, directing sadness, rage, or confusion at the page can be tremendously cathartic and liberating. As we express our deepest feelings without reserve in poetry or prose, we feel the power of our words begin to draw out some of the pain in our hearts and replace it with hope.But fears about writing honestly and self-criticism can stand in the way of making use of this powerful therapeutic tool. With Pen in Hand is an inspirational and practical guide to breaking through these roadblocks and to helping one "write to heal." Outlining writing techniques that are best for working through pain and for privately collecting raw emotions--"Writing a Letter of Goodbye," "Interviewing Your Body," "Rapid-Writing," and more--Henriette Klauser shares stories and tips that will help readers gain comfort from what they commit to paper. For the accomplished writer and non-writer alike, With Pen in Hand will help one make use of the kind of expression that in the aftermath of a crisis or loss, can make one whole again.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Self Help, Journaling

262 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2002

Reviews

[Michael Estey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Book Review

With Pen In Hand

by Henriette Anne Klauser Ph.D.

The healing power of writing.


What a beautiful book.
Did I just say that!

We've all been in situations of complete depression, or what we thought was depression. Remember losing that girl you asked out and she refused. The all-star football quarterback in high school who didn't ask you to the prom?

Melancholy, we've all felt that. Sad, down in the dumps, blue in the mouth, atrabilious. (Look it up.) Angry. Hateful. Sinful.

We've also been happy. Elated out of our skulls to the point we believe we can fly. In other words emotional.

Apparently, Henriette believes writing down how you feel is good for the soul and has healing properties. Either in a log, a journal, a diary, or in front of a typewriter, a computer screen or writing plain old free hand on a plain old piece of paper. Pen or pencil.

Especially, if you are going through a traumatic event in your life, such as a death and handling grief. A nasty divorce, rape, war or losing your job. Stress from Winning a lottery.

Try using your other hand. If you are right handed write with your left hand and write something. It's hard but persevere. It gives your writing a brand new prospective. Let it flow, don't hold back!

Many humbling heart felt examples throughout, you never know whats on the next page. Some are very emotional. Down right tear jerkers. I admit it. A tear down my cheek once or twice.

Dealing with desolation, that anguished misery. Dealing with consolation, the comfort received.

Writer's Block, Branching. Mentioned in an earlier blog. Writer's Block-Branching. How to get out of writers block.

Is this normal. Maybe I'm too emotional. I better go and write that down. Where did I put that pen and paper now?


Two Thumbs Up
Michael Estey

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this book at the library, I thought it would simply address the healing power of journaling in a general way and then devote the rest of the time to writing techniques.

Wisely, the author decided to interview a bunch of people who had gone through divorce, abuse, PTSD from war, disease, death of a family member, and other trauma. Then, each person described how writing helped them heal. Some wrote in a stream-of-consciousness style. Others wrote lists. Some wrote stories in third person or in form of a dialogue or play. Some kept gratitude journals.

In the end, I did get writing advice, but it mostly told me: any way you choose to write, just write and healing will come. I really enjoyed this book.

[Dorothy Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Writing is not just a record of the past. Let your writing be a way of supporting you in living out something." Klauser's writing tips are valuable and she suggests several well-known methods to generate ideas from listing to 'branching' (mind maps). The chapters contain anecdotes of people in situations and how writing helped them. Each end with a segment "Why Write?" and "Apply this." On the final page a Gaelic blessing rings true:
May you have the commitment
to heal what has hurt you,
to allow it to come close to you,
and in the end,
become one with you.

[Massanutten Regional Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph, Central patron, June 2018, 5 stars:

With Pen In Hand has helped me cope with past personal crises that I have experienced. This book is recommended for any person who has experienced pain, loss, or been hurt by others or circumstances.

[Sigo Paolini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically "I feel your pain." Self indulgent blather for those who wallow in self pity reminds me of the Progoff method but not as organized. There are better books to help like Kathleen Adam's Journal Self Help..

[PollyAnna Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Klauser's book WITH PEN IN HAND: THE HEALING POWER OF WRITING is another winner for me. I've always known that writing is valuable and important in general, but it's great to read when an "authority" confirms and validates the fact that writing is also a powerful and important tool when it comes to healing. I am not going to say a lot about this book myself; I'm going to let Dr. Klauser's words speak since they already do such an eloquent job. Following are some of the quotes/lines from the book that really spoke to me, personally:

"healing writing. . . .[is] about the power of the written word to soothe our souls and ease the anguish" (ix).

"Writing goes right to the place that hurts, and writing heals" (x).

"Ask yourself, What is the obstacle to my healing, and am I ready to let go? Answer in writing until you get to something real" (xv).

"You cannot skirt the pain when your life is shattered by an event you never expected.
You must go through the mountain, not around it, not over it, and confront the snarling beasts and demons" (1).

"Writing brings you face-to-face with your own truth and reality" (3).

"Facing the sad emotions in your life tenderizes you to appreciate fully all the good that is there, too. Grief is not meant to shut you down, but to point to what is important.
. . .'If you block your grief, you block your joy. They go together. The depth of joy can only be measured by your willingness to go to your depth of sadness. What you discover is how deep you are'" (8).

"Writing is part of the process that gets you to the other side. You may not feel like writing. Do it anyway" (32).

". . .grief piles up if you don't hand it head-on" (48).

"Sometimes what makes you sad has a message for you, if you will be patient enough to listen for it" (73).

"Writing is a perfect way of getting both your thoughts and your feelings into the light.
When you write your thoughts and feelings, there is something deep and primal happening. . . .
If I keep it inside of me, it never becomes reality--but if I speak it out, if I proclaim it, if I yell into the void, or if I write it onto the paper, it takes on life. It I don't get it out on the page, it's not born. If I can put it down, I can feel it. I can let it flow out of me into the world. I'm talking about discovering what's going on inside me. I let it go out of me so that it can be reflected.
Writing brings a fullness to ideas which holding them in your mind alone will never accomplish. Because when you write something down, it speaks back to you" (86).

"The ability to put your thoughts on paper is yours, and nobody can ever take that way from you" (112).

"You have to do what hurts if you ever want to get to those answers. You have to walk through the pain. You have to go through the dark scary place" (176).

"Writing is an end in itself. It doesn't take away the ache, it simply acknowledge it.
'When you write, there doesn't have to be any kind of result. The pain doesn't have to go away; it may not even get better. You may cros to the other side, or you may not, or it may take awhile. Writing is a way to just BE with it, be with your pain, or your sorrow, or whatever it is. It is okay to hurt, to feel sad" (235).

"Find a color that is your spirit. Find what moves you when you write. Paste in photos and quotes from others. Be creative in journal writing, whatever that creative process is. It doesn't have to be perfect" (237).

[Carole Yeaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter focuses on therapeutic writing for one individual, but each facing different sorts of situations. And within each chapter there is usually a new technique or approach to the writing as well. The stories yearning to be told ranged everywhere from the loss of a baby, post 9-11, healing from rape, fighting in Vietnam & returning to scorn (this last very memorable in its detail). But the chapter that was most extraordinary for me was entitled "A matter of containment". I have never read a more clear and thorough explanation of why a woman will stay in an extremely oppressive marriage.
A simple book but with much food for thought.

[Starbaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great one for writers, or writer wanna-be's, especially those who have been through some kind of life-altering incident. I recommend it highly! I tried to put the following into the "I would recommend this book to:" category below and got an error message for it being so long. So here is who I would recommend it to: anyone who likes to write or has had something happen to them that falls in the "awful" category and needs to place the memory somewhere safe

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started and stopped this book twice. The intro is good although much of the same as what Goldberg talks about in her book, "Writing Down the Bones". Rest of the book are stories of how people coped with various traumas via writing. This will probably be more helpful for me later - right now, I want to read specifically how survivors of suicide are using writing to help with the grieving process.

[Ashlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing has always been very important to me and I think this book has a lot of great ideas. I really liked this book!

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bibliotherapy. I loved the gentleness of the approach, the support and caring given freely from author to reader.