I never considered myself to be a poet. A writer, yes, but poetry, and creative writing in general, was not a medium that I was comfortable with. It meant sharing feelings with the world that I was just not ready to do.

However, one cold, miserable December day changed all that. In the process of filing for divorce from an emotionally abusive relationship, I stumbled upon a narcissistic post from my soon-to-be ex on social media. Suddenly, all my years of pushed-down emotions (for fear of reprisal) came to the surface, and, through tears of anger and frustration, words flowed from me just as fast as a river rushes to the ocean.

Over several months (and into the following year), I found myself stopping on the edge of the highway on a grocery run to scribble down words on a piece of junk mail; getting out of bed late at night and drafting poems at my desk; checking out of a TV show that I was watching and penning words on a notepad; and, much to the frustration of my dog, putting on outdoor gear and then sitting back down on the sofa to capture a “download” before it disappeared from thought.

To quote an overused phrase, “I was a poet.”

Why Poetry Helped Me

Although I had written an odd poem in the past, I had never written so many in “one sitting.” I reviewed the connection between these events: when my dog died, how gardening helped me during COVID-19, and finalizing the end (legally) of a destructive relationship. They all had one thing in common: Trauma.

Poetry helped me to process my feelings that talk therapy couldn’t. It’s why art therapy is used with traumatized children. Our brain needs a different way to express the trauma that we simply can’t talk about.

But why poetry and not journaling?

I reviewed the connection between these events: when my dog died, how gardening helped me during COVID-19, and finalizing the end (legally) of a destructive relationship. They all had one thing in common: Trauma.

Poetry vs. Journaling

Journaling is the act of recording our thoughts, experiences, observations, and feelings. However, we need to be able to confront and process those thoughts and feelings in order to write them down.

Poetry, on the other hand, has a creative license. You might not express feelings, thoughts, and experiences as directly as you would in journaling. You can use metaphors, synonyms, and even write in the third person. It doesn’t always have to make sense. So, in some ways, you are partly removed from the trauma, even if you are writing about it.

Personally, being able to express my trauma through poetry was the best type of therapy that I could have chosen for myself (or rather, it chose me). As a writer, I think it was embedded in my subconsciousness. But I had always stuck to factual writing because it was “safe.” Writing creatively carries a degree of risk, at least in my mind, that factual writing doesn’t.

And I had tried talk therapy in the past, but I’d never stuck with it. Whereas with poetry, I was able to chronicle years of abuse through a linear timeline (my personal choice) and heal myself in the process. There was a beginning, middle, and an end. I was forced to confront things that I had never voiced before in a way that my mind could handle. And release them from their entrapment forever.

Poetry Therapy: The Next Therapy?

And I am not alone. Poetry therapy is actually a “thing.” In the words of the National Association for Poetry Therapy (NAPT), “Poetry therapy is the use of language, symbol, and story in therapeutic, educational, growth, and community-building capacities. It relies upon the use of poems, stories, song lyrics, imagery, and metaphor to facilitate personal growth, healing, and greater self-awareness.”

In a study entitled The therapeutic functions of poetry in mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis by Kassab et al. (2026), results showed that “Poetry-based interventions were associated with large reductions in PTSD symptoms and significant improvements in depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress, with effect sizes generally in the moderate-to-large range.” In addition, “Poetry therapy shows promising benefits for trauma-related, depressive, anxiety, and stress outcomes…”¹

How to Start

As a trauma survivor who had no idea about poetry therapy before I discovered my ability to write poetry, there is only one piece of advice that I can give you, as someone who is looking to heal through poetry therapy. Just start. If you feel like writing down your experiences and feelings will help you to heal, just do it. If words were used against you in mind games and control, take back your power by using those same words to heal yourself.

References:

1. Kassab, A., Jayatunge, R., & Bou Khalil, R. (2026). The therapeutic functions of poetry in mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry research, 356, 116897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116897

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Sharon Chapman is a published author, writer, and poet. She is the Editor in Chief for The Phoenix Spirit and regularly writes and edits for private clients, in addition to her own work. She recently published Fire Over Ice: A Collection of Poems About Overcoming Emotional Abuse which can be found on Amazon.