Journaling, which is also sometimes referred to as journal therapy or writing therapy, is the therapeutic use of journaling and writing exercises. We often use prompts that will bring awareness and improve mental conditions, as a result of inner and outer conflicts.
The difference between journal therapy and keeping a personal journal
We actually encourage that your daughter keeps a personal journal, as it’s a great way for her to express herself and it’s often a place for her to turn to when she feels like there aren’t people in her life that she can trust. The knowledge of her keeping a journal should not be exploited by you for your own gain or to learn if there are things she’s keeping from you. That is why we do journal therapy.
Journal therapy is supervised journaling. Through writing prompts and discussions with a counselor, we’ll guide your daughter through journaling exercises to help her become more aware and improve her mental state. Journal therapy is similar in execution to art therapy or music therapy.
Through journal therapy, your daughter will be given the opportunity to write down, dialogue with, and analyze her issues and concerns.
How does journal therapy work?
The main purpose of journaling is to increase both awareness and insight, promote growth and change, and develop your daughter’s sense of self. The act of simply writing things down has been shown to relieve tension and bring clarity. Often, journaling will be assigned as a homework assignment to bring into the next session. This gives your daughter a chance to ponder and consider the writing prompts, without the pressure to answer all of the questions during a counseling session. These prompts could include things such as letter writing, timed journal entries, sentence stems, lists, and creating dialogue.