Poetry Psychotherapy in the Practice of  Crisis Assistance Cover Image

Стихотворная психотерапия в практике кризисной помощи
Poetry Psychotherapy in the Practice of Crisis Assistance

Author(s): Maria Arpentieva
Subject(s): Poetry, Studies of Literature, Psycholinguistics, Clinical psychology
Published by: ლიტერატურის ინსტიტუტის გამომცემლობა
Keywords: poetry therapy; bibliotherapy; philosophy; psychological help;

Summary/Abstract: The article is devoted to poetry therapy as one of the most effective methods of psycho therapeutic work with children and adults, in particular, work aimed at overcoming negative experiences and attitudes, difficulty in functioning and human development, in the implementation of productive choices in complex situations and the complexities of relationships with yourself, others, the world at large. Poetry therapy – individualized,productive and efficient, developing trust in the world and to yourself that creates the experience of security professional and the method of ordinary care and self-help, which not only improves the human condition, but also allows you to create/activate the required attitude (intention) on changes, activities, understanding and/or transformation/development of the relations. Poems usually have a very significant psychological «charge»,giving a person the opportunity to relax and escape from oppressive or frightening experiences and ideas and to transform their direction to discover and explore their true needs. Purposefully created a thematic collection of poetry activates inner resources, awakening and «adds» energy, involving all aspects of personality and inner strength. This brings the person to the state of creative inspiration and so similar to his psycho therapeutic catharsis. Poetic therapy is, therefore, a very powerful system of healing approaches, comparable with the passage of deployed training programs or long-term counseling.Preparation and reading (silently or aloud, alone, expert, family or in front of a large audience) how small poems (containing only a few verses), called rather jokingly «stations» (little verse), or even «odnostishies» (one-line verse) and great poems, including verse poems and fairy tales, as the Central component of poetry therapy allows the person to change the understanding of strategy understanding. For a particular person productive and effective are not all poems, but mainly those that meet his inner intentions, that is «in tune» the internal and external world, his understanding of himself and the world, feelings and ideas of man. Therefore, even a poem, pleasing, and contribute to activation of internal resources in most people and is considered for this reason treatment, for any individual client may be «broken» or even destructive. The psycho therapeutic (healing) potential of poems for a person is due to the fact that they describe the modes of movement of heroes in the inner and outer world. The poem in the poem reveals the tendency of the person to comprehend himself and the world in difficult life situations. Readers can use poetry by readers as a tool that promotes directed activation of the processes of internal development and «removal» of internal, including psychological, problems. Verses lead a client «beyond» his personal history into broader contexts: into the contexts of internal and external search for the meanings of life, the meanings and directions of changing attitudes toward oneself to the world. Specialists often used poetic therapy alone, but they can be used it also to supplement routine, waiting on other psycho therapeutic methods. Thus, together with music therapy it is the so-called singing therapy. Through the comprehensive analysis and composing poems by the client or by the client to help the client: 1. to fill the gaps individual history, to actualize the displaced, «unknown» customer moments of personal history in particular, to Supplement the common information; 2. to form a new view of the situation, to move to a new level of understanding, change attitudes and behavior; 3. display internal and external conflicts of a client, their relationship, give the client the chance to understand them; 4. to create an alternative understanding of ambiguous situations, actions and people; 5. to create confidence in the solve ability of the problem, importance of finding and activity in the way of her decisions. Poems often reflect important elections in the life of a person seeking to become a person and partner: 1. the choice to live in reality, understand and accept the world, never ceasing to learn, the choice of humility and obedience in discipleship, life, 2. the acceptance of the world and their life, and acceptance of the difficulties and monotony of the world (life), the choice of preparedness for trials, difficulties, 3. the choice to be happy, confidence, trust, refusal to despondency and distrust, anxiety, emptiness, relationships, alienation, loneliness, 4. self-determination, activity, subjectivity, «non-adaptive activity», healthy discipline, understanding of their place in the world, the choice like particles of the universe, 5. The choice of non-attachment («inner silence»), calmness, peacefulness and non-aggressive, 6.choice respect the choice itself, authenticity, sincerity, honesty, truth, and also the diligence, 7. selection of respect for their work, talent, purpose, not the things,the rejection comparison, vanity, 8. the choice of love, kindness and attention to people, respect for other merits, achievements, and making mistakes, weaknesses, 9. The choice of acceptance and gratitude to adulthood, life satisfaction, its present, past and future. Interpretation of poetry need to consider socio-cultural and spiritual religious aspects of understanding itself, and of almost any kind, and especially philosophical poems and verses devoted to initiations and transitions, spiritual and social transformation, helping a person to understand and efficiently meet life’s crisis.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 18
  • Page Range: 32-53
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Russian, Georgian