A Moment That Sparked a Reframe

In the summer of 2024, I attended a weeklong writing workshop at Endicott College. I listened as author Melanie Brooks, known for her exceptional books Writing Hard Stories and A Hard Silence, paused mid-discussion on a conversation about expressive writing to offer a disclaimer: “I’m not a qualified therapist.”

As a qualified therapist myself, I felt compelled to gently disagree, not with her intention but with the frame. Melanie’s insights into expressive writing were not only valid; they were delivered with presence, authenticity, and genuine care. These are the very qualities that animate the therapeutic process. And they are not the exclusive domain of the formally credentialed.

Psychotherapy Keeps Evolving, but One Ingredient Never Changes

The history of psychotherapy is marked by innovation. Mental health care has grown into a vast and varied field—from the early explorations of

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