Effortless Writing to Heal the Harm of Domestic Abuse

by Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D.

I have been an artist of sorts all of my life. As a child, it was ballet and the integration of music and movement. And then, when they put a pen in my hand, little did I know, I was holding the tool to release psychological trauma.

In the 80’s there was a famous piece of research that literally influenced my life habits more than any other psychological research known to me. Psychologist James Pennebaker. PhD was the conductor of this experimental study, noting through his investigation that those who wrote about psychological and physical trauma were less likely to have specific physiological symptoms later as compared to those who did not write.

In other writings, you may have heard me speak to the healing benefit of effortless writing as one experiences it in the moment. It’s a lifting of the traumatic conflict such that one can then witness it with detached observation. It is through this pure witnessing — void of emotion — that integrative healing occurs. (Please read that again.)

If you are working with me in psychotherapy, you know I will encourage you to grab your pen and anchor your felt meaning in the written word. It is through this process that one may sort out incongruence from within. It is particularly important if you are enmeshed in…