Writing and journaling are potent expressions for many on The Healing Bridge. As one of our interviewees, Diana a sculptor said: “Truly, writing was my saving grace.” It serves as a life raft, a work of art, a clarifying tool, an intimate companion . . . and so much more. Writing is a natural and graceful bridge to healing. And as The Healing Bridge grows into our expanded mission it is a joy to offer interactive resources to Healing Bridge members and website participants. Come join us as we proudly showcase Virginia McKinnie’s extraordinary talent and heart to guide you through your own sacred healing story.

Through our personal journeys of healing, we each contribute something unique to the world. Writing about our lives, our struggles and triumphs, our insights and lessons, and the healing we have experienced helps us organize and solidify our own wisdom. Writing also gives us a platform from which we can reach out and share our experiences with others. Our shared healing and hope creates community as we build bridges between individuals.

Our stories are healing.
      ~Clarissa Pinkola Estes

There are numerous pathways for healing in the personal stories on The Healing Bridge. As a contributor to The Healing Bridge Project, Virginia found the process of telling her story as profoundly healing as the actual experience she was recounting. Perhaps even more so, because, as she says, "I was given a forum, a container and boundaries if you will, in which I could create meaning and transformation." For Janet another contributor, her healing story was: "Like a self-portrait, it got beneath the veneer of my life – and showed me things that I had forgotten about myself, as well as revealing new aspects of my being."

TO HELP YOU CONNECT TO THE TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL OF YOUR HEALING STORY, THE HEALING BRIDGE PROJECT OFFERS: “Writing Your Life Experience: Your Own Healing Story Through Personal Journaling. In this course, you will be guided through your own experience of the mind, body and spirit connection through personal writing. Our purpose is not to be exhaustive, but rather to spark a process of writing and examination that will hopefully become a valuable reference and tool for your continued growth.

In this course you will:

• create an expressive timeline of your life
• examine your personal healing process
• explore the interconnection of seemingly disparate parts of life
• identify your sources of healing
• learn to use journaling as an ongoing healing tool
• develop an on-line community to support your creative and healing process

There are no ‘shoulds’ in this workshop, no judgments or grades, no success or failure. Every level of writer is honored for his or her authentic voice. There is only the truth of your own life.

JOIN US in the online workshop, Writing Your Life Experience: Your Own Healing Story through Personal Journaling.

This workshop is offered both as an interactive workshop and as a download class for those people who wish to work the materials independently (i.e., without instructor feedback). The materials sent out are the same for each class, though the interactive format offers more opportunities and suggestions for writing.

FACILITATED—INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP

1. One-on-one online workshop includes:

• A weekly download via MSWord, including writing prompts and activities for you to explore, write about and send to the instructor for a response via email. Courses begin and weekly downloads will be sent on Mondays of each week.
• Courses begin on Mondays when the weekly downloads are available.
• One or two additional comments and personal instructions and suggestions each week will be provided by email, based upon your submitted text. For example, upon reading your submission, I might ask for more details, make suggestions concerning follow up topics, point out passages that appear to be pivotal, or generally respond to what you have written.
• At the end of course there will be an opportunity to join in on a conference call with Virginia McKinnie and The Healing Bridge Project director, Dr. Jane Hart.
• Included will be a forum for discussions with other personal journal-keepers through email lists and group dialogues.

OR

Self-Paced OFFLINE COURSE

2. Downloaded class to be done at your own pace. This download includes:

• All the workshop materials, but with no interaction with the instructor.
• If your course work coincides with our conference call we invite you to join us.

Week One: Focus on your unique view -- thinking about who you are in context of the rich fabric of your life. Start to develop your own voice and perspective and your own unique writing style.

Week Two: Focus on your physical being -- paying attention to the lessons taught by the body. Concentrate on description, linking fact to feeling.

Week Three: Focus on the sexual aspect of our bodies – exploring issues around sexuality and gender roles.

Week Four: Focus on your creative self -- listening for what you would like to say versus what you think you ought to say. Work on opening to your creative voice and bringing it out into the world.

Week Five: Focus on your spiritual self, exploring the interrelationship between the sacred and the everyday life.

Week Six: Summation of the past five weeks of writing, with emphasis on the interrelatedness of your healing journey.

The FACILITATED-INTERACTIVE workshop consists of six sections, held over a six-week period. Because this workshop is highly personalized, participants may extend the time they need for certain segments of the course. This can be worked out with the instructor as necessary.

The OFFLINE COURSE can be completed at your own pace. All six weeks of material will be sent to you when you register.

Each section and weekly download may include the following:

• A brief introduction concerning the materials -- including some tips on how to make your writing more effective not only as a means of healing but also as an art form. These two ends are surprisingly similar.
• Quotes and Comments for suggested readings – many of which will be pulled from the various stories within THB.
• Writing prompts and activities – usually consisting of questions to get you writing on each topic. Also included are activities that are not just about writing. Frequently, we are most creative when we are not consciously being creative.
• All information and writings shared during this workshop will be held in confidence.

The classes are on-going, with enrollment being available at any time.

Prerequisites

A basic understanding of English and a willingness to explore and develop your personal life and healing process, access to the internet and the ability to view, create and email Word.doc files.

Cost

Online Instructor-Interactive Workshop – Special offer of $79.95 (Workshop valued at $89.95)

Self-Paced Workshop – Special offer of $49.95 (Course valued at $59.95)

your facilitator The course facilitator, Virginia McKinnie, was born and reared in West Tennessee, the daughter of a Methodist minister and an elementary school teacher. A prize-winning poet, and published free-lance writer, essayist, technical writer, editor and journalist, Virginia has been writing for over 25 years, including creating and developing marketing and communications literature for several firms in the investment industry. She has an MA in Literature from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, and is a graduate of the three year Spiritual Psychology Training Program and is a certified teacher of Woman Wisdom Training. Virginia maintains a private practice as a writing mentor and coach outside of Philadelphia, PA, designing and leading writing circles, seminars and summer writing camps for girls, and moderating creativity discussion groups. She has been a guest speaker at writers’ conferences and civic groups, focusing on writing, journaling, and the creative life.

* The material contained in this workshop is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without the permission of The Healing Bridge Project.