Therapeutic Effects of Writing Fictional Autobiography
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 20:40authored byCelia Hunt
This paper builds on research into the experience of students taking creative writing courses at Sussex University, which has shown that writing fictional autobiography and sharing the results in small groups can enhance reflexivity of self-experience. It discusses the nature of fictional autobiography, focusing in particular on two different kinds of writing techniques, referred to as 'semiotic' and 'dialogic', which, it is argued, when used in conjunction with each other, can provide a framework for therapeutic change. These techniques, it is suggested, are suitable for use in therapeutic settings, whether psychodynamic, humanistic or cognitive behavioural.