Moving Out of Trauma: Healing through Writing Circles with Katie Tiffany
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A large shift has occurred in the last 15 years surrounding our understanding of trauma and mental health struggles. We have faced collective traumas that have changed many ways we exist. But under the surface of collective trauma, so many have been experiencing trauma for years, day in and day out. And it’s in those day-in and day-out traumas that survivors are trying to claw their way out of. For those people, trauma is not just an experience or something they go through. It can feel like darkness hovering on their heels or like a cold wind that cuts your breath out of your chest on a terribly cold day in winter. Except, this isn’t just a fleeting moment in time. For trauma survivors, this is often the reality they face while navigating life and managing work, home, school, family, and friends. If you’re often finding yourself feeling that sense of dread and seeing terror in places where maybe you used to find light, I want you to know that you are not alone. In fact, so many people who have survived trauma see with a different perspective, often stuck in darkness but craving a place of release and a desire to get out of the darkness, the triggers, and the past memories that are running their lives. There is hope and there are different paths you can use to find your way back home to yourself and heal.
As our culture shifts, the stigma that often comes with mental health struggles or the experience of trauma is also shifting. In the past, it has been clear that survivors of sexual trauma have been silenced by a culture that perpetuates victim-blaming and shames them for their experiences. I can say, in my work as an EMDR therapist, I have heard all too often someone seeking therapy after years of keeping silent, internalizing the blame, and keeping their truth to themselves as a way of trying to protect others from pain. What is truly terrible for the trauma survivor is that this act of keeping one’s story to themselves often triples the weight of the trauma they are carrying and can make it much more difficult to heal truly.
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In a recent episode of Moving Out of Trauma, a podcast for trauma survivors to learn about paths to healing and actionable steps toward leaning into the life they are craving, I got the chance to interview Katie Tiffany, a fellow EMDR Therapist here in Phoenix, Arizona. Katie not only facilitates one-on-one therapy with clients who struggle with PTSD but also facilitates what is called Writing Circles, where sexual trauma survivors can find a place for community and healing. This group is based. In a recent episode, Leader discussed a writing circle that she leads, inspired by the book "Writing Ourselves Whole" by Jen Cross. The circle provides a safe space for survivors to process their trauma through writing and sharing with others without fear of judgment or blame.
The Power of Writing for Healing from Trauma
Writing has been recognized as a really powerful tool for healing and processing trauma for some time. It can often be found written into treatment plans by psychiatrists and therapists and for a good reason. Research has shown that writing about traumatic experiences can lead to increased emotional processing, improved immune function, and reduced symptoms of trauma-related disorders such as anxiety and depression. If you want to read more about how writing can help heal trauma, check out this article!
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But why is writing so effective? What’s different about processing trauma through writing versus talk therapy? One reason is that it engages a creative part of the brain that works differently than just thinking and therefore talking. Writing allows us to access our thoughts and feelings in a deeper way, offering a means of self-expression that can be difficult to achieve through verbal communication alone.
Writing through an experience can also help us find meaning in them and, at the very least, allows us to get what we are holding inside out onto the paper. Sometimes, we may experience new perspectives or understandings after writing something down. I often hear clients say that writing down a negative thought or experience can make them see how unlikely it was for that negative thought to happen or that they deserve more than they were getting in a given situation.
The Benefits of the Writing Circle
The Writing Circles Katie leads provides survivors with a safe and supportive environment to write about their experiences. The circle begins with grounding exercises, such as breathing, bodywork, and hand movements, to create a sense of calm and safety. The prompt for writing comes from Jen Cross's book, but participants are free to write about whatever they want.
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After writing silently for about 25 minutes, participants share their writing with the group. Some participants keep their cameras off or do not share, but some have become more comfortable and participate more fully over time. The circle ends with more grounding and feedback.
One of the key ground rules in the circle is not to censor oneself while sharing in the group, creating an environment free of judgment and blame. The feedback is always relatable and/or full of gratitude and aims to provide positive feedback, not advice.
As this is very different from the typical support group, I found this idea of sharing without a filter very interesting. As I talked further with Katie, it was clear that in sharing without a filter, survivors can truly tell their story, often for the first time, while also being truly seen by a community of other survivors. People in the group are encouraged to use their resources, grounding skills, the therapist they are working with, other survivors in the group, and Katie to get through tough moments and triggers. Katie shared that that is part of what makes the circle so special, providing a safe space for individuals to be vulnerable and work through difficult experiences without judgment or blame. Whatever method you use as you heal from trauma, please know that you are not alone in your journey. Experiencing trauma can be truly isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. There are so many other trauma survivors out there that want to stand with each other. You are not alone. Click here to find the full Moving Out of Trauma Podcast episode.
If you’d like to learn more about Katie’s Writing Circles that she conducts, you can find her information here! Listen to the full episode of the Moving out of Trauma Podcast here. And if you are looking for an EMDR therapist, you can reach out to Katie here and myself here. Remember, you did not choose trauma, and you can choose your path to healing.
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About Katie Tiffany (she/her) Licensed Professional Counselor
Katie Tiffany comes from a lineage of healers, including nurses, teachers, and social workers. She identifies as a healer, teacher, mentor, and therapist who works alongside people searching for an understanding of themselves and wanting to create a new story in their present lives. She feels called to this work and finds a deep sense of meaning and healing in it. Her approach is raw, as she isn't afraid to cuss, swear, or get angry with her clients. Katie sees herself as being on the journey with her clients. She has shared she feels honored to go on the healing journey with them, and she believes every person has the capacity and strength to heal themselves. If you’d like to learn more about Katie’s Writing Circles that she conducts, you can find her information here! And if you’d like to reach out to Katie directly and are interested in therapy services, you can find her here.
Tips From EMDR Therapy Phoenix
EMDR Therapy Phoenix - Kandace Ledergerber.
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Be conscious of your triggers. They don’t have to run your life. They can be a place to start the healing journey. If you notice a trigger coming up, first practice a grounding skill. After the trigger has subsided, ask which of the five senses was overwhelming in that trigger (smell, taste, touch, sight, sound). Then work to find something in that sense that you enjoy. For example - if the trigger was brought on or existed in a smell, find a smell you adore and brings you happiness, use a good-smelling lotion, smell a delicious meal, go outside, smell the fresh air, etc.
Bonus - write these down! Find the things that bring you that sense of joy for each of the five senses and place them all around your home, work, and car! And whenever you encounter a trigger, you have something equally powerful to ground yourself.
Find support. Whether it is a friend to talk to, a therapist, a traditional support group, a writing circle, or something else altogether, find a place you feel you can speak freely. They do exist, and you deserve to tell your story and have it heard.
And as shared by Katie Tiffany, write it down. Write lists, write your truth, and write down the overwhelming things. If you want to take it a step further, you could write it down and shred it up after or have a little bonfire with smores!
Dealing with trauma can be exhausting and terrifying. You deserve to feel like you are on solid ground like you can breathe. And you deserve to tell your story and find your authentic voice again. If you are looking for an EMDR therapy provider here in Phoenix, please consider contacting Katie or me to find out if EMDR might be a good fit for what you are looking for.
My specialties include EMDR Therapy Phoenix, Online EMDR therapy, EMDR Therapy Tampa, Sexual Abuse Therapy and Anxiety Therapy,
