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The Courage to Heal

“Expressive writing is a powerful method to help people get through difficult times.” Journal writer

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Expressive writing focuses on the writer’s internal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. This writing uses reflective writing, which enables the writer to gain mental and emotional clarity, validate experiences and come to a deeper understanding of him or herself.

It strengthens their immune system as well as their minds, by assisting people to manage and learn from negative experiences. Writing is no stranger to therapy. For years, practitioners have used journals and other writing forms to help people heal from stress and trauma.  As they change negative thinking into positive focused thoughts, their lives change for the better. Journaling can reduce stress by helping one get rid of negative thoughts. They are able to confront and reframe traumatic life experiences, and make positive changes in their personal lives.

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Writing to Heal helps them access and understand their true emotional feelings that they may not be aware of. Most mental health experts recommend journaling as it can improve mood and manage symptoms of depression. Research supports this and suggests journaling is good for mental health. It also may make talk therapy work better. Journaling can be a great stress reducer through organizing thoughts and clearing the mind.

New research suggests that expressive writing may also offer physical benefits to people battling terminal or life-threatening diseases. Studies by psychologists James Pennebaker, Ph.D., the University of Texas—Austin, and Joshua Smyth, Ph.D., Syracuse University—suggest that writing about emotions and stress can boost immune functioning in patients with such illnesses like HIV/AIDS, asthma, and arthritis.

Researchers are now beginning to understand how and why writing benefits the immune system, and why some people appear to receive more help than others. There is agreement that the key to writing’s effectiveness is in the way people use it to interpret and understand their experiences, and even the words they use. Venting is not enough to relieve stress, and thereby improve health. Smyth says, “To tap into writing’s healing power, people must use it to reflect on and better understand and learn from their emotions.

Health benefits of journaling

A groundbreaking study of writing’s physical effects appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 281, No. 14) In the study led by Smyth, over one hundred asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis patients wrote for 20 minutes on three consecutive days—seventy-one of them wrote about the most stressful event of their lives, and the rest wrote of the emotionally neutral subject of their daily plans. Four months after the writing exercise, seventy patients in the stressful-writing group showed improvement on clinical evaluations compared with thirty-seven of the control patients. Also, those who wrote about stress improved more and deteriorated less, than control groups for both diseases. “So, writing helped patients get better, and kept them from getting worse,” says Smyth.

Pennebaker says, “By writing, you put some structure and organization to those anxious feelings. It helps you to get past them.” His research indicates that suppressing negative, trauma-related thoughts compromises immune functioning and he found that those who write visit the doctor less often.

There is evidence that the nature of a person’s writing is key to its health effects, notes health psychology researcher Susan Lutgendorf, Ph.D., of the University of Iowa. In an intensive journaling study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, the results she showed suggests that people who relive upsetting events without focusing on meaning report poorer health than those who derive meaning from the writing. They are far worse than people who write about neutral events, while those who focus on meaning develop greater awareness of the positive aspects of a stressful experience. “You need focused thought as well as emotions,” says Lutgendorf. “An individual need to find meaning in a traumatic memory as well as to feel the related emotions to reap positive benefits from the writing exercise.”

However, Pennebaker says, “People who talk about things over and over in the same ways aren’t getting any better. There has to be growth or change in the way they view their experiences.” In My memoir, Through It All: A Memoir of Grief and Loss, the lessons I learned was the reflections of the good the experience provided.

The language people use is evidence of their changed perspective. I provide a list of lessons I learned by reflecting on my experiences. Pennebaker found the more people use such cause-and-effect words like “because,” “realize” and “understand,” the more they appear to benefit from writing. Writing my memoir was a healing journey. I discovered things about myself and my childhood that I wasn’t consciously aware of.

Pennebaker acknowledges that some personality types respond better to writing than others. Evidence suggests that people who are unable to speak freely benefit most. A host of other individual differences like handling stress, ability to self-regulate, and interpersonal relations—all restore harmony and balance and the effectiveness of writing.

The power of writing to heal lies in the mind of the writer, that’s where practitioners can help clients tap into their healing power. Writing helps them track their progress in their thinking. The benefits of expressing thoughts and feelings on paper can complement traditional therapy.

Therapeutic journaling is any writing or related expressive process used for psychological healing or growth—it can be a beneficial supporting therapy. When integrated into a treatment plan, journaling becomes a dynamic tool for personal growth and healing. Therapeutic journaling and the benefits from its use goes beyond talk therapy.

Heddy Keith, M. Ed is a certified journal writing instructor and retired language arts teacher. She offers Expressive Writing-workshops and classes in the Milwaukee area. Contact her at Heddykeith51@yahoo.com for more information.

African Women Leadership: Driving Today’s Progress

What Unique Challenges do African Women Leadership Face?

Have you ever felt like it was you against the world? This is exactly what African women feel when trying to climb the latter.

African women in leadership often confront:

  • Systemic barriers
  • Cultural biases
  • Limited access to education
  • Underrepresentation in decision-making positions

Additionally we face challenges with balancing traditional expectations with professional aspirations, which can hinder our ability to lead effectively, showcase resilience, and drive meaningful change in their communities.

How are we supposed to climb that latter with so much against us? It’s all about community.

The Need for Community

Center for Leadership of Afrikan Women's Wellness members at tea party event

In Milwaukee, our communities go beyond lines that were never meant to stop us. We lead, whether we are up front or working out of sight. African  women show a type of leadership that comes from purpose. There is also strength and a deep care for one another.

Still, let’s be honest, the path to leadership is just as difficult.

Many of us deal with:

  • Old ideas that do not change and still make people question what we can do
  • Not enough guiding from others and being left out from groups that matter
  • Unfair treatment for how we speak or where we come from, especially making it hard for new people in the country
  • Feeling pushed to change how we act and talk so we can fit in where most people are white
  • Always having to do better than everyone else just so people will notice us

These problems are not just about one person. They come from the whole system. Still, we keep going and try to get past them with the support of our community.

A New Era of Leadership in Milwaukee

Center for Leadership of Afrikan Women's Wellness CEO speaking at event

Today, there are more African women in leadership positions in Milwaukee than ever before. We do not wait for someone to say yes. We are taking our seats at the table now.

Women in our community are:

  • Starting businesses
  • Leading nonprofits
  • Having a seat on school boards
  • Speaking up for policy change
  • Coming together for mental health, maternal health, and youth empowerment

We lead not just to be seen or to get praise. We lead to bring real change. That is what sets us apart.

Why African Women’s Leadership Matters

Our leadership styles come from empathy, community-building, and sustainability. We care about more than just status or how much someone gets paid. We put these things first:

  • Healing is better than causing harm.
  • Doing what is fair means more than putting your own needs first.
  • Leaving a legacy matters more than just winning for a short time.

When African women lead, we change the whole culture and show others how to move up while helping those around us.

The Role of Networks and Sisterhood

Center for Leadership of Afrikan Women's Wellness member speaking

One thing is clear: no one does this alone. A group of strong networks, including here at CLAWW (Center for Leadership of African Women in the World),  AWLN (African Women Leaders Network), and other local Milwaukee collectives help African women grow and feel strong together. These communities give:

  • Peer mentorship – Helps people learn from each other. You can get support from others who have already been through what you are going through. They will share tips that work for them and give you advice you can use
  • Leadership training – Gives you the skills you need to lead a team or group. You will practice how to talk to people, make plans, and help others do their best.
  • Sharing Resources – Lets everyone use each other’s helpful tools and information. When people share, they all learn and grow together
  • Local opportunities – Open doors for you to meet and work with people from all over the community. You can discover new ideas, work on different projects, and maybe find something you want to do in the future

When we work with each other, we make a bigger impact. We also open the door for the next generation.

What You Can Do Today

If you are an African woman:

  • Know that you belong in every room you walk into.
  • Connect with networks that help your growth.
  • Share your own story and lift others up as you do.

If you are an ally:

  • Give money to groups that are run by Black and African women.
  • Move back so others can move forward.
  • Use your own platform to help people hear our voices, not talk over them.

Final Thoughts: Leading With Legacy

Leadership for African women is not about showing off. It is about leaving something good behind and about making sure that the next group of girls—like our daughters, nieces, and the people we help—won’t have to face the same hard things that we did. They should have an easier time and feel strong too.

We are here, from Milwaukee to the world stage. We show up as who we are, with no need to say sorry. We do this with a clear plan. The future does not just come on its own. We are the people who build it.

Get Involved Today

  • Join a local leadership collective
  • Attend a CLAWW event
  • Mentor the youth
  • Support Black women-led businesses in Milwaukee

We are not only joining in. We are leading the way and this is just the beginning for us.

 

 

 

 

 

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