Using Poetry

As I’ve stated before, I love poetry therapy. “Broken” by Becky Birtha, a survivor of sexual abuse, is a poem I like to use with sexual violence survivors, especially of childhood sexual abuse.

When discussing a poem with client, I first ask them their feelings about the poem and whether they enjoyed it or not. If they did, I ask them to explain to me how they feel the poem is relevant to their life or their situation. We examine the lines that really stick out to them and why they are easy to relate to.

Poems and song lyrics (especially for teenagers) can be such a powerful counseling tool. Being able to see your thoughts, situation, feelings, etc. put on paper by someone else makes you feel less alone. And sometimes it’s comforting for people to see their thoughts explained in a way that they weren’t able to.

I Am Poem

I am a big advocate for the use of poetry therapy, and have found it to be a very useful tool for counseling. This particular poetic technique is called an "I Am" poem. The poem is a fill-in-the-blank exercise, which is great for clients who don't feel confident to write a free write a poem of their own.

I have had many clients question their identity. They feel like their abuser or perpetrator has taken away their true self, and they are left feeling broken. Oftentimes survivors of sexual violence will say how they feel like they died during the sexual trauma, and they just wish they could go back to "normal".

This poem is a simple and effective tool to help clients really think about who they are. Many of my clients have learned something new about themselves when filling in the blanks, and it left them feeling excited!

Image used from here