Bridging to Resilience

"Expressive writing research shows many positive effects such as increased GPA, decreased dropout rates, improved immune function, decreased depression and anxiety, and lessens some post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Overall it promotes mental health.

During this presentation, we are going to be looking at how the old stories we and our students have in our heads influence the way we perceive ourselves and how these old stories hold us back from overcoming challenges and achieving our goals and dreams. In response to these old stories, participants will learn an expressive writing activity called The Imagine Project that individuals can use for themselves and in their schools or classrooms to start the process of overcoming old stories that represent trauma and stress and creating new ones that lead to post-traumatic growth.

In summary, participants will be introduced and led through a 7-step expressive writing activity, The Imagine Project, that will help them overcome old stories of trauma/stress and create new stories of post-traumatic growth as well as be introduced to resources of how to use this expressive writing activity for their schools, classrooms, and themselves. "