Groups and Workshops

 

September 24th - October 29th (2024): Living the Questions, a six-week therapeutic creative writing journey

“Questions are always a little more trustworthy than answers.” ~ Mark Doty

The questions that churn you are for you, and if you listen, they will propel you on the path of your becoming.

As the days grow shorter and the sun's intensity wanes, heed the call to turn inward. Open space for the uncertainty you've been busying yourself away from.

This therapeutic creative writing circle is designed to invite and hold your most jagged questions. Through breath, intuitive reading, meditation, and creative writing, we'll rebirth your wonderings about grief, trauma, existence, and identity into expressions that unlock discovery and healing.

Journey alongside a small group of local creatives (group size will be capped at seven; a minimum of five participants are required for the group to run). Explore your inner expanse while opening to the complexity of your fellow group members. This will be a practice of being vulnerable—of seeing and being seen.

In this circle, writing won’t be about getting it right. We will write to allow what’s inside of us, waiting, to come out onto the page, to surprise us, to help us more deeply understand and know who we are and the wisdom we hold. No previous writing experience required—just openness to exploration.

This group is designed to give you…

  • Instruction and practice in using intuitive writing and reading as tools to access comfort, insight, self-understanding, and healing

  • Enhanced access to Self (for more information on this concept, check out this blog post.)

  • Increased tolerance for multiplicity, “bothness,” and seeking

  • Moments of awe and surprise over the power of the artistic treasures you hold

  • Recognition of how wise, intuitive, and artful you already are

  • The opportunity to meet and connect with other like-minded folks in the area. This will be a space of authentic expression and relating.

The Details:

Dates and time: Tuesday evenings from 6:00 - 8:00 pm, September 24th through October 29th

Location: In-person at Ellen’s therapy office, located in the Self Help Building (next to Laughing Seed) downtown. 34 Wall Street, Suite 604, Asheville, NC 22801.

Cost: $360 for the 6-weeks series (payable upfront or weekly at $60/week)

Open to: Adults ages 21+ who are ready to sit with their driving questions while being held in a safe container. Screening call required for group admission. Group size will be capped at seven; a minimum of five participants are required for the group to run. 6-week commitment required to ensure a safe container and create opportunity for genuine connection. We will discuss and commit to group guidelines (including confidentiality, respect, and non-judgment) during our first meeting together.

The Journey at a Glance:

Week 1: Ritual and Play

Week 2: The Unwanted Question

Week 3: Both Sides at Once

Week 4: Question as Bridge

Week 5: The Answers We Give

Week 6: Living the Questions

Ready to Register?

  1. Email me at ellen@openinghandstherapy.com. Include your name, age, phone number, and a few details about your interest in the group.

  2. I’ll email you back to set up a 10-15 minute phone-call to ensure that the group seems like a good fit for your needs at this time and to answer any questions.

  3. Complete the intake paperwork. Be on the look-out for an email from <yourprovider@simplepractice.com>. Once you receive it, follow the link to my secure, HIPAA-compliant online portal, where you will be able to complete registration.

  4. Gather your materials. Plan to bring a journal, writing utensil(s), and (optional) a mug for tea to each session (I’ll provide the kettle and tea!). Consider anything else that might help you feel comfortable during our time together—a water bottle, a snack, a blanket (my office can get chilly), a special crystal or stone, a fidget toy, etc.

  5. Invite curiosity. In the days and weeks leading up to our first meeting, spend some time with your Self. Get curious about your own wonderings and slow down to hear the questions within.

Growing in community

Periodically, I offer a series of group sessions focused on a specific topic or interest area, including grief, identity exploration, spirituality, balance, and creativity. These group therapy series often include creative writing, yoga, movement, breathing, and nature-based activities. In order to foster real community and connection, I ask that you commit to attending each session in any series you join. Read on for my latest offerings.

About Ellen:

I have always been a lover of words, and I’ve been lucky in this lifetime to study and work with them deeply. I earned my BA in Humanities from Yale, my MA in Literature from the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English and my MFA in creative writing from Hollins University's Jackson Center for Creative Writing, and I’ve lead creative writing classes and workshops for kids and adults of all ages (well, age 7 and up, that is!). Nowadays, in addition to stealing free moments every day to play with my own essays, poems, and a novel-in-progress, I love using creative writing and literature therapeutically. This therapeutic work is informed by years of studying the intersections of therapy and creativity and immersing myself in modalities such as poetic medicine, bibliotherapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS). It’s also informed by my study of mindfulness, meditation, breath, and yoga.