A collaborative and interdisciplinary conference drawing on the professional, practical and personal experience of researchers, practitioners, and participants to explore and expand the diversity of Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (CWTP) from a range of disciplines (literature, counselling & psychotherapy, neuropsychology, medicine, emotional geography, socio-spiritual approaches), to showcase relevant research and practice, assess the current picture of the field and find inspiring and robust ways forward for CWTP research and practice.

We are looking for presentations/workshops of 80-90 minutes, from: Words for Wellbeing/CWTP Practitioners, Counsellors and Psychotherapists, Creative Writers, Psychologists, Medical Doctors and Nurses, Medical Humanities, Emotional Geography, Social Science Researchers, Teachers/Lecturers, Occupational Therapists.

Research: Relevant and recent examples of research into CWTP; employing and developing congruent research methods; how can we move CWTP research forward?

Writing with people affected by trauma: Relevant and recent examples of writing with people and communities affected by trauma; safeguards and safe practice; protecting participants and practitioners; training, testimonial from participants.

Writing in groups: Relevant and recent examples of CWTP in a diversity of groups; impact of groupwork on participants; groupwork practice; safety in numbers?

Good practice and evaluation: Examples of good practice and evaluation in CWTP; good practice in training; managing project evaluation that is both creative for participants and convincing for funders; how can we train for good practice?