Charmaine Pollard is a certified poetry therapist with over 16 years’ experience of working with diverse communities. She has extensive experience in implementing therapeutic writing programmes online and in a wide range of settings.

She has facilitated poetry therapy groups in: schools, prisons, churches, clinical settings and in the community. Her workshops/ groups embed confidence and resilience and are experiential, supportive, motivational, and tailor-made.

After reading and responding to carefully selected poems, participants are guided through a series of free flow creative, reflective and expressive writing exercises. She uses them as the basis for discussion and further exploration. The aim is not to focus on literary merit, the emphasis is on healing and personal development. Her groups are confidential, non-judgemental and supportive.

Charmaine qualified as a certified poetry therapist with The International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy (U.S.A.). She is author of Writing for Resilience, a workbook that harnesses the power of writing to help boost self-awareness and strengthen resilience.

Jul 2006 to present date She began facilitating poetry therapy groups working predominantly, but not exclusively, with women in North London who have experienced traumas, such as gender-based violence, mental health problems, and substance misuse issues.

May - December 2015 She facilitated a weekly writing for wellbeing group in Clapton Library in Hackney; East London entitled Living and Loving your Legacy.

Jan 2012 - Dec 2013 She facilitated a weekly creative writing therapy group for Orthodox Jewish women in Stamford Hill in Hackney East London who are second and third generation holocaust survivors.

Upcoming workshops Check out her website for upcoming workshops/courses.