I have been offering writing workshops for a few years. My writing workshops are a bit different than the norm because I pair essential oils with writing prompts. It’s called Aroma Writing.
Sound cray?
It isn’t. It is actually a very powerful experience. I’ve always been a “writer.” In high school and college I much preferred essay over multiple choice exams. And every job I have had since college has required me to write. And then I became an online therapist using email as the method of delivery. I calculate that I wrote approximately 6000 therapeutic emails to clients over the years. That’s a lot of writing. And during those years I came to know the work of Kathleen Adams.
About Kathleen
Kathleen Adams LPC, is a clinical journal therapist and the founder/director of the Center for Journal Therapy and its professional training division, the fully online Therapeutic Writing Institute. She is the author/editor of several books on journal therapy, including the best-selling Journal to the Self and Expressive Writing: Foundations of Practice. She has been a tireless spokesperson for the power of writing for healing, change and growth for nearly 30 years and is known as a pragmatic visionary in her approaches to writing as a therapeutic tool. In an internet survey she was listed, along with Anais Nin and Anne Frank, as one of the three most influential journal writers of the 20th century.
I met Kathleen in 2013 when I attended her one-day workshop in New Jersey. I had read her books but the workshop really enhanced my own therapeutic writing for myself and with clients. I later interviewed her and co-wrote an article with her about the benefits of therapeutic writing. The article first appeared in the Summer 2013 issue of TILT Magazine ~ Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology. At the time, I was Managing Co-Editor alongside Kate Anthony and I knew this topic would be a great add to one of the upcoming issues.
About Aroma Writing
Several years later, I am reminded of her work often. I do not practice online therapy anymore, but I teach online courses and I offer channeled readings (automatic writing) and email packages to clients from all over the world. But I am really reminded of Kathleen’s work each time I conduct an Aroma Writing workshop. I pull from my toolbox that is stoked with Kathleen’s methods and techniques. I borrow from her very creative offerings and add the sensory experience of smell to the process. Essential oils are very powerful so when the olfactory system receives the natural aroma of an essential oil, emotions, memories and cognitions can be stimulated. The writing process gets right down to the bones, or the heart of the matter as some would say.
If you are looking for an academic reference to this concept, check out my chapter:
Nagel, D.M. (2023). Coaching for clarity: Pairing contemplative writing with essential oils. In D.M. Nagel & M.L. Akridge (Eds). Case Studies in Spiritual Coaching: A Survey Across Life, Wellness and Work Domains. Charles C. Thomas, Publisher.
If you are looking to purchase quality essential oils, CLICK HERE.
Click here to read the article: The Benefits of Therapeutic Writing by Kathleen Adams and DeeAnna Nagel.
