9:00-9:15 am Welcome & Overview – Laura Santner, LCSW, PTR-CM, CCATP, NAPT President 

9:15-10:00 am Keynote Speaker – Perie J Longo, Ph.D., LMFT, PTR, M/S

Perie J. Longo, PhD, Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Poetry Therapist, has been in private practice and active in the National Association for Poetry Therapy since 1990. She served as Executive Director (2003-05) and President (2005-07), as well as a long-time mentor/ supervisor. In 1998 she received their Outstanding Achievement Award. In 2000 she was the keynote speaker for their annual conference and in 2004 she was given the “Distinguished Service Award.” In 2018 she was honored with NAPT’s Pioneer Award.

Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara (2007-09), she has authored four books of poetry: Milking the Earth, The Privacy of Wind, With Nothing behind but Sky: a journey through grief, and the latest, Baggage Claim. Her poems have been published in many journals and anthologies including Atlanta Review, Connecticut Review, International Poetry Review, Nimrod, The Paterson Literary Review Prairie Schooner, Passager, Solo, Salt and Rattle.

Since 1986 she has been a poet-in residence at many local schools through California-Poets-in-the-Schools and teaches poetry privately as well as being on the literary staff of the national Santa Barbara Writers’ since 1984. She currently facilitates weekly Poetry Writing for Bereavement at Hospice (since 2004) and just retired from Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara where she did poetry therapy groups weekly for 33 years. In 2005 she was invited by the University of Kuwait to speak about the power of poetry as a path for healing and peace. She is poetry chair of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. In 2012 she received the Woman of Achievement Award from the Santa Barbara Chapter of Women in Communication.

10:30-12:00 Noon Workshop Series A

A1.  Poetry as Self-Therapy in Intractable Conflict Setting: Creating Peace through Verse – Ana Ljubinkovic, Ph.D.

Approximately five percent of the world’s armed conflicts fall into the category of “intractable conflicts”. This term broadly refers to destructive conflicts that persist for long periods of time, and are total, central, perceived as being unsolvable, and of a zero-sum nature. This workshop, led by Dr. Ana Ljubinkovic, explores the potential of poetry as a form of self-therapy for people trapped in intractable conflict settings. The workshop will unfold over two sections. The first, didactic section will briefly introduce two cases of intractable conflicts – in Somalia and in Myanmar - before exploring a sample of poems created by members of these two communities. Particular attention will be dedicated to the analysis of therapeutic themes within these poems, such as the use of indigenous metaphors, hope, imagination, and humor. The second, interactive section of the workshop will engage participants in the creation of conflict-related poetry and the reflection on its potential to heal, and to inspire peace. (50% Experiential/50% Didactic) Clinical/Heath Care Setting, Educational Setting, Spirituality, and Social Justice.

Dr. Ana Ljubinkovic is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at California State University, Stanislaus, and an external academic examiner for the MA in Refugee Care at the University of Essex, UK. Her research interests focus on trauma, collective violence, refugeehood, and the role of poetry in promoting psychological healing. Ana has previously taught at MA programs in Human Rights (UK), MA in Refugee Care (UK) and MA in Peace Education (Italy). As a consultant to the United Nations and other organizations in Africa and the Middle East, she worked in the area of psychosocial and mental health support for refugee populations with a focus on promoting traditional forms of art within the processes of trauma healing. Her work has been published in the Journal of Poetry Therapy and includes the articles "Poetry as ‘self-therapy’ in intractable conflict settings", "Healing dimensions of Somali poetry in response to military humanitarian intervention", and "Therapeutic role of Somali humor in digesting military humanitarian intervention." Her recent publication, "Bards of Dadaab: Oral poetry and psychological healing among Somali refugees in Kenya," explores the therapeutic role of Somali oral verse in coping with protracted exile. She conducted workshops at NAPT conferences in 2025 and 2024.

A2. Help for the Helpers: Poetry Support Groups for Mental Health Professionals and Educators – Jenna Robinson, MA, LMFT, PTR & Ashley S. Schaaf, MA, APCC

Born from the isolation and intensity of the pandemic, Resilient Voices is an online processing and creative space for direct service providers and educators navigating the emotional toll of their work. Too often, those in caregiving roles—especially in marginalized settings—are expected to self-sacrifice, sidelining their own mental health while supporting others. This experiential session, led by Jenna Robinson and Ashley Schaaf,  will highlight the distinct needs of educators and providers, often siloed despite shared stressors. A former Resilient Voices participant will share about her experience in the group and how it inspired her to create a similar group for social workers at her community mental health clinic. Attendees will engage with poems, prompts, and multimedia testimonials from group members, offering a raw look at themes like vicarious trauma, joy, grief, and resilience. This is a call to center the voices of those who give so much—and rarely have space to be held themselves. (80% Experiential/20% Didactic) Clinical/Health Care Setting(1.5 peer hours).

Jenna Robinson, MA, LMFT, PTR is a poetry therapist, performance poet, and educator dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities through written and oral storytelling. She has been performing and teaching spoken word workshops to youth and adults since 2011. She is a two-time grand slam champion of Hawaii Slam and placed second in the nation at the 2015 National Poetry Slam. Jenna holds an M.A. in Expressive Arts Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), where she developed an approach integrating narrative therapy, expressive arts, and spoken word. She has facilitated trauma-informed writing programs across the Bay Area and Hawai'i, working with system-involved youth, families experiencing violence, and trauma survivors. Jenna currently maintains a private practice and directs a therapeutic writing program with Bay Area Creative. She also is core faculty in the Expressive Arts Therapy M.A. program at CIIS.

Ashley Schaaf (she/her), MA, APCC is a poet and expressive arts (EXA) therapist based in San Francisco, CA. She is also an adjunct instructor in the Master’s in Counseling Psychology program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is currently training to become a Certified Poetry Therapist under the supervision/mentorship of Dr. Barbara Bethea. As a therapist, she is influenced by EXA, psychodynamic, Buddhist, and liberation psychologies. Ashley currently provides intensive case management and psychotherapy services to folks with severe mental illnesses, substance use challenges, and current or historic involvement with the criminal legal system. Passionate about prison abolition and dedicated to amplifying the voices of those who have historically been silenced, Ashley has conducted poetry workshops in Michigan correctional facilities to share the power of language and its potential to act as a catalyst for connection, increased understanding, empathy, and awareness of the magic of living.

A3.  Awe and Peace: Discovering Peace through Poetic Experiences of Awe – Elaine Brooks, RN-BC, MA, PTR, M/S

Still, what I want in my life is to be willing to be dazzled, to cast aside the weight of facts and maybe even to float a little above this difficult world.” This longing, expressed by Mary Oliver, speaks to the heart of this workshop: discovering peace through poetic experiences of awe. Drawing inspiration from Dr. Dacher Keltner’s Eight Wonders of Life—including moral beauty, collective movement, nature, and music—participants, led by Elaine Brooks, will explore how poetry can illuminate moments of wonder and foster harmony within ourselves and with others. Awe invites us to step beyond the boundaries of the self, cultivating humility, reverence, and a sense of belonging. In this didactic and experiential workshop, participants will read poems about awe and engage in discussion and reflective writing exercises in response. There will be the opportunity to share writing if desired. Participants will leave with a collection of poems and practical ways to invite awe into daily life, carrying forward a renewed sense of peace and connection to self and community. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Clinical /Health Care Setting and Spirituality (1.5 peer hours).

Elaine Brooks, RN, MA, CAPF, CM, is an integrative nurse coach, certified applied poetry facilitator, transition writing specialist, and certified mentor for poetry therapy trainees. She has more than 25 years of involvement in the poetry therapy community and has served on the board of the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy. She is core faculty at the Therapeutic Writing Institute. Elaine has done a deep dive into the extensive body of research that demonstrates the transformative power of awe. She believes that experiences of awe, especially those mediated by music and nature can enhance our well-being. It has been shown that cultivating awe can influence individuals to relate to the world with greater generosity and cooperation. Elaine's integration of awe and poetry creates a model that is a vital contribution to the practices that sustain people in challenging times. Elaine has presented workshops on awe, most recently at the INKspiration Journal Conference.

A4. The Poets Tree: An Exploration of Lineage, Legacy, Interconnectedness Identity – Tracy (T-Spirit) Stanton CWC, Kristen (K-Money The Poet) Harris, & Aaron (Just Aaron) Bell

In this workshop, three Creative Social Change Agents, led by mentor Tracy (T-Spirit) Stanton CWC and mentees Kristen (K-Money The Poet) Harris, & Aaron (Just Aaron) Bell, will dive into the importance of nurturing intergenerational relationships to help build a lasting legacy. Mentorship, leadership development, and peer support are essential components of art activism and grass root organizing. Just as the family tree is a visual representation of your lineage that traces relationships to your ancestors, the Poet's Tree is a visual representation of your lineage that traces your relationships with artists, art movements, social justice movements, and the values that ground you and inform your work. Participants will learn about and identify their soil, roots, tree trunk, and crown. Lastly, we'll discuss the fruit that our trees bear and PoeTree’s role in the social movement ecosystem which is just as vital as the tree’s role in the biosphere. Together we’ll unearth what and who is in our PoeTree. (50% Experiential,50% Didactic) Social Justice.

Tracy ( T-Spirit) Stanton is an award winning multidisciplinary international spoken word artist, cultural organizer, peacemaker, trainer, and certified well-being coach who primarily uses spoken word poetry to foster connections, spark hope, disrupt systems of oppression, and ignite change. She is a founding member of Freedom Community Center which is a Black- led restorative justice abolitionist organization, the owner/founder of Some Things Must Be Heard: Spitting & Politicking which is a community building and spoken word platform that features revolutionary artists and community organizers, and the owner of Spirit- LED Coaching & Consulting. T-Spirit has appeared in and on several local and national publications & platforms including: Now This is New, Riverfront Times, msbn, St. Louis American, KSDK, and more. She has presented and performed at several conferences including : Socialism, Rising Majority, Facing Race, Roots & Remedies, SLU’s Scale Conference, and the Rite of Joy. She was summoned to offer poetry at Mike Browns Jr’s 10 year angelversary at Ground Zero, Fred Hampton’s 77th Birthday Weekend led by Chairman Fred Hampton Jr, Arch City Defenders Gala, Forward Through Ferguson Gala, and Dream.org Cohort Graduation. She is also a facilitator with Mid- America Arts Alliance. Her work is known to be Spirit-LED and raw. website: tspiritthepoet.com | IG: Tspirit2019

Kristen Elizabeth Harris, also known as KMoney the Poet, is a woman of many talents- a spoken word artist, author of ‘Y’all Not Ready for that Conversation’, model, a voice over actress, communications professional and youth advocate. Harris has broken several spoken word barriers by serving as the first poet in her city to recite poetry live on the news, on the radio, at Neiman Marcus, in collaboration with the St. Louis Cardinals, curated the first ever spoken word events with the Riverfront Times Art A’fair Poetry Exhibition and with the Dark Room as their first spoken word resident. She graduated from Mizzou in 2018 with her degree in Broadcast Journalism and was honored as a 2024 Mizzou Recent Alumni honoree. In addition, she’s received a plethora of awards for her poetry, leadership and curated events. She is extremely passionate about representation and amplifying voices within marginalized groups. You can learn more here: https://www.thekristenelizabeth.com/poetry.html                                 IG : thekristenelizabethh

Aaron (Just Aaron) Bell is St. Louis based national spoken word artist, host, and the creator of the Hustle City poetry slam team which is ranked #10 in the nation. His poetry is captivating, evocative, and symbolic. Aaron began exploring and expressing his freedom through spoken word in 2022 and since then has traveled across the nation. His inspiration is born from young black men's unhealthy relationship with their emotions. His goal is to redefine masculinity by encouraging men to acknowledge and process their emotions in an effort to communicate them more effectively. Aaron has presented at the National Blues Museum and the Missouri History Museum for Living Legends where 7 Black Men were honored for doing positive things in the community. He has also presented poetry at Guns Down Hoops Up, which is a gun violence prevention event curated by Mission Saint Louis, as well as their Stay Power Awards which acknowledges justice-impacted community members who are making positive impacts in the world. Aaron was ranked one of the top 25 poets in the nation all within his third year of being a spoken word artist. He believes that personal transformation is a major component of social justice. IG : @justspokenow

A5. The Poetry of Spirituality – Joy Sawyer, MA, MA

Poetry has long reflected the rich breadth and depth of humanity's myriad approach to spirituality. In a world rife with confusion and conflict, life-affirming poetry can both nourish our souls and create compassionate bridges of understanding between us. It's true: spiritual poems can make us better human beings -- no matter what our beliefs might be. In this experiential workshop, led by Joy Sawyer, we'll explore poems that radiate with broad definitions of spirituality, such as Rumi, Hafiz, Anne Sexton, Mary Oliver, David Wagoner, Molly Fisk, Kaylin Haught, Joy Harjo, and others. Our readings are designed to help center and balance you, as you explore your own approaches to a spiritual life. Through guided writing prompts and gentle conversation, you’ll also have the opportunity to discover more about yourself as a spiritual seeker. (80% Experiential, 20% Didactic) Spirituality.

Joy Roulier Sawyer received her MA from New York University, where she was the recipient of the Herbert Rubin Award for Outstanding Creative Writing. She’s the author of two poetry collections, Lifeguards and Tongues of Men and Angels, as well as several nonfiction books on creativity and spirituality, and her work appears in LIGHT Quarterly, Lilliput Review, New York Quarterly, St. Petersburg Review, and many others. The keynote speaker for the 2023 NAPT Conference, Joy is a retired registered poetry therapist and mentor/supervisor, and has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Poetry Therapy for many years. She’s taught poetry, and poetry therapy at the University of Denver, Goddard College, and Lighthouse Writers Workshop, where she received the 2019 Beacon Award for Teaching Excellence. Joy is also a longtime instructor of Lighthouse’s Hard Times Workshop, a collaboration with several local public libraries for the unhoused and those facing life challenges. Through her organization The Art of Facilitation (www.artoffacilitation), she provides training and support for facilitators of groups, meetings, coaching, and more. In addition, Joy is also the co-creator of “Writing from the Soul,” a spiritual writing retreat held each August at Benet Hill Monastery.

A6. Seeds of Light and Shadow: A Poetic Path to Inner Peace – Tamara Miriam Trebes, Ph.D.

This 90-minute experiential workshop, led by Tamara M. Trebes, invites participants to explore inner peace not as the absence of conflict but as the ability to hold opposites together. Drawing on psychoanalytic insights and Jung’s reflections on symbols, the session uses simple black-and-white word cards as “seeds” for poetic writing. Participants will create three short poems: one that gives voice to the light side of a chosen image, one that reveals its shadow side, and a third that weaves both into a fragile bridge. In small groups, participants will share their texts and receive resonance words rather than critique. The workshop closes with a collective “field of poems,” highlighting how belonging and shared language can foster peace. No prior writing experience is required—only openness to words taking shape between self and others. (75% Experiential, 25% Didactic) Clinical/Health Care.

Tamara Miriam Trebes, Mag., Bakk. is a psychoanalyst, lecturer, and doctoral researcher based in Vienna. Her work explores the intersections of psychotherapy, philosophy, and poetry, with a focus on how symbolic language can hold experience and foster transformation. She teaches at Sigmund Freud University in Vienna and Berlin and at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK). Her research develops the concept of Poetologic, a framework for understanding the space between lived experience and expression, and for exploring how poetry can act as an auxiliary ego—supporting the psyche in times of fragmentation and transition. Tamara has presented her work at international conferences, including the World Congress for Psychotherapy, and publishes regularly on poetics and psychoanalysis. In her workshops she invites participants to engage poetry as a living practice of care, resonance, and belonging. Website: https://www.pth-tmt.at/

12:00-1:00 pm Luncheon 

1:00-1:45 pm Certification & Awards Event – International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy

All are invited to attend this ceremony of recognition and presentation of Credentials to PTRs, CPTs or CAPFs who have successfully completed their training, and Endorsements of those who have completed Certification as Journal Facilitators or Therapists through the Center for Journal Therapy. Meet current mentor/supervisors and current trainees and congratulate your peers.

2:00-2:45 pm IFPBF Credentialing Information Workshop: Your Life Could Be Poetry

Is the idea of poetry therapy training a thread that is “gently, / invisibly, silently / pulling” at you? If so, join this open discussion of credentialing opportunities in biblio/poetry therapy. Training in biblio/poetry therapy provides more than letters after your name; IFBPT approved training will inspire you, enhance skills, and build confidence while ensuring best practices for your profession. Come away knowing what to expect and how to take your next step! https://ifbpt.org/

2:00-2:45 pm  Regional Representative Meet & Greet

Beth Couture (she/they), Ph.D., LSW, NAPT Membership Chair and Ellyn Zografi, NAPT Board Member-at-Large

3:00-4:30 pm Workshop Series B

B1.  Alchemy: Poetry's Power to Transform – Jon Sayers, AGSMD, Transformational Coach

Carl Jung believed the ancient art of alchemy was perhaps the ultimate expression of the nature of the collective unconscious and the richest, most complete guide to the workings of the human soul. In this deep dive into the links between alchemy and biblio/poetry therapy, led by Jon Sayers, we will look at the three main stages of the alchemical process: nigredo (blackening), albedo (whitening) and rubedo (reddening) and explore how poems we know and use in our work - by Bishop, Larkin, Olds, and others - reflect this sequence, acting as unconscious carriers of alchemical ideas. We will learn to identify alchemical patterns through seeking and linking images of fire, earth, bathing, water, and dawn. It is hoped that participants will leave the workshop with a basic knowledge of alchemy, its potential applications to group facilitation, curriculum design and session structure, and its ability to transform the work we do into gold. (70% Experiential/30% Didactic) Spirituality.

Jon Sayers is a poet, psychodynamic coach and journal facilitator based in London. His poems have been published in leading UK magazines,

he has served as chair and co-editor of the leading UK poetry magazine, Magma, vice chair of The Poetry Society, and as a trustee of the Winchester Poetry Festival, for whom he has interviewed poets including Christopher Reid, Jo Shapcott, Annie Freud and Paul Muldoon. His play, A World Full of Weeping, a supernatural thriller whose plot revolves around a poem by WB Yeats, was twice broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and was a Radio Times Pick of the Week.

As a journal facilitator, using a biblio/poetry therapy model, Jon has worked with a variety of populations, from older teens transitioning out of the care system, older women care givers and church communities to newly qualified life coaches, members of the British Guild of Travel Writers, and inmates of His Majesty's Pentonville prison. Jon draws on a range of psychological models in his work, with a particular interest in the ideas of Carl Jung. He is a contributor to Writing for Wellbeing: Theory, Research, and Practice (Routledge 2023), teaches for TWI, and is the UK representative for NAPT. http://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-sayers-a5b2088

B2.  T.R.A.P. Therapy: Poetry as a Pathway to Freedom and Peace (Trauma Resilience Attainment Poetry for Healing and Liberation in BIPOC Communities) – Carl Patterson, MA, LPC, CSAT-C

Peace emerges when freedom, healing, and belonging are spoken, written, and shared. For Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), systemic inequities and intergenerational trauma often disrupt that peace. This workshop introduces T.R.A.P. Therapy (Trauma Resilience Attainment Poetry), a framework I created that integrates clinical practice with the transformative power of poetry to nurture resilience and cultivate peace. Participants will explore the intersections of trauma, resilience, and social justice through both scholarship and creativity. Together, we will study poems that illuminate resilience, engage in reflective writing to process personal experience, and create original work to share in community. By balancing clinical insight with artistic expression, this session offers a pathway from pain toward hope. Participants will leave with practical tools, their own crafted poem, and a deeper awareness of how poetry restores the self while fostering collective peace. (65% Experiential/35% Didactic) Educational Setting.

Carl Patterson is a Licensed Professional Counselor, spoken word performer, and author who bridges therapy and poetry to foster resilience, justice, and healing. He is the founder of 235 Counseling and Consulting, where he leads trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices for individuals, couples, and communities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Central Oklahoma and a master’s degree in Counseling from Southern Nazarene University. Carl is the author of The Mis-Execution of a Black Son and These Kids Are Fighting for Their Lives. His writing explores the realities of slavery, trauma, grief, and brutality while also lifting themes of resilience, love, and collective healing. The Mis-Execution of a Black Son was inspired by the cries of George Floyd, and These Kids Are Fighting for Their Lives amplifies the voices of youth navigating identity, silence, and survival. His voice extends beyond the page. Carl has presented at TEDx events, including Changing the Narrative for Black Men through Higher Education (2017) and T.R.A.P. Therapy: Healing the Youth One Metaphor at a Time (2023). He is the creator of T.R.A.P. Therapy (Trauma Resilience Attainment Poetry) and a member of The Space Program, a hip-hop and poetry collective dedicated to cultural expression and healing.

B3. The Sacred and The Profane: Poetry for Rituals and Everyday Routines – Cynthia Holloway Kelvin, Psy.D., RDT/BCT, CPT & Beth Couture, Ph.D., LSW

This 90-minute poetry therapy workshop, led by Cynthia Holloway Kelvin, Psy.D., RDT/BCT, CPT and Dr. Beth Couture, LSW, will explore how poetry can honor both life’s meaningful rituals and as well as the everyday routines that shape our lives. Through reflection, writing, creative ritual and group sharing, participants will be reminded of the power of recognizing the sacred in the ordinary.

Together, we will create an altar built from small items participants bring that represent daily practices, offering inspiration for our collective poetry. Participants will be supported in cultivating daily practices that help regulate the nervous system in the midst of dealing with day to day stressors as well as larger-scale issues like systemic injustice and social upheaval.

Join us while we discover how poetry can be used to transform ordinary acts into moments of presence, gratitude, and calm. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Social Justice and Spirituality (1.5 peer hours).

Cynthia Holloway Kelvin, Psy.D., RDT/BCT, CPT, is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in drama therapy and poetry therapy. She has experience working in community mental health and substance rehabilitation, providing support to individuals in different phases of recovery. Cynthia currently practices privately as a psychologist and facilitates creative performance workshops, emphasizing the use of creativity to facilitate personal growth, and social change. To explore Cynthia's work further, visit evolvingstage.com.

 

Beth Couture, PhD, LSW is a social worker with experience working in intensive outpatient therapy, college counseling, and community mental health. She currently works as a group facilitator for an online intensive outpatient program, in which she utilizes poetry therapy and expressive writing. Beth is also a published fiction writer.

B4.   Manifesting Peace: An Exploration of the Manifesto as a Form of Visioning – Laura Sweeney, MS/MPA/MFA

The manifesto is a form many writers, artists, philosophers, and politicians have used for centuries to declare the intentions or ideologies behind their practice. Manifestos are fertile ground for inspiration and can take many directions such as: a declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer; a call to action or a confrontation about economic, social, or technological issues; an argument for the expression of an artist’s inner life; a statement about why one writes. Like peace, the manifesto can be spiritual, cultural, political, historical…What is the relationship between peace and writing a manifesto? Is there a relationship between seeking peace within and without? Can the manifesto help us handle conflict by peaceful means? Led by Laura Sweeney, we will discuss the manifesto as a form for visioning peace using exemplars from a variety of authors and approaches. The narrative prompt method will guide participants in their practice of the manifesto. Participants will share drafts and discussion will follow. (40% Experiential/60% Didactic) Clinical/Heath Care Setting, Educational Setting, Spirituality, and Social Justice.

Laura Sweeney, MS/MPA/MFA, facilitates Writers for Life in Iowa and Illinois. She blends her unique interdisciplinary talents to offer grant-funded creative writing presentations and short courses for participants of all ages and abilities across the lifespan. As evidence of her success, she represented the Iowa Arts Council at the First International Teaching Artist's Conference in Oslo, Norway. Her poems and prose appear in seventy plus journals and twenty-five anthologies in the States, Canada, Britain, Indonesia, and China. She has served as editor for several journals, and is an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Poetry Therapy. Her recent awards include a scholarship to the Sewanee Writer's Conference. She is a PhD candidate in English Studies at Illinois State University where she teaches a variety of interdisciplinary courses, including Creative Writing, Literary Narratives, and Trauma Studies.

B5. “The Still Point of the Turning World”: Exploring the Labyrinth – Karen “Ren” vanMeenen, Ph.D., MA, CAPF

Labyrinths have existed for more than 5000 years in cultures around the world. In this hands-on workshop, led by Karen ("ren") vanMeenen, Ph.D., MA, CAPF, we will explore how labyrinths promote relaxation and opening, encountering new insights about self and the spiritual world, and ultimately finding what T.S. Eliot called “The still point of the turning world.” We will discuss how counselors can use labyrinths in their practice as well as how poets and writers can jumpstart their creative process via the various steps in the labyrinth journey. Using several different kinds of handheld labyrinths, we will experiment with how even those with limited time, access or mobility can access the benefits of walking the path of a labyrinth. Chicago is a city rich with labyrinths and participants are invited to join the presenter on a self-guided trip to one later in the conference to experience a full-size labyrinth in person. Poems and other resources will be provided. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Educational Setting and Spirituality(1.5 peer hours).

Karen (Ren) vanMeenen, Ph.D., MA, CAPF, is a Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator and is on the Executive Board of NAPT, where she serves as the Publications Chair, among other roles. She edited the 2002 and 2025 editions of Giving Sorrow Words: Poems of Strength and Solace. She holds graduate degrees in Transformative Language Arts and in Media Studies and is a Principal Lecturer in the Department of English at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where she teaches classes in writing, creative writing, graphic novels and literature as well as offering various courses for RIT’s Honors; Visual Culture; and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies programs. She is the longtime Editor of Afterimage: The Journal of Media Arts & Cultural Criticism and has written for, and had work included in, numerous publications.

B6. Parts, Poems, and Power: Exploring the Self through Internal Family Systems and Feminist Poetry – Zahra M. Amber Diallo Hyman, LGPC, PMH-C, EMDR, IFS (Trainee)

This workshop, led by Zahra M. Amber Diallo Hyman, LGPC, PMH-C, EMDR, IFS (Trainee), invites self-identified intersectional feminists into a space of healing, creativity, and self-discovery. Drawing from Internal Family Systems (IFS), participants will explore their inner “parts”—the protectors, exiles, and managers that hold our stories, wounds, and strengths. Guided writing prompts and shared poetry will serve as bridges between the psyche and the page, giving voice to inner experiences that often remain hidden or silenced. (60% Experiential/40% Didactic) Clinical /Health Care Setting and Social Justice.

Zahra M. Amber Diallo, PMH-C, EMDR, IFS trained, is a psychotherapist, writer, and Registered Poetry Therapist in Training whose work centers Black women, mothers, and all those navigating intersecting identities. With a background as a special education teacher and a deep commitment to trauma-informed care, Zahra integrates Internal Family Systems (IFS), poetry, and feminist psychology into her practice. She believes in the power of words to heal, liberate, and transform, and brings warmth, creativity, and radical care to every workshop she leads.

4:30-6:00 pm Mentor/Supervisor Round Table Discussion

6:00-7:45 pm Dinner – Hotel Restaurant or Dinner on your own

8:00-9:30 pm Open Mic Poetry Sign-Up & Reading  Emceed by Jenna Robinson, MA, LMFT, PTR  

We welcome any poems, short stories, songs and any other spoken word entries of no more than 2 minutes total length to read at this open poetry reading. Here is your chance to share your own writing and creativity with our group! 

Saturday, April 18th   

Conference Workshops & Events

7:00-8:00 am Morning Triple Workshop: Experience a Poetry Therapy Group (Second Session – 2 Groups)

For the newcomer or dedicated trainee, experience poetry therapy in action along with Nancy S. Scherlong, LCSW, CHHC, SEP, PTR/CJT-CM & Elaine Brooks, RN, MA, CAPF, CM. Join us each day for this interactive and didactic workshop that spans over three days (Fri, Sat and Sun). Experience the beginning, middle and end of a real poetry peer group. Integrate your conference experience, meet new colleagues, and write new material in a supportive community. Participants will be divided into two small groups. You must be available to attend all three days. (75% Experiential, 25% Didactic)  (4.5 peer hours).      

7:30-8:30 am Registration 

8:10-8:50 am Yoga with Diane Allerdyce, Ph.D., CAPF                                                                                                                 "Gentle Sitting/Standing Yoga: Mats Welcome but Not Required." Wearing comfortable clothes is suggested, but this gentle practice can be done in the outfit one will be wearing for the day.

7:30-8:45 am Breakfast 

9:00-10:30 am Workshop Series C

C1.  Breaking Chains: Poetry, Movement, and Joy as Resistance – Robin D. Stone, LMHC & Jeanie Low, LCSW-S

This workshop, led by Robin Stone, LMHC and Jeanie Low, LCSW-S, blends poetry, movement, and reflection with Joanna Macy’s “Work That Reconnects Spiral”—a four-stage process of Gratitude, Honoring Our Pain, Seeing with New/Ancient Eyes, and Going Forth. Inspired by Alice Walker’s reminder that “Hard Times Require Furious Dancing,” participants will practice radical listening, give voice to grief and resilience, and create poetry that celebrates joy as resistance. Through embodied rhythm and guided prompts, individual voices will be woven into a collective embodied poem, performed with gesture and sound. Participants will leave with tools for integrating social justice themes into creative and therapeutic practice, and renewed commitment to healing, justice, and peace.(70% Experiential/30% Didactic) Social Justice.

Robin D. Stone, LMHC, is founder and clinical director of Muse & Grace, a psychotherapy practice based in Midtown Manhattan. Her practice is dedicated to integrating the arts to foster recovery, resilience, and personal growth, with a focus on serving people of color. Stone employs Biblio-poetry Therapy to help clients gain insight into themselves and explore how cultural factors shape their perspectives and experiences. She works with individuals, couples, families, and groups, and supervises counselors in training. Her approach often combines narrative techniques with other treatment methods such as EMDR specifically to address racial trauma. Stone, a seasoned journalist and author, is pursuing certification in Biblio-poetry Therapy. https://www.robinstone.com

Jeanie Low, LCSW-S, is a licensed clinical social worker and supervisor. She is a service-oriented counselor who provides therapeutic assistance for individuals, families, and groups in a compassionate and knowledgeable environment. She is passionate about working with neurodivergent clients, who find themselves wanting to explore their personal narratives and find their voice. Her therapeutic approach of Compassionate Care, Creative Change, and Innovative Options is tailored toward each client. She is pursuing her certification in Biblio-poetry Therapy and Psychodrama, and continues to incorporate these experiential techniques into her clinical practice. http://icohouston.com/

C2.    Recess for the Soul: Poetry as Play – Alexis Rafael

Remember recess? Flying down slides, swinging on monkey bars, and stepping into imaginative play with just a shout—“You be the cop, I’ll be the robber!” Remember popsicle juice dripping down your arms, Jackson Pollack painting your white shirt with the art of a hot summer day? Adults, too, need a place to play. This workshop, led by Alexis Rafael, invites participants into a playful, poetic space inspired by the presenter’s training in therapeutic work with children. Through simple games, writing prompts, and shared storytelling, participants will engage with the creative spark of their inner child. This workshop explores poetry as both play and healing—an avenue for joy, curiosity, and connection. Come ready to move, imagine, and write as we remember the wilds of childhood and the wisdom of wonder. (70% Experiential/30% Didactic) Spirituality.

Alexis "Lex" Rafael is an elementary school therapist intern and graduate student at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she is currently completing her master’s degree in counseling. Her studies in archetypal and imaginal psychology, dreamwork, and play therapy shape a therapeutic approach grounded in imagination and the exploration of inner worlds.

Over the years, Lex has worn many hats — from freelance writer and massage therapist to assistant kindergarten teacher and landscaper — experiences that inform her flexibility, creativity, and curiosity about the human spirit. She is also an experienced performance poet whose work explores memory, identity, and belonging. Lex has facilitated poetry workshops for diverse communities, creating spaces where participants of all ages can reconnect with their playful, uninhibited selves. Her poetic and therapeutic practice is further enriched by more than a decade of study with the Diamond Approach, which integrates ancient spiritual traditions with modern depth psychology.

Lex currently lives in Denver with her partner and their goofy dingo of a dog in a townhouse made up of comically compressed hallways.

C3.  Poetry as Inner Feng Shui Masters: Transforming Loneliness to Peaceful Solitude – Yun-Jen Lin, CAPF Candidate, BA, BBA

This workshop, led by Yun-Jen Lin, CAPF Candidate, BA, BBA, explores the often-unseen loneliness of urban life and the path to peaceful solitude. Using Edward Hopper's iconic painting Nighthawks, a permanent display at the Art Institute of Chicago, as our visual anchor, participants will embark on a journey of inner transformation. We will then engage with the poetry of local Chicago masters, Gwendolyn Brooks and Carl Sandburg, along with the Chinese poetic master Li Bai, as our Inner Feng Shui Masters. This session will help participants identify their own cluttered "inner room"—a space reflecting loneliness stemming from unfulfilled dreams and daily obligations. Through this unique blend of visual art, poetry, and the principles of Inner Feng Shui, participants will gain new perspectives on their inner world, leaving with practical tools for self-care and a path toward clarity and calm. (90% Experiential/10% Didactic) Clinical/Health Care Setting, Educational Setting.

Yun-Jen Lin (she/her), BA, BBA is an English educator based in Taiwan and a Certified Accredited Poetry Facilitator (CAPF) candidate. Under the mentorship of Laura Santner, she is currently completing her training to bridge the worlds of language arts and mental well-being. Yun-Jen transforms her classroom into a safe and creative space where students can express themselves and develop a deeper understanding of their inner world. Driven by a passion for supporting teenagers, she extends her professional mission into her free time, volunteering to provide text-based counseling for teens in need. Yun-Jen's work is driven by a commitment to helping young people find clarity and resilience by giving voice to their inner world, a foundation from which they can build their unique self.

C4.  Finding Our Way Home: The Place of Poetry in Giving Voice and Hope for the Homeless – Nicholas Mazza, Ph.D., PTR

Poetry therapy, particularly the RES model, will be described and demonstrated in working with the homeless. This includes direct practice in a homeless shelter and the provision of education/ awareness to the community. The RES model consists of three major dimensions: 1) R-Receptive/prescriptive involving the introduction of literature into practice, 2) E-Expressive/creative involving written expression, and 3) S - Symbolic/ceremonial involving the use of metaphors and rituals.

Receptive/Prescriptive

     *Introducing a poem/song/story into practice

Expressive/Creative

     * Cluster poem

     *Poetic stems/prompts

     *Collaborative poem

     * Six-word story, journals, letters

Symbolic/Ceremonial

     *Creating metaphors

     *Rituals

     *Dance/Movement

Noting the importance of reaching a pluralistic society, a variety of multidisciplinary poetic forms and techniques will be examined that advance empathy, social skills, confidence, learning (e.g., civics), personal identity, and health. Poetry therapy is especially helpful in advancing the unique story of each homeless person, and challenging the stigma, stereotypes, and negative perceptions of the homeless. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Clinical/Health Care Setting (1.5 peer hours).

Nicholas Mazza, Ph.D., PTR, is Professor and Dean Emeritus at the Florida State University, College of Social Work (CSW), Tallahassee, FL. He is also Poet-in-Residence at the CSW. Dr. Mazza holds Florida licenses in psychology, clinical social work, and marriage and family therapy. He has been involved in the practice, research, and teaching of poetry therapy for over 50 years. Dr. Mazza is the founding (1987) and continuing editor of the Journal of Poetry Therapy: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Practice, Theory, Research, and Education and the author of Poetry Therapy: Theory and Practice, 3rd edition (2022). He is past president and board member of the National Association for Poetry Therapy (NAPT). In 1997, Dr. Mazza received the “Pioneer Award” from NAPT.

C5. Listen Like a Poet: The Transformative Power of Listening in Healthcare – Nancy Scherlong, LCSW, CHHC, SEP, PTR/CJT-CM, Leigh Finnegan-Hosey, M.Div., BCC, & Ravenna Raven, MFA

This workshop, led by Nancy Scherlong, LCSW, CHHC, SEP, PTR/CJT-CM, Leigh Finnegan-Hosey, M.Div., BCC, and Ravenna Raven, MFA, invites micro and macro, clinicians and developmentalists to experience and practice deep listening, cultivate empathy and creativity and support resilience and wellbeing using poetry and conversation as inspiration. The Good Listening Project (TGLP) is a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of deep listening and poetry, evidence-based tools for reducing burnout and promoting inclusion. TGLP partners with healthcare institutions, providing emotional support resources to healthcare providers and their patients. After discussing several key elements of listening poetry, participants will be invited to pair up and practice empathetic listening with each other. Participants will then take time to reflect on what they’ve heard and will be invited to write a poem inspired by their partner’s words that captures the essence of the conversation. There will be an opportunity to share these poems, as well as time to reflect together. This workshop does not substitute for training as a Listener Poet but provides an excellent introduction to the skillset used by The Good Listening Project. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Clinical/Heath Care Setting, Educational Setting, Spirituality, and Social Justice (1.5 peer hours).

Nancy S. Scherlong, LCSW, CHHC, SEP, CP, PTR/CJT-CM, is a licensed clinical social worker, trauma-informed wellness coach, mindfulness mentor, certified psychodramatist, registered poetry and journal therapist and certified mentor for both methods. Nancy heads a multi-modal-creative-arts-coaching-and-psychotherapy-practice where she specializes in trauma and nervous system regulation as well as maintains active training cohorts in both journal and poetry therapy. She is on the board of The Good Listening Project and the advisory council of Narrative Mindworks and The Association of Business Poets. She is completing her certificate in Narrative Medicine and consults with a variety of colleges, non-profit organizations and corporations on how to integrate writing and wellness into their culture and as a care support tool for staff. Nancy is on the core faculty of the Therapeutic Writing Institute (TWI), a global on-line learning platform for journal/poetry facilitators and therapists, as well as serves as lead faculty for Adelphi University's postgraduate certificate program in the Applied Expressive Arts in Counseling as well as on the faculty of Kint Institute. For more about her practice visit https://www.wellnessmetaphors.com

Rev. Leigh Finnegan-Hosey, M.Div., BCC is a board certified chaplain, certified listener poet, and ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) located in Richmond, VA. She currently serves as a Faculty Instructor for the Department of Patient Counseling at Virginia Commonwealth University, and as the Pediatric and Women’s Health Chaplain for VCU Health. Prior to this, Leigh worked for the spiritual care departments of Georgetown University, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and ECU Health. Her areas of interest include abortion chaplaincy, multi-faith dialogue, and poetry as spiritual care intervention. Ravenna Raven, MFA is a Listener Poet, educator, and editor with The Good Listening Project. She leads the organization’s Certified Listener Poet training course, supports alumni through a growing Community of Practice, and serves as lead editor for its publications. Ravenna has facilitated more than 200 listening sessions with healthcare professionals, patients, and their families, specializing in support for the cancer care community. She has also produced and performed at poetry readings in healthcare and community settings. Ravenna’s early childhood experiences with first responders, surgeons, and hospice nurses propelled her toward writing as a practice for healing and making meaningful connections with others. She earned a B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from The George Washington University and an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Maryland. She teaches creative writing and reading development to students of all ages and has experience in digital communication strategies and nonprofit development. At the center of her practice is a belief in listening and poetry as tools for care, connection, and transformation.

Ravenna Raven, MFA is a Listener Poet, educator, and editor with The Good Listening Project. She leads the organization’s Certified Listener Poet training course, supports alumni through a growing Community of Practice, and serves as lead editor for its publications. Ravenna has facilitated more than 200 listening sessions with healthcare professionals, patients, and their families, specializing in support for the cancer care community. She has also produced and performed at poetry readings in healthcare and community settings. Ravenna’s early childhood experiences with first responders, surgeons, and hospice nurses propelled her toward writing as a practice for healing and making meaningful connections with others. She earned a B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from The George Washington University and an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Maryland. She teaches creative writing and reading development to students of all ages and has experience in digital communication strategies and nonprofit development. At the center of her practice is a belief in listening and poetry as tools for care, connection, and transformation.

C6. The Golden Hive: Gathering Honey through Poetry and Art – Evie Lindemann, ATR-BC, ATCS, LMFT & Kathleen Adams, LPC, PTR, CM

This experiential session, led by Evie Lindemann, ATR-BC, ATCS, LMFT and Kathleen Adams, LPC, PTR, CM, demonstrates the powerful synergy between poetry and art therapy. Beginning with guided poetry therapy techniques, participants engage in dialogue and expressive writing, discovering personal connections to creativity, transformation, and the gathering of meaning from life experiences. Building on these discoveries, the workshop transitions into Jungian-inspired art therapy, where participants literally "give birth" to the images waiting within. Participants create their own "golden hive"—visual representations that store and honor the insights discovered through words. The combination of poetry, expressive writing, and deep artmaking results in a profound and lasting experience, with written reflections and artwork serving as living symbols of transformation.

No prior experience necessary. Perfect for mental health professionals, educators, and anyone interested in creative approaches to healing and growth. Bring your journal/notebook or preferred writing device. Art materials provided. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Spirituality (1.5 peer hours).

Evie Lindemann, ATR-BC, ATCS, LMFT is a board-certified art therapist and credentialed supervisor, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified archetypal pattern analyst. She has taught at Albertus Magnus College,Yale University, and currently teaches at the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition and the Therapeutic Writing Institute. Evie has exhibited nationally and internationally as a printmaking artist. She has contributed chapters to several collected works on the applications of art therapy for grief, hospice and pediatric medicine. She receives personal guidance from her spiritual teacher, Meher Baba, an Indian mystic who maintained silence for forty-three years.

Kay Adams is one of the most respected voices in the field of therapeutic writing. A psychotherapist, best-selling author and educator, Kay has dedicated her career to exploring and teaching the power of writing for healing, growth, and change. She is the founder of the Center for Journal Therapy (1988) and its professional training division, the Therapeutic Writing Institute (2007), where she has trained hundreds of practitioners through a curriculum that blends psychological and emotional depth with practical tools for building a career. Kay has authored or edited 14 books, including the widely acclaimed Journal to the Self and the textbook, Expressive Writing: Foundations of Practice. Known for creating deep and connecting spaces, Kay brings a rare combination of visionary leadership and grounded expertise to her work.

10:40-10:55 am Honorary Awards Presentation 

11:00-12:00 am Keynote Poet – Mark Turcotte                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                

Newly named as the 6th Illinois Poet Laureate, Writer Mark Turcotte (Turtle Mountain Band Anishinaabe) spent his earliest years on North Dakota's Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation and in the migrant camps of the western United States. Later, he grew up in and around Lansing, Michigan.

Arriving in Chicago in the spring of 1993, Turcotte rediscovered his love of words and writing and quickly established himself as a unique voice in the city’s thriving poetry scene. That summer he was winner of the First Gwendolyn Brooks Open-mic Poetry Award. Soon thereafter he was selected by Ms. Brooks as a Significant Illinois Poet and was named to the Illinois Authors Poster. During that time Turcotte was awarded the 1997 Josephine Gates Kelly Memorial Fellowship from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers.

Turcotte is author of the books, The Feathered Heart; Songs of Our Ancestors; a chapbook, Road Noise; a bilingual collection, Le Chant de la Route; and Exploding Chippewas (Northwestern Univ Press). His work has appeared in many national and international literary journals. His poem, "The Flower On," was part of the Poetry Society of America’s inaugural Poetry In Motion project, which placed poetry placards on public transportation in cities across the United States. He is included in the new and first ever Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry. His poem, “Dear New Blood,” was recently featured on the poetry podcast, Poetry Unbound. Turcotte was the recipient of a 2001-2002 Lannan Foundation Literary Award and his work is included in the NEA/Poetry Foundation project Poetry Out Loud.

In 2008 he completed an MFA in Creative Writing at Western Michigan University. Afterward he served as the 2008-2009 Visiting Native Writer at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He now lives in Chicago with his wife, Susan, and since 2009 has been Senior Lecturer and Distinguished-Writer-In-Residence in the English Department at DePaul University.

12:00-12 :15 pm  Book Signing

12:15-1:15 pm  Luncheon

1:30-2:45 pm  Poster Sessions: Capstones and Research – facilitated by Timothy Kelly, LCSW, PTR

This special workshop session, facilitated by Timothy Kelly, LCSW, PTR, is designed to celebrate the innovation, curiosity, and diverse practices within the field of poetry therapy. It offers participants the opportunity to share capstone projects, clinical research, and unique program models in a collaborative, interactive format. Whether someone has recently completed credentialing, implemented a new program in a community setting, or developed a method of integrating poetry therapy into clinical work, this workshop provides a space to showcase that work in a supportive, knowledge-sharing environment. (100% Didactic) Educational and Clinical/Health Care Setting.

Tim Kelly, LCSW, PTR is a poetry therapist in private practice, where he facilitates poetry therapy groups alongside individual therapy rooted in compassion, connection, and creative expression. He believes in the power of language to reveal, restore, and reimagine—and guides individuals through reflective writing as a pathway to healing and self-discovery. In addition to his clinical work, he serves on the Board of the National Association for Poetry Therapy (NAPT) as Chair of Marketing & Public Relations, where he uplifts the voices of practitioners and promotes the field’s visibility and impact.

3:00-4:30 pm Workshop Series D

D1. Healing Through Poetry: The Pongo Method – Nebeu Shimeles & Ashley Skartvedt, MFA, CTRS/R, RYT-500 

Pongo Poetry Project’s mission is to engage youth in writing poetry to inspire healing and growth. Pongo was founded on the knowledge that poetry writing offers a unique vessel for healing from devastating trauma. The organization provides therapeutic poetry programming to systems-impacted youth, publishes youth poetry, and offers training and technical support to those seeking to implement Pongo techniques in their community.

“Healing Through Poetry: The Pongo Method," led Nebeu Shimeles and Ashley Skartvedt, MFA, CTRS/R, RYT-500, will focus on how trauma-informed poetry programming supports and empowers youth who have experienced trauma. Attendees will learn & practice the Pongo Method, a trauma-informed poetry writing facilitation technique designed to inspire healing and growth among youth. Attendees will learn how to remove barriers to self-expression, encourage honesty from survivors of difficult life experiences, and hone their skills as a poetry mentor. Furthermore, attendees will write their own poetry & experience the relief & joy that comes with the Pongo Method.

Website: https://pongopoetryproject.org/  IG: @pongopoetry.    FB: https://www.facebook.com/pongopoetryproject/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pongo-poetry-project

(75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Clinical/Health Care, Educational Setting, Spirituality, Social Justice. 

Nebeu Shimeles is the Co-Executive Director of Development & Finance for Pongo Poetry Project in Seattle, WA. He has spent the majority of his career in nonprofit development, with over a decade of work with a diverse array of community-based organizations and individuals in service of meeting their fundraising needs and realizing their respective missions. He’s been with Pongo since 2019, initially joining as Development Manager prior to assuming his current leadership position. In his current capacity as Co-Executive Director, Nebeu has co-led 11 trainings and workshops on the Pongo Method—a trauma-informed approach to facilitating poetry writing for youth.

Ashley Skartvedt, MFA, CTRS/R, RYT-500, is the Co-Executive Director of Programs for Pongo Poetry Project in Seattle, WA. She has served the organization since 2013 in a variety of roles, including volunteer, mentor, trainer, and project lead. Ashley has worked as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and Yoga Instructor helping people heal from trauma by leading therapeutic groups for youth and adults in psychiatric hospitals and teaching individuals how to increase their awareness of the present moment and connect their mind, body, and spirit. During her tenure, Ashley has led 23 trainings and workshops on the Pongo Method—a trauma-informed approach to facilitating poetry writing for youth.

D2.  The Peace and Gift of Grief: Understanding in a World that Often Gets it Wrong – Deborah Eve Grayson, Ph.D., LMHC, PTR

This 90-minute workshop, led by Deborah Eve Grayson, Ph.D., LMHC, PTR, will explore the multiple gifts that are received through grieving, and the peace that it ultimately provides for an individual, a community, and ultimately the world. Misunderstandings around grief of multiple dimensions such as loss of peace, physical safety, trust, physical and spiritual loss, and loss of self, will be explored along with the gifts that effective, purposeful grieving also provides. Some of those gifts can be interpreted as new perspectives, mindfulness, healthier states of being, love, creativity, and social change. Participants will utilize writing prompts/ exercises from some well-known poets such as Dylan Thomas, Jane Hirshfield, Lucille Clifton, David Whyte and Mary Oliver as well as newer voices that deserve a place at the poets’ banquet table, such as Andrea Gibson, and many of our exemplary NAPT members. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Clinical/Health Care, Educational Setting, Spirituality,

Deborah Eve Grayson, Ph.D., LMHC, PTR/CM is an adjunct professor of psychology at Lynn University (Florida). A psychotherapist, clinical sexologist, grief specialist, and registered poetry therapist in private practice for 40+ years, Deborah is also an expressive arts specialist, author and photographer, who specializes in working with members of the LGBTQIA + community, especially transgender youth and their families.

D3. Clearing the Path: A Gentle Journey toward Joy through Breath, Movement, and Poetry – Diane Allerdyce, Ph.D., CAPF

Come explore how the integration of very gentle (seated) somatic practices--accessible for all levels of mobility--with guided discussion of selected poems and writing prompts can lead to healing, increased self-awareness, and joy. Drawing on yoga philosophy, particularly the framework of the kosas (the five layers of being), and on the transformative power of poetry, this workshop, led by Diane Allerdyce, Ph.D., CAPF, offers participants the opportunity to experience how breath, movement, and language work together to cultivate well-being in self and others. While no prior experience with yoga or writing is needed, those who may already do yoga and/or have a writing practice can find in the workshop ways to expand those practices. Both theoretical and experiential, this session offers practices that foster community, connection, compassion, and joy—tools you can carry into daily life and/or professional practice. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Clinical/Health Care, Educational Setting, Spirituality, Social Justice (1.5 peer hours).

Diane Allerdyce, PhD, CAPF, is a teaching faculty member of Antioch University’s PhD program in Leadership and Change, where she serves as Union Cohort Director and Coordinator of the PhD Completion Pathway. Diane’s recent scholarship has been on the intersection of psychoanalytical theory and somaesthetic philosophy; her published creative works include poetry and fiction. Trained as a poetry therapy facilitator, she is a past president and lifetime member of NAPT. She is a yoga 200-RYT practitioner and recently acquired a specialty in yoga for the mature body. She lives in Boynton Beach, Florida, with her husband, Rory, their two cats, and her 90-year-old mother, for whom she serves as caregiver. Diane enjoys playing the French horn in a local ensemble, being outdoors, and visiting her adult kids and her grandchildren in Asheville and New York City.

D4. Moments of Meaning—Resolving the Family Wound through Story – Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D., founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers

Shaped by family patterns, we become stuck in past myths and beliefs. The Self is sacrificed, which leads to pain and conflict. When we craft the stories that shaped us as we grew up, we return to a younger self who lived the story, the protagonist. The narrator, an older wise self, functions as a healing witness that brings a new perspective, similar to Alice Miller’s compassionate witness. Writing our stories and exploring our truths are powerful practices that help to heal trauma and create space for new growth. The workshop, led by Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D., will explore moments of meaning in prose and poetry that enrich the capacity to integrate who we are and to let resolve the emotions that create conflict. The work of Virginia Woolf, Maggie Smith, and others illuminate how language helps to unlock story. When the family wounds are healed, peace is possible throughout the world. (50% Experiential/50% Didactic) Clinical/Health Care Setting.

Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D. is the President and founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers. A therapist in Berkeley, CA for 45 years, she specialized in family therapy, and healing trauma and abuse. In her Autobiography and Therapeutic Healing CEU courses, therapists learned how to practice story techniques with clients. Her first book, Becoming Whole, Writing Your Healing Story was a Foreword Book of the Year finalist, followed by The Power of Memoir—How to Write Your Healing Story and Journey of Memoir. Her award-winning memoir Don’t Call Me Mother: A Daughter’s Journey from Abandonment to Forgiveness was followed by Song of the Plains, an Indie Award Finalist. Linda Joy has presented workshops in memoir-as-healing at many conferences including the National Association for Poetry Therapy Conference, Story Circle Conferences, where she was the keynote speaker in 2018. San Francisco Writing Conference; the 2006 and 2018 Mendocino Writing Conference. 2008 Journal Conference in Denver, the 2016 Journal Conference, and the Cape Cod and Rutgers writing conferences. Since 2012, she’s taught Write Your Memoir in Six Months online Intensive with Brooke Warner, offers Writing to Heal Workshops online. Linda’s new book will be about the power of story to heal.

D5. Ekphrastically Speaking Music – Mark Fishbein, MFA

We do not commonly think of “ekphrastic” outside of the visual arts in terms of sound. When we listen to music, we conjure up both images and words with fast thoughts and fleeting memories. We will begin our workshop discussing the relationship of music to our writing and to our spiritual wellbeing. For the workshop, Mark Fishbein, MFA, will play his classical guitar for the music, offering three half hour exercises, a few five-minute “croquis” or fast sketches, the writing of a lullaby and then a song, using musical prompts for melodies. Each section will end with sharing work. The goal of this workshop is to open the idea of automatic writing to music, as we might to a painting. It challenges the participants to write lullaby and song, which many have perhaps never attempted. All are vitamins for the spirit, a spiritual awareness about music and the language arts. (50% Experiential/50% Didactic) Spirituality.

Mark Fishbein received his BA in literature from CCNY in 1970, attended the Sorbonne in Paris, was a musician for a while, and found a career as an originator of the screen printing and dyeing industries. Now retired, Mark got his MFA Columbia College Chicago in 2025 with the goal of teaching writing. He has four poetry collections, most recently Reflections in the Time of Trumpius Maximus (Atmosphere Press, 2021) and an ekphrastic collection, Billboards of Chicago (ShyHousePress, 2024), and has published in Rattle, Allium and many others. Mark is a founder of the UK based Poetry Global Network, which offers live and hybrid poetry events and festivals, workshops, and publications. the Poet’s Book club, as well as host to Poetry Festival Chicago at the Afterwords Bookstore each October. He has facilitated in refugees centers and grief counseling. He plays a classical guitar to accompany his readings: www.poetwithguitar.com

D6. Meaning in Illegibility: Visual Poetry as a Transformative Practice – Kristine Snodgrass, MFA

This workshop, led by Kristine Snodgrass, MFA, explores visual poetry forms such as erasure, asemic writing, and glitch aesthetics as liberatory and expressive practices that transcend meaning-making. Participants will experiment with illegibility and abstraction to unlock new ways of seeing, feeling, and composing. Through hands-on activities using pens, markers, found texts, and digital tools, we will focus on gesture, silence, and intuition as valid and powerful forms of composition. These forms break down barriers tied to literacy, semantics, and “correct” language, opening space for emotion, memory, and consciousness to surface. Participants will also explore questions like, “what is visual poetry?”, and “does poetry have to promote meaning?” Together, we’ll consider how illegibility can serve as both resistance and care. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Educational Setting.

Kristine Snodgrass is a poet, visual artist, professor, and editor based in Tallahassee, Florida. She holds an MFA in Poetry from the University of Miami, where she was a James Michener Fellow, and a BSW in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is Associate Professor of English and Modern Languages at Florida A&M University, where she teaches poetry and composition and founded Cake, the campus literary journal, and The FAMU Visiting Poets Series. Kristine is Co-director of Anhinga Press, a women-led independent poetry publisher of 50 years. She curates the Anhinga Visual Poetry Series and serves as Visual Arts Editor of South Florida Poetry Journal. She also founded WAAVe (Women Asemic Artists & Visual Poets) and edited the WAAVe Global Gallery (Hysterical Books, 2021). With over 20 books and chapbooks of poetry and visual poetry, her works include Rank (JackLeg Press), zero-zero with Maureen Seaton, and Gradients (Post Asemic Press). She works with the Leon County Libraries, facilitating writing for wellness and poetry workshops for the community.

5:00-5:15 pm Closing Remarks – Laura Santner, LCSW, PTR-CM, CCATP, NAPT President 

5:15-6:00 pm. Closing Event:  Jessica Young, MA, BC-DMT, LCPC, GL-CMA                                                                          Creating a Pathway towards Peace: Reflection, Connection, and Action

Pathways to peace live within each individual. They emerge through our creative moments in relationship—expressed in words, sounds, silence, movement, and stillness. The closing ceremony offers a time for reflection and connection. It is an opportunity to embody, share, and integrate the meaningful moments of the conference. Participants will begin with a mindfulness exercise to connect with their bodies as they reflect on the sensations, movements, images, feelings, and thoughts that resonated with them from their conference experience. Each person will then add a word, sound, and movement to symbolize this experience. This individual exploration will be followed by small groups co-creating a movement phrase set to poetry and accompanied by sound. The gathering will culminate in a collective poem, dance, and soundscape, closing with an invitation for participants to set an intention for their continuing journey toward peace.

Jessica Young is an Associate Professor Emerita at Columbia College Chicago and the 2020 recipient of the American Dance Therapy Association’s President’s Award and Excellence in Education Award. Her 25-year career spans serving those who are homeless with severe and chronic mental illness to educating master’s students in Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) and undergraduates in Arts in Health and wellness. She has facilitated over 35 peer reviewed conference presentations nationally and internationally. Her research and publications focus on the therapeutic movement relationship; DMT as a strengths-based practice; bridging DMT and drama therapy; DMT theory, practice, and education; and wellness programming. Her clinical expertise is rooted in harm reduction, motivational interviewing, healing centered engagement, and trauma informed care as she guides individuals, groups, and communities along their journey of health, healing, and well-being. Currently, Jessica is the Behavioral Health Supervisor for the Ascension Autism Spectrum & Developmental Disorders Resource Center. She also practices at New Prairie Counseling Center, provides clinical supervision, and is on faculty at the Embodied Education Institute of Chicago.

6:00 pm Dinner on your own

Sunday, April 19th  

Post-Conference Workshops & Events

6:30-8:45 am Breakfast 

9:00-11:30 am Morning Triple Workshop: Experience a Poetry Therapy Group (Third Session – 2 Groups) 

For the newcomer or dedicated trainee, experience poetry therapy in action along with Nancy Scherlong, LCSW, PTR, CJT, M/S, & Ingrid Tegnér, MSW, CAPF, CM. Join us each day for this interactive and didactic workshop that spans over three days (Fri, Sat and Sun). Experience the beginning, middle and end of a real poetry peer group. Integrate your conference experience, meet new colleagues, and write new material in a supportive community. Participants will be divided into two small groups. You must be available to attend all three days. (75% Experiential, 25% Didactic)  (4.5 peer hours).

9:00-12:00 noon Post-Conference Session III: Preserving Personal Peace with Photos, Poems & Pens - A Blend of Expressive Mindfulness Approaches

Join Susan Reuling Furness, M.Ed, LCPC, LMFT, PTR, CM and Lucy Groves, Child Development Specialist, LBGTQIA2s+ Advocate, CAPF trainee to experience a blend of meditative photography, poetry and journaling. In a workshop designed to help optimize inner peace, we will use the camera on your phone or tablet to calm your mind and energize your pen. For some, a sitting meditation is difficult, whereas an active mediation with camera and pen delivers a dynamic approach to mindfulness. Combining these two approaches will provide balance for your nervous system, which may be overstimulated by hectic living amongst computers, devices, the Internet, and the news. While practicing awareness with photos and poetry, you will become more alert to the amazing world around us. This experience will help promote a deeper appreciation for being in the moment, and will contribute more depth to your gratitude practice. Join us to add to your repertoire of creative new ways to help yourself and struggling clients. (75% Experiential/25% Didactic) Clinical/Health Care, Spirituality (3 peer hours).

Susan Reuling Furness is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and a Registered Poetry Therapist. She is a Certified Mentor with the International Federation of Biblio/Poetry Therapy. Her advanced studies include hypnosis and solution-focus training with the Milton Erickson Institute in Phoenix, AZ. Working with multiple expressive approaches, she understands that a positive experience is far better than dwelling on problems and complaints. "Change the Channel" a phrase she coined years ago, inspires positivity in individual and group sessions. Susan has served as adjunct faculty for several regional counseling graduate programs and is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences including the Expressive Therapy Summit in New York City (2010-2016). She teaches for the Milton H Erickson Institute of the Bay Area programs in Mexico and China. In addition to her work in Biblio/Poetry Therapy and other expressive approaches, she is an approved supervisor for counselors seeking licensure in Idaho. Susan graduated from the University of Illinois and The College of Idaho.

Lucy Groves holds a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and Family Development. She has worked with children of all ages teaching preschool and transitional kindergarten, and as a youth minister. She serves as a facilitator for PFLAG meetings to support the LBGTQIA2s+ community and their families. She currently works in a Head Start program that supports farmworker families and their children.Lucy became a passionate advocate for transgender children and their families when she experienced her own child’s transition. Writing has been a way for Lucy to make meaning of life’s joys and challenges. After years of participating in Poetry Therapy groups, Lucy started training to become a Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator, CAPF.

12:00-1:00 pm Lunch on your own

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