The National Association for Poetry Therapy Presents
Listen Like a Poet: The Transformative Power of Listening in Healthcare
facilitated by Nancy S. Scherlong, LCSW, CHHC, SEP, CP, PTR/CJT-CM, Rev. Leigh Finnegan-Hosey, M.Div., BCC, Ravenna Raven, MFA, and Jenny Hegland, MS
Workshop Description:
About the Facilitators:
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.
Jenny Hegland, MS serves as the Executive Director of The Good Listening Project, a nonprofit dedicated to humanizing healthcare through the healing power of poetry and compassionate presence. Her life’s work centers around community engagement and healing, participatory leadership, and transformational change. Jenny’s background includes experience in higher education, nonprofit startups, leadership and organizational consulting, and grassroots organizing for social justice. She holds a M.S. in counseling, a B.S. in communications, and a Certificate in Appreciative Inquiry for positive business and society change.
Date: Sunday, November 8, 2026
Time: 1:00pm - 3:30pm (ET)
Venue: Zoom
Host: Ashley Schaaf, ashley@poetrytherapy.org
Registration:
Members — $10 Non-Members — $25
* Funds from our virtual events support our conference scholarship fund.
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR POETRY THERAPY PRESENTS
VIRTUAL OPEN MIC NIGHT
"Gratitude for the Way the Soul Survives"
With Featured Poet:
Lisa Smith
Lisa Smith, MFA, is a retired Professor of Practice, Director of Dance, and Choreographer, for the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas at El Paso for 20 years. She was honored with the Outstanding Faculty Award in the Arts. She has been teaching dance and directing dance programs and dance companies for almost 45 years. An MFA in Creative Writing, UTEP, her writing has spanned her entire personal career, and she was most recently published 2025: My Stroke, Soul Survivor: A Memoir and Poetry by Lisa Smith
Lisa Smith's book takes you inside the consciousness of a mind and a life knocked off kilter by a stroke, then walking the labyrinth back into a new life. Both the story and the way the story is told provide you with the most powerful account I've known of what this hero's journey can be like, a journey fraught with struggle and spangled with moments of insight and triumph. For anyone who has been touched by this life event, this book will offer compassionate understanding, and a verve to fight back into vibrant life. Kim Stafford, author of 100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do: How My Brother Disappeared
All participants are invited to bring one poem to share!
Date: Sunday, November 15, 2026
Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm (EDT)
Host: Jenna Robinson jenna@poetrytherapy.org
Registration: https://poetrytherapy.org/event-6868277
Members — $0 Non-Members — $10
* Funds from all our virtual events support our conference scholarship fund. Please consider an additional donation to support NAPT scholarship fund:
https://poetrytherapy.org/GIVE
2026 International Research Symposium
An International Research Symposium for Biblio/Poetry Therapy will be held virtually on December 4th, 2026, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm (EDT). This event will feature voices from across the world sharing their insights on Biblio/PoetryTherapy and its use in creating a global community. Together with representatives from European associations of poetry therapy, we'll be uniting with a shared purpose: the belief in the power of language, symbol, and story to heal and foster unity and community. FREE - We will be hosting this event free and live for all. Recordings will be available for a limited time following the event and a Certificate of Attendance may be purchased for a fee. All participants must register to receive the zoom link. Schedule and Bios Below
An International Research Symposium for Biblio/Poetry Therapy will be held virtually on December 4th, 2026, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm (EDT). This event will feature voices from across the world sharing their insights on Biblio/PoetryTherapy and its use in creating a global community. Together with representatives from European associations of poetry therapy, we'll be uniting with a shared purpose: the belief in the power of language, symbol, and story to heal and foster unity and community. FREE - We will be hosting this event free and live for all. Recordings will be available for a limited time following the event and a Certificate of Attendance may be purchased for a fee. All participants must register to receive the zoom link.
Schedule and Bios Below
Date: Friday, December 4, 2026
Time: 8:00am - 12:00am (EST)
Host: Tim Kelly tim@poetrytherapy.org
Members — free Non-Members — free
* Any donations from our virtual events support our conference scholarship fund.
All times are Eastern (EST).
8:00 AM — The Ethics of Choosing Stories: Cultural Responsibility and Inclusive Practice in Bibliotherapy Holly Winter-Hughes, MSc, PhD Researcher · England, UK
8:30 AM — Rewriting the Story: Poetry, Black Identity, and the Reconstruction of Self Demere Coker, LGPC · United States
9:00 AM — Poetry as Narrative Documentation: Trauma, Witness and Cultural Belonging in a Multilingual English Town Naz Knight, LL.B (Hons) · England, UK
9:30 AM — Giving Language to Inherited Silence: Poetry Therapy, Historical Memory, and Building Community across Cultures María Ortega García · Spain / Ireland
10:00 AM — The Role of Silentium in Bridging Generational Gaps in Kutaisi Dr. Mariam Nemsadze · Georgia
10:30 AM — The Power of Poetry and Social Advocacy Linda J. M. Holloway, Ed.D., NCC · United States
11:00 AM — Bibliotherapy in Times of War: Ukrainian Practices of Trauma Processing and Healing Anna Shevchuk (Anna Liudnova) · Ukraine
11:30 AM — A Whole New World: Poetry as a Bridge in American Education for Adolescents with Disabilities Dr. Danielle Verwers, NBCT · United States
Holly Winter-Hughes, MSc, PhD Researcher Holly is a writer, therapeutic writing practitioner, and PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham. As founder and CEO of The Word Association CIC, she has spent over 15 years writing alongside diverse communities. Her poetry collection, How to Leave a Body, was published by Verve Poetry Press in 2025.
Demere Coker, LGPC Demere is a doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at Bowie State University. He also directs program development and quality at Mettle Works Behavioral Health. His scholarship centers on culturally responsive counseling, Black male experiences, and social justice.
Naz Knight, LL.B (Hons) Naz is a poet, narrative psychologist, and CEO of NINE RED Presents… (CIC), a Queen’s Award-winning organization in Luton, England. For over 20 years, she has used poetry and spoken word with survivors of domestic and sexual violence. She is Poetry Champion for Bedfordshire and a 2025 United Nations Association award recipient.
María Ortega García María is a poetry therapy practitioner, researcher, and trauma-informed educator working as Poética del cuidado | Poetics of Care. She edits the Journal of Poetry Therapy and coordinates programs at the International Academy for Poetry Therapy. Her bilingual practice draws on feminist, decolonial, and neuroinclusive perspectives.
Dr. Mariam Nemsadze Dr. Nemsadze is a Georgian scholar of Classical Philology whose research connects classical literature, human emotion, and bibliotherapy. She has lectured at Akaki Tsereteli State University since 2016 and has published more than 20 works on ancient drama. She also founded Silentium, an educational initiative that offers developmental bibliotherapy sessions and retreats. Through Silentium, she uses myths and dramatic characters as tools for guided self-reflection.
Linda J. M. Holloway, Ed.D., NCC Dr. Holloway is a Counselor Educator with over 30 years of experience. She is also a retired Colonel of the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Service Corps, with 31 years of service and four combat tours. In addition, she is a multi-award-winning author of eight children’s books, a spoken word artist, and a self-described “storyactivist.” Her honors include the National Poetry Outstanding Achievement Award and the Dr. Mary Smith Arnold Anti-Oppression Award.
Anna Shevchuk (Anna Liudnova) Anna is a writer, psychologist, poetry therapist-in-training, and founder of the IRIUM NGO in Ukraine. She leads art-therapy workshops for military personnel, veterans, and their families. In 2026, she received NAPT’s Courage in Crisis Award.
Dr. Danielle Verwers, NBCT Danielle is a National Board Certified educator and poet from South Carolina. She holds a master’s in Trauma-Informed Education and a doctorate from the University of South Carolina. Her poetry has appeared in the Hawai’i Pacific Review, Eastern Iowa Review, and elsewhere.
Live attendance is free. Can’t join us live, or want to revisit a session? The recording and a Certificate of Attendance are sold together as a package, available for a limited time after the event:
"NAPT" The National Association for Poetry Therapy
is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
19001 S Richfield Ave, #20
Green Valley, AZ 85614
