National Association for Poetry Therapy upcoming events

Poetry Brew (25 Oct 2026)

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Join us on October 25th, 2026, at 7 pm EDT for “Poetry Brew,” a workshop where we will brew up some poetry of the season.

This 1.5-hour workshop will explore the captivating world of All Hallows' Eve, its rich history, and the feelings this time of year inspires.

Through selected poems and materials, we will immerse ourselves in the eerie, mysterious, and enchanting voices of poets from beyond the veil. We will explore the words of writers from various backgrounds as they reflect on life, death, and transformation.

This workshop invites you to use the season as a catalyst to play with the magic and mystery of life through the language of poetry.

Come and connect with others who share your passion for writing and the enchantment of this season.

Participants will be invited to craft their own cauldron of words to share with the group if they choose.

Participants are welcome to bring something warm to sip and savor and are invited to dress as their favorite artist or poet from beyond.

Reserve your broomstick now!

$25 for non-members and $10 for members. Funds from this event support our conference scholarship fund.

AUDIO and a workshop materials packet will be provided for those who are not able to attend the event. Audio access will be provided for one month after the event. This event will not be posted for public viewing.

Facilitator Bio:

Cynthia Holloway Kelvin, Psy.D.RDT/BCT, CPT, is the current president of the National Association of Poetry Therapy. She is a clinical psychologist, registered drama therapist, and certified poetry therapist. Cynthia’s background includes working in community mental health and drug rehabilitation with people in various stages of recovery. Cynthia has a private practice in California as a creative psychologist and creative performance facilitator. Cynthia’s work uses a playful approach to discovery for participants at all stages of life. Her work is based on the belief that creativity can be harnessed to heal and help individuals and communities evolve. You can read more about her work here: evolvingstage.com

Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026

Time: 7:00pm - 8:30 pm (ET)

Venue: Zoom

Host: Cynthia Holloway Kelvin cynthia@poetrytherapy.org

Registration:

Members — $10

Non-Members — $25

* Funds from our virtual events support our conference scholarship fund. Please consider adding a donation if you are able.

NAPT REGIONAL REP ASK AND SHARE (26 Oct 2026)

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:30:00 GMT

The National Association for Poetry Therapy Presents

REGIONAL REP ASK AND SHARE

Please join us on Monday, October 26th, 2026 at 4:30 PT/6:30 CT/7:30 ET for the next quarterly gathering of NAPT Regional Reps! This is a space for Reps to share ideas and discuss recent or past poetry/bibliotherapy experiences. This is also a time to ask questions of others and get support for a specific project or endeavor. As a group we will connect throughout the year so we can inspire each other in our regions -and together as a whole- in raising the visibility of NAPT, encouraging membership, and most importantly nurturing NAPT’s mission of fostering growth and healing through poem, story and symbol.

Theme for this quarter's gathering will be:

Identity

Who Are We?

What Are We Repping?

Who are you individually as a NAPT Regional Rep? Who are we as a NAPT program? Exploring and defining our manifesto in 2026.

We welcome your input. Hope you can join us!

Date: Monday, October 26, 2026

Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm (EDT)

Venue: Zoom

Host: Ellyn Zografi ellyn@poetrytherapy.org

Registration: Members — free Non-Members — free

Gratitude for the Way the Soul Survives: NAPT Open Mic with featured poet Lisa Smith (15 Nov 2026)

Mon, 16 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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)

Venue: Zoom

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 (4 Dec 2026)

Fri, 04 Dec 2026 13:00:00 GMT

The National Association for Poetry Therapy Presents

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

Date: Friday, December 4, 2026

Time: 8:00am - 12:00am (EST)

Venue: Zoom

Host: Tim Kelly tim@poetrytherapy.org

Registration:

Members — free

Non-Members — free

* Any donations from our virtual events support our conference scholarship fund.

Schedule

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

Meet the Presenters

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.

Recordings and Certificates

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 members: $5
Non-members: $10