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:
This workshop 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.
About the Facilitators:
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://changeyournarrativetherapy.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.
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.
