writing

Writing for Perspective

~ JB

Combining my love of writing with mental health, I’ll be offering an online writing workshop:

Writing Away the Pandemic

It’s been quite a year, and we’ve all got stories to tell. This workshop will be a generative workshop, providing brief prompts focused on writing to get away from the pandemic (such as traveling to a new place through your words) as well as writing to process how you have journeyed through this past year. I’ll be providing tips for kind self-care as a part of this brief workshop.

When: Saturday, May 29th, 10am-11:30am EST

Where: Zoom (link will be provided upon registration)

Cost: $25

Cost of recorded workshop: $15

(If you are unable to attend at the time of the workshop but are interested in a recorded version, please contact me and I can email it to you after the fact).

To register for the workshop, please email me at jbondperspectives@gmail.com.

The Helper’s Humanity

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Together with Amy Andrews, MFA, LMHC, Johanna will be running a series of workshops on the humanity of the helper. Each workshop will use a different aspect of creative writing to explore your sense of humanity as a helping professional. Johanna and Amy will lead various exercises to deepen your curiosity and validate your vulnerability as a human and as a helper. Each exercise will involve personal time for writing as well as group discussion for processing.

The goals of the workshop are to provide creative writing tools for self-care and personal exploration, and to validate all the aspects of your humanity!

The first workshop is coming up in a few weeks on September 22nd. Each workshop will run from 8am-12pm, and coffee and light snacks will be provided. Spots are limited, so sign up soon!

Workshops are open to all, but are geared towards those individuals currently working in the helping professions (medical, mental health, religion and spirituality, teaching, etc).

Sign up for one retreat or for all four: $75 per retreat or $250 for all four.

To sign up, email Johanna at jbondperspectives@gmail.com or Amy at andrews.counseling@gmail.com. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have, as well.

Johanna and Amy are incredibly excited to collaborate on this project and can’t wait for the first workshop, titled “Developing identity through character.”

 

November’s Mindfulness Exercise

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Mindfulness involves observing and accepting the things around and within us in the present moment, without judgment.  In therapy, Johanna may involve mindfulness skills to build awareness of various issues and to develop coping strategies to reach optimal wellness.   The exercise below is not individualized to your needs as it may be in therapy, but is rather intended as a general exercise that you may find useful.

November’s Mindfulness Exercise:

The holidays are coming. For this month’s exercise, we will do a free- write activity. Take a pen and paper and five minutes to write down your thoughts about the holidays. What do you feel emotionally about the holidays? What thoughts are popping into your head? How do you feel physically as you think about them? Try to write for five minutes without stopping (unless, of course, your hand hurts – then take a break!). After you have written your thoughts down, take a few deep breaths. How are you feeling right now? Try to notice without judgment.

This activity is intended to increase your awareness and acceptance of your own thoughts and feelings about the holidays coming up.

NOTE: This is not intended to replace therapy.  Please contact Johanna at (585)406-3012 if you are interested in engaging in counseling for optimal wellness.

August’s Mindfulness Exercise

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Mindfulness involves observing and accepting the things around and within us in the present moment, without judgment.  In therapy, Johanna may involve mindfulness skills to build awareness of various issues and to develop coping strategies.   The exercise below is not individualized to your needs as it may be in therapy, but is rather intended as a general exercise that you may find useful.

August’s mindfulness exercise:

Mindfulness is the nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment.  This month, we are going to observe our self-talk without judgment.  Take 5 minutes to spend in a quiet space by yourself.  Begin by breathing and start to notice your thoughts.  What are you telling yourself? How do you talk to yourself? Without judging your thoughts as good or bad, simply allow yourself to notice them.  If you’d like, you can also write them down. How do you feel emotionally as you do this exercise? How do you feel physically?  If you can, take this awareness into your day and pay attention to the way you talk to yourself, even after your 5 minutes are up.

NOTE: This is not intended to replace therapy.  Please contact Johanna at (585)406-3012 if you are interested in individual or group therapy.

July’s Mindfulness Exercise

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Mindfulness involves observing and accepting the things around and within us in the present moment, without judgment.  In therapy, Johanna may involve mindfulness skills to build awareness of various issues and to develop coping strategies.   The exercise below is not individualized to your needs as it may be in therapy, but is rather intended as a general exercise that you may find useful.

July’s mindfulness exercise:

Mindfulness is the nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. Today we will focus on metaphors.  Every day, we use metaphors to expand our understanding of the world, describe our experience, and connect with others.  Today, pay attention to how you use metaphors.  Write one or two down throughout the day, and pay attention to the thoughts and feelings you have about this metaphor.  If you’d like, write down what this metaphor means in your life.  It could be a journey, or something as simple as “the elephant in the room.”  Try to observe your thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad.

NOTE: This is not intended to replace therapy.  Please contact Johanna at (585)406-3012 if you are interested in individual or group therapy.

Perspectives Monthly Journal Exercise – June

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Journaling can be a therapeutic exercise.  In therapy, Johanna may encourage you to journal or keep a diary in a specific way, to raise awareness of specific activities, thoughts, or feelings.  This monthly journal exercise is in no way individually prescribed, but meant to offer food for thought that may be useful for anyone.

June’s monthly journal exercise:

Write a letter to your past self.  What have you learned from yourself?  What would you want to share with your past self that you know now?  Be kind to your past self. This does not need to be a polished piece of writing, but rather a brief exercise to get yourself writing and thinking about yourself in a new way.

Upcoming Workshop – Writing to Enhance Your Practice

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Writing to Enhance Your Practice – A Workshop for Therapists

Do you want to reach your clients in a new way? Do you want to explore how you can use writing to enhance the services you already offer? Come to this workshop to learn about how to use your writing to build your practice, share your expertise, and reach clients in a fresh way. Johanna will explore the basics of writing for your practice and guide you in several short writing exercises designed to help you reach out to potential clients and current clients through your writing. She will then help you brainstorm the best platform for you to share your writing. Through writing we can decrease the stigma of counseling, increase accessibility to the fantastic therapists we have in our community, and increase the comfort level of potential clients!

Saturday, June 18, 10:30am-12:00pm

To sign up, call Johanna Bond, LMHC, NCC, at (585)406-3012 or email jbondperspectives@gmail.com. Spots are limited.

Cost: $25

Location: 721 Ridge Road, Webster NY 14580

Perspectives Monthly Journal Exercise – May

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Journaling can be a therapeutic exercise.  In therapy, Johanna may encourage you to journal or keep a diary in a specific way, to raise awareness of specific activities, thoughts, or feelings.  This monthly journal exercise is in no way individually prescribed, but meant to offer food for thought that may be useful for anyone.

May’s monthly journal exercise:

Write a letter to your future self.  What do you hope your future self will be doing?  What strengths do you have right now that will help your future self?  What do you want your future self to keep in mind that you find important right now?  Write down these thoughts.  It does not need to be a polished piece of writing, but rather a brief exercise to get yourself writing and thinking about yourself in a new way.

Perspectives Monthly Journal Exercise – April

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Journaling can be a therapeutic exercise.  In therapy, Johanna may encourage you to journal or keep a diary in a specific way, to raise awareness of specific activities, thoughts, or feelings.  This monthly journal exercise is in no way individually prescribed, but meant to offer food for thought that may be useful for anyone.

April’s monthly journal exercise:

Spring is coming!  As we head towards a change in the seasons, what are you looking forward to?  Take five minutes to write down your thoughts on this time of transition in the natural world, and what aspects of the coming season you may feel grateful for.  If you start to feel stuck, spend a few minutes outside – even if it’s walking up and down the block to breathe in the fresh air of a new season.  Write down what you notice, using your five senses, if you need help getting started.

 

Perspectives Monthly Journal Exercise – March

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Journaling can be a therapeutic exercise.  In therapy, Johanna may encourage you to journal or keep a diary in a specific way, to raise awareness of specific activities, thoughts, or feelings.  This monthly journal exercise is in no way individually prescribed, but meant to offer food for thought that may be useful for anyone.

March’s monthly journal exercise:

What would you say if no one could hear you?  Write a paragraph or two of the thoughts you would share if you knew there could be no consequences.

What would you say if everyone could hear you?  Write a paragraph or two of the thoughts you would share if you knew everyone would truly listen to your words.

Finally, compare the two sets of writing.  How are they the same, and how are they different?  How do they compare to the things you actually say (either in interpersonal interactions or via social media)?  Write down your thoughts on the exercise to process this activity.