Monday, July 23, 2007
Wellness & Writing Connections Conference to Make Atlanta Debut
Inaugural Wellness & Writing Connections Conference
Noted Authors, Dr. James Pennebaker and John Fox, to Keynote Event (ATLANTA- July 23, 2007)
American InterContinental University announced today it will sponsor the first annual Wellness & Writing Connections Conference at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on December 15, 2007.
The first-of-its-kind conference will bring together health care providers across specialty to explore the connection between overall health and creative writing as a therapeutic practice. The full-day conference will have six distinct— yet interrelated— breakout sessions and will also include keynote presentations with many opportunities to network with fellow health care professionals. The Wellness and Writing Conference will bring healthcare providers, educators and writers together to collaborate and empower people with literary tools to help manage life’s challenges through writing. The conference attracts people who use writing as part of therapy through memoirs, fiction, poetry and creative writing.
The morning keynote speaker is Dr. James Pennebaker, an internationally recognized leader in the field and author of over 150 journal articles and research studies on the connections between writing and health. John Fox, the president of the Institute of Poetic Medicine, will serve as the luncheon keynote speaker. “Writing about stressful situations is one of the easiest ways for people to take control of their problems and release negative effects of stress from their bodies and their lives” says Dr. Pennebaker. “This conference is sending out a call for other health professionals to collaborate with educators and help people find ways to help themselves and their patients.” Health professionals and educators alike have long stressed the importance of creativity to a person’s overall wellbeing. Research shows that the heart rate lowers and people are more equipped to fight off infections when they release their worries in writing. In addition to coping better with stressful situations, writing can have positive impact on self-esteem and result in works that can help others overcome their own obstacles. AGENDA (Exact times and presentation topics are subject to change)Keynote: 9:00am – 10:15am How and When Expressive Writing Works
James W. Pennebaker, PhD http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/faculty/pennebaker/home2000/jwphome.htm Breakout sessions: 10:30am – 11:45am A – Writing through Her Illness: Flannery 0’Connor’s Lupus – William Sessions, PhD
The Role of Writing through Grief – Jeff Berman, PhD B – Writing an Illness Narrative: A Physician and a Psychotherapist Reflect on
Their Experiences with Cancer. Kathy Conway, PhD, psychotherapist
Janet Gilsdorf MD, physician C – Therapeutic Writing Guidelines for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Anita Salaman, PhD and Ann Lynn, MSW Luncheon: 12:00pm – 12:30pm Keynote: 12:30 – 1:30 The Healing Art of Poem-Making
John Fox, CPT, President of the Institute for Poetic Medicine http://www.poeticmedicine.org/ Breakout Sessions:1:45pm – 3:00pm A – Nursing Narratives: Writing as Coping for Health Care Providers. Janel Sexton, PhD and Terry Ratner RN, MFA B – Expressive Writing Workshop: Writing for Your Life
Marjorie Reyerson MFA C – Writing Memoir and Grief Recovery
Cathie Borrie MPH, LLB and Michael McColl, MFA 3:15pm – 4:30pm Healing Poetry Reading Judith Harris, PhD, Karen Chase, MFA, Jeffrey Harrison, MFA Registration: $150.
Late registration, after November 1, $175.
On-site registration, space permitting, will be at the conference hotel on Saturday, December 15, 8:00 – 9:00 am. Guest rooms are available at:
160 Spring St. NW
Atlanta, GA 30303 USA
Phone: 1 404 688 8600
Toll-free:1 866-316-5959 For more information, contact: Dr. John F. Evans – (404) 965-6496
jevans@aiuniv.edu The Wellness & Writing Connections Conference is sponsored by the American InterContinental University located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Wellness and Writing Connections 