درمان شعر به عنوان یک ابزار عمل بر مبنای شناخت

This paper illustrates the potential uses of poetry therapy for practitioners interested in cognitively based psychotherapies. Separate brief discussions of cognitive therapy and the uses of poetry and poetry therapy are presented. The congruence between these two approaches is addressed. Sample exercises and poems as illustrations are presented that demonstrate this congruence.

Cognitive therapy and poetry therapy are therapeutic methods that have become increasingly important within social work and other clinical professions. Both are used to resolve multiple client problems within multiple treatment contexts. In many ways, the two methods are highly compatible and can be used creatively together. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the potential uses of poetry and poetry therapy when working from a cognitively based model. Separate brief discussions of cognitive therapy and the uses of poetry and poetry therapy are presented. Next, the congruence between these two approaches is explored. Sample exercises are presented that illustrate this congruence as they occur within actual practice situations. Limitations of this approach are also briefly discussed.

Cognitive therapies have been gaining influence in the psychological and helping professions. One of the main criticisms of working from this perspective is that therapy can feel mechanistic to clients and clinicians alike, or can lack depth. Integrating poetry and poetry therapy into cognitive practice can go a long way toward resolving this problem. Hirshfield (1997) stated that the goal of poetry is the “magnification and clarification of being” (p. 5). This is the goal not only of cognitive, but most types of psychotherapy concerned with human potential. The goal of therapy is to help clients develop the ability to live their lives more successfully. One of the most important things that a client can gain from treatment is the ability to resolve their own dilemmas without professional intervention. By helping clients use poetry and written exercises to explore and resolve their distorted and maladaptive thoughts, therapists empower clients with the tools to improve health and well-being. For some clients, poetry can become a source of fulfillment that stems beyond its use as a tool for growth. As a means of exploring what it means to be human, writing poetry can add depth to human lives.