Therapeutic Dimensions of Autobiography in Creative Writing

It was the author's own experience of fictional autobiography that led Celia Hunt serendipiditously to appreciate that such writing could be therapeutic. She noticed, for example, and this was subsequently echoed in many of her students' experiences, a beneficial psychological change - and increased inner freedom, greater psychic flexability (perhaps the key to creativity and psychological health), a stronger sense of personal identity. This book tells us about the hows and whys of such therapeutic change.'

- AutoBiographyJournal.com

'A critical examination of the therapeutic possibilities of autobiographical fiction that draws on perspectives from both psychoanalytic and literary studies.'

- The Journal Of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy

Therapeutic Dimensions of Autobiography in Creative Writing brings together theory and practice from psychoanalysis, literary and cultural studies and the growing field of creative writing studies. It highlights the importance of autobiographical writing not only as an opening into fiction writing, but also as a powerful therapeutic tool.

Celia Hunt discusses how autobiographical fiction can be used in therapeutic work by art therapists, psychotherapists and creative writing tutors, as well as in personal development by writers of any kind. She draws up guidelines for a successful course on autobiography and creative writing, and presents case studies and practical ideas for writing about the self.

She shows how writing autobiographical fiction can help people to explore significant events and relationships in their lives. Finding a writing voice in this way clarifies and strengthens the writer's sense of identity, leading to a fuller realisation of his or her potential in life.

Celia Hunt is Lecturer in Continuing Education at the University of Sussex Centre for Continuing Education, with special responsibility for creative writing. She has established the certificate in creative writing and the postgraduate diploma in creative writing and personal development at the Centre. She is also associate fellow at the university's Institute of Education where she teaches the creative writing component of the MA in Creative Writing, the Arts and Education. She is a founder member and chair of LAPIDUS, the Association for the Literary Arts in Personal Development. Her main research interests are in the relationship between fiction writing, autobiography and the self, on which she has published a number of articles. She is co-editor (with Fiona Sampson) of The Self on the Page, also published by Jessica Kingsley.

Fiona Sampson has pioneered the development of writing in healthcare in the UK. Over the last ten years she has worked across the range of health authority care settings with offenders and in social services community care. A prize-winning poet, she is engaged in doctoral research on the theoretical foundations of writing in healthcare. She is a founding member of LAPIDUS.