The Psychology of Poetry

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What happens in our brains when we read, write, listen to, and recite poetry? What even is poetry, and how does it affect our psyches, identities, and worldviews?

Language forms a vital part of the human experience, framing how we connect, communicate, and interpret our world. Poetic language is distinctly different from regular spoken and written words, creating experiences that stimulate unique processes in the body, brain and soul.

In this workshop, art psychotherapist Leigh Sager will examine different definitions of poetry and its uses in psychology and the human experience. Drawing on neuroscience, Leigh will explore how poetry impacts the brain: generating new neural pathways, body relaxation, and engaging regions linked to emotion, reward, and memory. She will also explore poetry’s role in psychological development, life transitions, and community, using every-day-life case studies to demonstrate practical ways of incorporating poetic language into our own lives.

Workshop Highlights:

• Discover the relationship between poetry and neurological development
• Explore how poetry shapes the way we interact with the world and create meaningful connections
• Understand the role of poetry in our psychological growth, identity and life transitions
• Learn ways to integrate the use of poetic language in our everyday lives

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Speaker Bio:

Leigh Sager is an Art Psychotherapist, running her own practice in Nottinghamshire (and online): Leigh Sager Intuitive Art. She has published on the topic of poetry in psychology, formulating her own mythopoetic writing method called Intuitive Prose, and has researched the uses of poetry in personal, clinical, and reflective realms. Throughout her exhibitions of artworks (University of Derby; Imara; Wellspring), words accompany her visual creations. An accomplished lecturer and trainer (Albertus Magnus College; The European Federation of Art Therapy), Leigh has spoken on the use of poetry in clinical and personal healing journeys. She has authored a chapter on the use of Intuitive Prose for book publication coming in the spring of 2027 (Routledge Press).

This workshop is 16+

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