You can hear my enthusiasm in the intro of this week’s episode, because it’s a profound pleasure to have Joyce Chapman finally appear on JournalTalk. Joyce’s history and wisdom in Journal-writing goes back further than anyone else I’ve met. And she summarizes all of it in single sentence: “Journal to know yourself.” She’s convinced that sticking wi…

My guest this week asks us to consider that perhaps our journals are not really private. Maybe the pages we write are a collaboration with a universal spirit, a co-author in our life experience. Join me in an open-minded dialogue with Maryann Patalano, a religious science practitioner and author of the book, Journal Like God, as we explore the mind…

Part three of our series in fantasy journaling features Anne Marvin‘s concept of finding truth in fantasy — finding out what you really want, by exploring the worlds of fantasy and make-believe. Anne has a background in federal nuclear weapons policy, but confesses she also enjoys “deep thoughts while reading vampire porn.” Her blog is loaded with …

Have I got a story for you. In the previous episode, I introduced the concept of “fantasy journaling” — writing in a private diary, about events that never actually took place, as if they had. In this episode, I’m joined by my friend, “Janet-from-another-Planet” as I share about the most interesting and extreme version of fantasy journaling I could…

Sweeping through my boxes of old journal books, I happened upon a passage that I wrote in college — a detailed account of a semi-erotic interaction with someone on whom I had a secret crush. Wait a minute, I thought, as my neurons raced to retrieve my inner journal logs for comparison, I don’t remember this ever happening! After reading a few pages…

You don’t have to believe that Dorothy Gale was a real Kansas farmer’s niece, or acknowledge the existence of a magical Munchkinland in order to gain insights and inspiration for finding your own (yellow-brick) path home. Similarly, you can draw upon a number of powerful images and stories to deepen your spiritual journey, without committing to a b…

Susan Borkin joins me once again, to share a therapist’s viewpoint on the journal-writing benefit of improved self-esteem, and walk us through a few tips from her book, The Healing Power of Writing. Maybe it’s a generational thing, but I don’t seem to hear about the importance of a positive self-image anymore. When I was growing up in the late 70’s…

A key distinction that sets journaling apart from all other forms of creative expression is privacy. In this episode, we take a step beyond. My guest, Doug Foresta, believes firmly in the benefits of private journal-writing, and yet also urges us, “the world needs our voice and our gifts.” Producer and host of Creating Change on Empower Radio and T…

Anonymous callers are so much fun, and ask such close, personal questions. This one asks, “Can a journal help someone with anger management issues?” I’ve got some thoughts of my own on this, but I’ve invited back back Susan Borkin, to include a therapist’s viewpoint. Her book, The Healing Power of Writing,is a great resource for questions like this…

I’ve often said on this program: Journaling is a process, not a product; a journey not the destination. This week, meet Jami McQuivey, an author, coach and speaker who is on that perpetual journey of self-discovery, constantly realizing new dreams. Her first book, Stop Drifting, Start Living containing twenty-two lessons from her travels in China, …

Several episodes ago, I interviewed Susan Borkin, and we just “clicked”. I’ve enjoyed having her come back to share answers to those of your journaling questions that she has written about in her book, The Healing Power of Writing. In this episode, a JournalTalk listener shares her immense grief over her mom’s absence for the past 4+ years, and ask…

As we journey through the movement of our life, what aspects of ourselves do we birth or bury, in order to make sense of, and give meaning to, our experience? This question was my guest’s inspiration for her newest book. Nearly two years ago, I interviewed Joan Leof, after she inspired me to dig back through my old, yellowing journals to collect pi…

A quick Google search on the term “journaling” will offer at least one measure of social proof that there’s healing power in writing. But can journal-writing really help with long-lasting sadness? Can it cure, or at least relieve depression? Susan Borkin, author, licensed psychotherapist, and pioneer in the field of journal therapy, joins me in ans…

Speaking with Kay Adams is always a treat, and offers the proverbial smorgasbord of lively topics under the umbrella of journal-writing for health and happiness! Kay is author to numerous books on journaling, in addition to being the editor of the ten-volume series, It’s Easy to W.R.I.T.E.! Her Center for Journal Therapy was a sponsor for the 30-Da…

It seems that the questions I’m receiving from listeners about journal-writing are becoming more numerous, more interesting, and more specific as this program continues. I’ve been saving a select handful having to do with psychological conditions for a co-host like Susan Borkin, a psychotherapist who shares my belief in the therapeutic value of jou…

It is a great honor to have the opportunity to interview a long-time mentor of mine, a man who needs no introduction. And, I enjoyed introducing anyway. Jack Canfield has made his way into the hearts and homes of millions of people worldwide, for one reason or another, and this interview only scratched the surface of a fraction of the topics we cou…

Tom asks, “Is there ever a time I would write in my journal when I’m not analyzing something?” To many, keeping a journal is a great tool and practice for problem-solving, so it might be natural to think that’s the only time to visit the blank page. Many people have also used journaling as a practice in meditation or mindfulness, to enhance creativ…

Too often, we carry around with us the constraints and limiting beliefs of our past. Do you wonder how to identify those pesky, negative and disempowering stories that weigh you down emotionally? Laura Coe is an author, blogger, and certified life coach with a mission to help people shed emotional weight. In her book, Emotional Obesity, she shares …

During a NINETY-DAY journal-writing challenge this winter, where I met a new friend “Wizzy” (Janet Wiszowaty), I was asked “the time of day” question again, so I thought I’d make a short episode about it. What’s the best time of day to make your journal entries? Early Morning is ideal for writing about your hopes or desires for the day. It could be…

Several episodes back, I gave some suggestions for what to write if you only have five minutes each day with your journal. We have revisited this idea many times in this podcast series, because like so many people I’ve sometimes only got five spare minutes to write — and some days, those five minutes alone with my thoughts are the most profound (an…

It seems that everywhere you turn, someone is offering yet another challenge. Doesn’t life bring us enough challenges without having to invent more? Today’s journaling question was asked innocently by someone who wanted to understand “What is a journal-writing challenge?” My friend Jayde Gilmore of Wings Life Coaching returns to the co-host microph…

My guest this week was pioneering the field of writing therapy before such a field even existed, and long before the word “journaling” became an internet buzzword. Susan Borkin continues to make a difference for seekers of healing through words, as a psychotherapist and author of books including: When Your Heart Speaks, Take Good Notes, and Writing…

Leslie, a friend and co-facilitator of journaling workshops in Thousand Oaks, California asks, “When leading a journal workshop, should you read your own private journal as a way to invite others to share their own writing?” A journal-writing workshop is an ideal place to discuss the context and content of your own journal. On one hand, it’s engagi…

In December of 2012, a remarkable book hit the virtual shelves of Amazon.com, called The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM). In it, author, success coach, and keynote motivational speaker Hal Elrod explains the benefits of a powerful morning routine. This book continues to be a wonderful wake-u…

Publishing for a public audience and keeping a private journal are two spheres of a Venn diagram that do, in my opinion, have a very interesting intersection. This episode, long-time JournalTalk listener Nestor asks, “How can journaling help me through the process of publishing my book?” Janet Wiszowaty, a Jack Canfield success trainer, joins me in…