Peer Support Session with Catherine Eade “Collecting Threads: Writing Our Selves”

The Orange Collective peer support sessions provide a space for anyone interested in, or already using the arts to support peoples' wellbeing.

In this workshop Catherine will create a therapeutic reflective practice space whilst guiding and supporting you through her “Collecting Threads: Writing Our Selves” workshop.  Towards the end of the workshop participants will support each other and Catherine by reflecting back their experience of the workshop.

Catherine describes her workshop here:

“Collecting Threads: Writing Our Selves”

This Expressive Writing workshop is for therapists, creative professionals, mental health practitioners, teachers, and anyone curious about writing for wellbeing. You’ll be welcomed into a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental space, with no previous writing experience needed.

We’ll begin at 10am with a grounding meditation, followed by a series of guided writing prompts led by Catherine. These gentle, themed prompts are timed and are designed to help you access creativity, explore self-reflection, and foster a sense of connection.

There will be a short tea break midway and a collaborative closing exercise to end Catherine's workshop at 12.30. From 12.30 - 1pm Orange Collective will the hold a feedback session on Catherine's behalf where you will be able to reflect back your experience of the workshop.

There will be a chance for some participants to read their work aloud, but sharing your words is always optional.

This workshop is an opportunity for Catherine to explore ideas with a larger group and gather feedback to help shape and grow her practice. She is keen to connect with potential collaborators, particularly retreat leaders or therapists working in yoga, arts, or health and wellbeing spaces, both in the UK and abroad. Participants are also warmly invited to join, or refer others to, her smaller home-based writing groups.

Catherine Eade is the founder of Expressive Writing Brighton and Wild Soul Writing. A former journalist with over 25 years’ experience (including features for The Independent, The Times, The Telegraph, The Observer, and Daily Mail), she later trained in the therapeutic use of the arts. She holds a Professional Certificate in Counselling Using the Arts from IATE and is a BACP-registered counsellor.

Catherine’s small group sessions combine her journalistic background and psychotherapy training, and are informed by the work of pioneering psychologist James Pennebaker and journaling mentor Kathleen Adams. Expressive Writing is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves the space to tell their story and feel heard.

Writing can be a useful way of ordering emotions and bearing witness to significant events. The goal is towards integration and acceptance of all the different parts of ourselves; towards becoming happy with who and what we are, and what we potentially can become.

There is space for 12 participants in this peer support workshop and you are asked to bring along a notebook and smooth writing pen for your work. Printed handouts will be given for participants to take away.

Catherine’s website is www.rewildmysoul.org/expressive-writing and she can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wilds0ulwriting#

We will send more details a few days before the workshop but in the meantime if you have any questions please get in touch: contact@orangecollective.co.uk