Sacred Cliffs Resources

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although I have done significant research into the benefits available from writing and other creative expressions, no claims or guarantees can be made about possible mental or physical benefits from participating in Sacred Cliffs Workshops.

Dr. Joseph O'Donnell, the editor of The Journal of Cancer Education, an international oncology journal, attended a performance of Bosom Buddies, the first Sacred Cliffs project, and afterward he asked me to write an article about the therapeutic benefits of combining writing and theatre in a practical setting. I began reading the research done in the field of Expressive Disclosure and found that there is a significant body of knowledge about the subject. What we did on instinct and blind faith has substantial scientific backing.

Scientific research shows that the process of writing about our fears for just fifteen minutes a day can produce improvements in mental and physical health. The results of testing show that many different groups experience benefits from writing about their feelings:

• college students raised their grades
• laid-off engineers found jobs more quickly
• people with illnesses as varied as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer improved their immune function

There is a wealth of information on the subject of Expressive Disclosure online and in medical/psychological journals. The ones I found most useful were by Dr. James W. Pennebaker, a pioneer in the field of Expressive Disclosure. I highly recommend his easy-to-read book, Opening Up: The healing power of emotional expression. Some of his articles can be downloaded and printed at his website.

A bibliography of other articles can be found at the end of my Journal of Cancer Education article (download here.)