The effects of focusing when applied to personal journal writing
Date
1981
Authors
Petersen, Norma Ethel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The personal journal has been gaining recognition in the field of psychology as an instrument of therapeutic value. "Focusing", an inner experiential process, has been shown by researchers to be an important factor in therapeutic change. In this phenomenological study, the effects of applying focusing to personal journal writing were investigated. Seven journal writers, who focused on eight separate occasions, each time prior to writing in their journals, described their experiences in questionnaires and interviews. The phenomenological analysis showed that focusing affected the journal writing in the following ways: journal entries were shortened or eliminated for those who had used the journal as a place to pour out and sort through thoughts and feelings because the sorting took place internally while focusing, and journal entries describing a concern or event were clearer and more coherent after focusing. The participants found that focusing brought to an awareness level previously unrecognized feelings and other aspects of a concern, resulting at times in a redefinition of the concern, and at other times focusing offered alternate means of exploration and action. It was suggested that focusing and journal writing were potentially useful tools which could be introduced during the counselling process and then continue to be used by clients on their own as a self-help method for personal learning.