Expressive Writing Workshop

Would you like to be able to tell your story?

Studies shows that the ability to manage your life through your story increases overall wellness. Our Veterans Writing Workshops offer a safe place for veterans, their family members, and caregivers to write about their experiences. These workshops provide participants the opportunity to create, share, and receive feedback on their writing. They are led by veterans who are professional writers. Adult military-affiliated family members, caregivers, veterans, and active service members are welcome. Previous writing experience is not necessary.

Expressive writing workshops can be a useful tool to help people recover from trauma and help manage stress. Dr. James Pennebaker’s Expressive Writing process is proven to be a powerful, free, and easily accessible remedy. Each participant’s work is completely private and need never be shared with others. Group support, creative writing, and pain management practices help writers process the past and envision a better future. These workshops include visualizing changes and mapping steps to realize them, as well as tracking the effectiveness of medical treatments and other interventions like rest, time in nature, meditation, exercise, or creativity.

Meet Expressive Writing Workshop Leader Val Brainerd

Val is a Navy veteran who holds an MBA from Colorado Technical University, an MS from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a BS from Penn State University.  After serving in the Navy for twenty years, she had a follow-on career in the aerospace defense industry.  She became a certified yoga instructor in 2016, bringing together her desire to help others, commitment to fitness, and belief in the many benefits of yoga.  Val has significant experience with developing and leading training programs, technical writing, and designing and facilitating workshops, meetings and conferences. She teaches a variety of studio and private yoga classes, including slow vinyasa flows designed to allow students to fully connect movement to breath, yin yoga to focus on deeper tissues and find calmness, and restorative yoga to promote relaxation.  Val resides in Steamboat Springs, CO, and enjoys skiing, hiking, and camping with her husband and their Labrador retriever.

Please register to attend

Creative and Professional Writing Workshops

Creative writing workshops inspire writing that engages with the artistry of language.

Professional-level workshops help you prepare your work to share with family, friends, or the public. These workshops offer a safe place to receive feedback on your writing.

To create a veterans writing workshop in your community, contact Josephine Jones at jones@coloradohumanities.org