NAMW Member Teleseminar with Jackie Swensen

August 22, 2014

11 AM PDT 12 PM MDT 1 PM CDT 2 PM EDT

Many memoir writers come to their stories from having journaled much of their lives, so we are pleased to offer an expert on journaling and healing to present this August member teleseminar, Jackie Swensen.

Memoir writing requires a host of narrative skills to transform a person’s memories into something that appeals to a wide audience. For example, a sharp eye for detail, a sensitivity to nuances and subtleties of expression, and the kind of empathy that can make even flawed characters sympathetic. Memoir writers also need tenacity to keep digging for truth, especially when faced with a tangled web of conflicting stories. To accomplish that feat requires a high level of self-knowledge.

Society doesn’t really encourage self-reflection and most Americans think of themselves as doers, people of action. So action often trumps reflection. But memoir writers must reflect on a subject purposefully to understand the mysteries of human behavior. In over 20 years as a psychoanalyst, I’ve found journaling to be an effective tool for reflection and self-discovery, and for gaining insights into others. Journaling has proven to be a valuable resource for many of my clients, and so I created Journal to Health™ in order to introduce it to a wider audience.

We will discuss:
• The intellectual underpinnings of self-knowledge
• Freud’s self-analysis, which he conducted by writing
• The value of journaling as seen by a psychoanalyst
• Why I developed Journal to Health™: A Site for Self-Discovery
• How a daily journaling exercise can help memoir writers tune into themselves

Jacqueline Swensen is a psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City. She is a board and faculty member of the Center for Human Development, a psychoanalytic institute. Jackie is the founder of Journal to Health: A Site for Self-Discovery, which is an online journaling website that launched on June 1. The member’s journals are password-protected and encrypted, can be organized by topic and subtopic, which makes it ideal for memoir writers. It is easy-to-use, customizable and includes a Discovery section that will spur your creativity and give you a place to rejuvenate your mind and your spirit.

www.journaltohealth.com
www.pinterest.com/JournaltoHealth/
www.facebook.com/JournaltoHealth
www.drswensen.com

We hope you can join us live for this discussion, and bring your questions with you. If you are a member of the National Association of Memoir Writers, you will be able to join the call and receive the audio. To learn more about becoming a member and receiving all the benefits of members, please visit our web site www.namw.org.