CPD for Counsellors & Therapists
Learn how to use creative writing in therapy, reflective practice, and self-care to support your work and deepen client benefit
Introduction to Creative Writing for Therapy
Creative writing can offer a direct route to emotional experience—often bypassing the usual filters of conscious thought. It can be a powerful, creative, and transformative way of exploring and making sense of both personal and professional experience.
This introductory CPD day offers a range of experiential writing exercises, including prose, poetry, dialogue, lists, prompts, stems, metaphor, and expressive writing.
You will have the opportunity to write, reflect, and (if you choose) share your work, as well as experience reading and hearing responses. Nothing is compulsory—participation is always optional.
The emphasis is on process rather than product. Each stage of writing, sharing, and responding offers a different way of relating to what is being explored, often shifting perspective and deepening insight.
Through guided experiential practice, we will explore how creative writing can be used for:
personal self-care
reflective practice
professional development
and/or therapeutic work with clients
The intention is for the day to be both experientially rich and professionally useful, within a supportive and collegial environment.
This course has previously been delivered through organisations including BCPC and Cotswold Counselling. It is available both online and in person.
It typically runs as a full-day workshop (10am–4pm with a lunch break), but can be adapted for half-day or shorter formats.
Creative Writing for Reflective Practice
Creative writing can be a valuable tool for reflecting on clients, clinical work, and professional practice across counselling, psychotherapy, coaching, healthcare, and other helping professions.
This CPD day introduces a range of approaches to reflective writing, including:
expressive writing, reflective journalling, prompts and stems, metaphor work, list-making, mind-mapping, characterisation, and dialogue.
The focus is on developing a reflective practice that is both structured and creative, helping you to think differently about your work and your responses within it.
The day is designed to be supportive, reflective, and collaborative. You will come away with practical tools you can continue to use, along with increased confidence in using writing as part of your ongoing professional development.
This workshop works well as a full-day session (10am–4pm with a lunch break), either online or in person, and can be adapted to suit organisational needs.
It is particularly suitable for counselling and psychotherapy trainees, as well as qualified practitioners and professionals whose training includes reflective writing or journalling.
Most recently delivered at the Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling (BCPC) on 24th January 2026.
“I am a counsellor and attended one of Caroline's courses because I want to be a bit more creative with clients.
She helped to demystify the use of creative writing in therapy with lots of practical exercises and a really inclusive and down-to-earth approach.
I feel much more confident to take this back into my practice now. In fact, I already have. Highly recommended!”
— Rob
