The Choir Within You

Cacophony to Harmony

Abstract

This methodological paper describes the theory and practice of a biblio/poetry therapy workshop prepared and offered at the first European Biblio/Poetry Therapy Conference in Budapest, on 4-5 October 2024. The authors combined their work in autoethnography, Dialogical Self Theory and Jungian psychology, using poetry to explore the internal monologue and duologue, and autoethnographic prose to explore the multiple voices representing the many different parts of the self. The purpose of this workshop was that those writing might become more intimately acquainted with the concept of inner voice: how to define it, how to tune into it, listen to it, and capture it – or try to keep up with it – on the page. The presentation combined: a narrative introduction to the way inner voice influenced the authors’ own development journeys; theoretical frameworks, from which they each facilitate others; and poetry and prose prompts, to initiate participants into attempting their own 'inner voice' writing. The final process included optional sharing of work by reading it aloud, followed by a period of dialogical reflection on what had been shared. This workshop offered specific methods and exercises – grounded in psychological theory and the established principles of biblio/poetry therapy facilitation – to those wishing to guide others in learning about the self through writing.