Powerful Poetry: A Novel Group Process That Fosters Self-expression, Building Confidence and Identity 4526

This presentation will address the underpinnings of a novel group process, which employs poetry as the vehicle for self-expression and introspection. The group, known as the Thursday Night Poets, is a place where individuals with acquired brain injuries, including some with stroke-based aphasia, can explore poetry as a tool to strengthen linguistic output, foster self-expression, and grapple with life experiences and traumas. Formed at the outset of the pandemic, as a way to reduce risk for social isolation amongst individuals from community-based traumatic brain injury and aphasia groups, the Thursday Night Poets burgeoned into a nationwide collaborative that meets weekly via Zoom. Discussion of the publishing process of the two books, "I Don't Think I Did This Right," and "Poetry is Chocolate," will also be part of this presentation.