Meet the Faculty

Kathleen Adams
Founder/CEO
Center for Journal Therapy, Inc.

Welcome to the page devoted to our outstanding TWI faculty!

We choose faculty based on three major criteria: Do they teach from the highest place of ethics and standards-based practice? Are they innovative and groundbreaking in their therapeutic writing work? Are they effective teachers, mentors and professional practice role models?

Nearly all of our faculty holds licenses in therapy or (and) credentials in therapeutic writing. Many are alumnae of the TWI program or the credentials program of the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy. All are esteemed and valued colleagues who represent the solid core of competence and confidence that we foster at the Therapeutic Writing Institute and who advocate for the power of writing for healing, growth and change.

Linda Barnes, MS, CJF

A Certified Journal Facilitator, Linda joined the TWI faculty in 2010. A prize-winning poet, she has taught numerous college classes and writing workshops in poetry, memoir, journal writing, and related topics. She is a co-founder of the Rogue Valley Chapter of the Oregon Poetry Association and a member of the National Association for Poetry Therapy. She sends her Poem of the Week free to subscribers via her website www.featherstonewriting.com.

Additional Licensure, Certifications:
Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator, International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy, Certified Journal Facilitator, Center for Journal Therapy

Books:
Engaging the Reluctant Writer in the book Expressive Writing, Foundations of Practice

Contributing author of Animal Wisdom, Journal Therapy for Overcoming Burnout,Kathleen Adams. Sterling Publishing, 2022.

Elaine Brooks, M.A., RN – BC, PTR* CAPF, M/S – Core Faculty

Elaine is a board certified psychiatric/mental health nurse, integrative nurse coach, certified applied poetry facilitator, poetry therapy mentor supervisor and transition writing specialist. She was certified as a registered poetry therapist in 2002 and has incorporated poetry and journal therapy in her work with clinical and developmental populations. After a long career working with individuals in an intensive outpatient mental health program, she now enjoys utilizing journaling and poetry in her coaching practice with people in transition. Her main focus is health transitions, women in transition and people in retirement. She is a member of the board of the International Federation for BiblioPoetry Therapy and currently serves as co-president. She lives in Northeastern CT and can be contacted at elaine@mypathtochange.com

Additional Licensure, Certifications:
Transition Writing Specialist, The Center for Transition Coaching and Writing

Anjana Deshpande, MBA, LCSW, CPT

Anjana is a therapist, published author and workshop facilitator. Her early career was spent in market research and she later changed tracks to become a therapist. Anjana is founder of Writethought, a company that helps “Educate, Empower and Enrich” lives through the written word. She works with both clients and clinicians who wish to get acquainted with the power of therapeutic writing, and presents workshops regularly. She serves on the board of the NFBPT and can be contacted through www.writethought.org or anjanawrite@gmail.com.

Additional Licensure, Certifications:
Certified Journal Therapist; Certified Poetry Therapist

Publications:
Effectiveness of Poetry Therapy as an Adjunct to Self Psychology in Clinical Work with Older Adults – A Single Case Study – published in the Journal of Poetry Therapy, March 2010

Recon Mission: Familiarizing Veterans with their changed emotional landscape through Poetry – published in the Journal of Poetry Therapy, November 2010

Leia Francisco, M.A., CJF, CCE Board Certified Coach – Emeritus

Leia Francisco is an author and coach trained in applied poetry facilitation and journal facilitation. For over 25 years she has coached people in making important life and work transitions. In 2015, she published Writing Through Transitions: A Guide to Transforming Life Changes, revised edition, combining transition processes and the power of writing strategies. Leia was one of the first faculty members for the Therapeutic Writing Institute and for ten years has taught her signature class, Writing Through Transitions. She often presents and writes about transitions for venues around the world. She is a member of the International Association for Journal Writing. In 2017, Leia developed a unique, self-paced program to certify individuals as Transition Writing Specialists, guiding the design of their own workshops or coaching programs to help people in transition. Another self-paced program is Coaching Fundamentals for individuals interested in coaching tools in their transition work.

You can reach Leia at www.leiafrancisco.com or lfrancisco@stx.rr.com.

Additional Licensure, Certifications:
William Bridges, Personal and Organizational Transitions, Frederic Hudson, Mid-Career Development Institute, Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator, National Association for Biblio/Poetry Therapy, Certification in Military Transitions and Reintegration, Hawkeye Coaching Program, Trained in: Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Richard Bolles career change methods, Self-Directed Search, Passion Revealer, Strengths Finder, BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory, and Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential

Books:
Writing Through Transitions: A Guide for Transforming Life Changes, revised edition, 2015.

Contributing author of Transitions, Journal Therapy for Overcoming Burnout, Kathleen Adams. Sterling Publishing, 2022.

Brenda Hudson, PhD, CJF

Brenda Hudson, PhD, CJF, is a teacher, editor, certified journal facilitator and creative writer. Through her company, Voiced Life, she leads workshops for youth and adults. Participants learn journaling and book arts techniques in a fun and supportive environment—where they are encouraged to selfishly focus on themselves! Brenda is particularly passionate about helping youth articulate who they are, in their own words, to form strong identities and resilience. She is a frequent teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, where she was recipient of its Excellence in Teaching Fellowship in 2016 and 2017, and at the Madeline Island School of the Arts, where she teaches legacy writing. In addition, Brenda teaches academic writing to doctoral students.

Carolyn Koehnline, LMHC, CJT – Core Faculty

Carolyn is a psychotherapist, coach, author, artist, certified journal therapist and lifelong keeper of journals. She is the creator of Gentle Approach Coaching (formerly Confronting Clutter) which draws on her belief in little gestures, accessible tools, and simple practices to facilitate change. She incorporates writing processes into all she does. Carolyn has a special interest in helping people to clear physical, mental, emotional, and schedule clutter to navigate transitions and make room for what is emerging. She has written and illustrated three books: Confronting Your Clutter, The Bear’s Gift, and her most recent book, Clearing Clutter as a Sacred Act. She can be contacted through www.ConfrontingClutter.com or www.GentleApproachCoaching.com

Books:

Clearing Clutter as a Sacred Act (will be available late fall 2018)

The Bear’s Gift (2001, 2011)

Confronting Clutter: Releasing the excess baggage from your home, head, heart, and schedule (2009)

Contributing author of Simplicity, Journal Therapy for Overcoming Burnout, Kathleen Adams. Sterling Publishing, 2022.

Sharon McLeay, M.A., CJF

Sharon is an award winning writer, journalist and author and certified journal writing facilitator. She attended Journalism at Ryerson University, and obtained her BA (with distinction) and a Masters degree in English Literature with a Life Writing Specialty at the University of Calgary. She has written three memoirs and teaches and coaches writers and others using journal writing techniques. Her work has been widely published in public, trade and academic media. Sharon lives in Cochrane, a small western town just outside of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Hanna Merin, B.Ed, CJF

Hanna Merin is a teacher, an educator, a storyteller, and a certified journal facilitator. The owner and founder of Right Your Tale, facilitating therapeutic writing workshops for various populations, and stories from the heart monthly club. Hanna studied Philosophy of Education, Jewish Philosophy, management career for Woman, storytelling and therapeutic, expressive writing. Since very young she was tuned to folktales, and human stories and learned to use it as a two sides mirror to her own internal world as well as to the external world surrounding her. She found out that folktales carry the ability to penetrate and become a miracle tool which opens inner doors that we never had the courage to open. It is also a wonderful bridge to connect between one and itself and between people in general. Her passion for the written word, for poetry and narratives led her to combine it in her work and workshops and to use it as a key to open hearts and to wake the inner storyteller hid in us. Hanna uses folktales as an icebreaker and as a glue in her personal and professional lives. She can be contacted at www.rightyourtale.com .

Deborah Ross, M.A., LPC, CJT – Core Faculty, Supervisor

Deborah is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Journal Therapist who has retired from private practice in Virginia, near Washington, D.C. in order to teach Expressive Writing. Fascinated by the healing power of telling one’s story along with the current wave of research on how our brain changes by experience, she completed the three-year program in Interpersonal Neurobiology with Dr. Dan Siegel, founder of the Mindsight Institute. Using those learnings, as well as her studies of journaling and journal therapy, she has created Your Brain on Ink: Journaling for Positive Brain Change. A Certified Journal to the Self Instructor, she regularly offers the JTTS workshop in her community. She also teaches journaling in meditation programs and in healthcare settings that serve cancer patients and those with traumatic brain injury.

Books:
Your Brain on Ink: Journaling for Positive Brain Change

Contributing author of Neuroplasticity, Journal Therapy for Overcoming Burnout, Kathleen Adams. Sterling Publishing, 2022.

Nancy S. Scherlong, LCSW, PTR, CJT, M/S – Core Faculty, Supervisor

Nancy is a writer and a licensed clinical social worker in the states of NY and CT and a Registered Poetry Therapist, Certified Journal Therapist and Mentor Supervisor. She is also the current Co-President for the International Federation of Biblio-Poetry Therapy (IFBPT). Nancy has been in the field of poetry and writing therapy for over 25 years. In her private practice, Wellness Metaphors Consulting and Coaching LLC, she integrates the creative arts (namely expressive writing and psychodrama) into her seminars as a stress management consultant and as a holistic psychotherapist specializing in somatic and mindfulness techniques and trauma recovery. She is a principal corporate trainer for several employee assistance programs in wellness education. She also works as an adjunct professor in Columbia University and Adelphi University’s social work programs teaching beginning and advanced counseling skills as well as providing clinical supervision and internship oversight. She enjoys the roles of teacher and learner and is an on-going student of life! She can be contacted through www.wellnessmetaphors.com or NScherlonglcsw@gmail.com.

Additional Licensure, Certifications:
Certified in Foundations Life Coaching, Mentor Coach, Certified Holistic Health Counselor, Trainings in EMDR Levels I and II, Somatic Experiencing Levels I, II and III, Internal Family Systems Levels I and II, Advanced Psychodrama Training from Hudson Valley Psychodrama

Books:
Contributing author of Wellness, Journal Therapy for Overcoming Burnout, Kathleen Adams. Sterling Publishing, 2022.

Barbara Stahura, CJF

Barbara Stahura, Certified Journal Facilitator, has guided people in harnessing the power of therapeutic journaling for self-discovery and positive change since 2007. She began by creating the first journaling program for people with brain injury, which she continued presenting through 2016. She is the primary author of the acclaimed After Brain Injury: Telling Your Story, the first journaling book for people with brain injury. Since becoming a CJF in 2011, she has also presented journaling programs for a wide variety of audiences, including a dozen Brain Injury Association/Alliance conferences, university continuing education programs, a community college, family caregivers, people with cancer, the National Association of Poetry Therapy, National Guard service members, equine-facilitated therapeutic groups, and now, people navigating life transitions. She is also a member of the Journal Circle of the International Association of Journal Writing. She lives in Newburgh, Indiana, with her husband, a survivor of traumatic brain injury, who was her inspiration to begin this work. She can be contacted through http://www.barbarastahura.com and on her Facebook business page, A Living, Breathing Story.

Additional Licensure, Certifications:
Transition Writing Specialist, Journal to the Self Instructor

Books:
After Brain Injury: Telling Your Story (Lash & Associates Publishing/Training, 2009)
What I Thought I Knew (Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing, 2008)

Kate Thompson, MA, MA, CJT – Supervisor

Kate is a BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) senior accredited Supervisor& Counsellor and a registered psychotherapist in the state of Colorado. She works with individuals and groups in her private practice in Boulder and online. She trained in London and at The Center for Journal Therapy, Denver, Colorado. Now she lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains above Boulder, Colorado, where the landscape provides inspiration for her writing and teaching. Her first degree was in English Literature and she later trained as a counsellor in London. These two strands are brought together in her work with journal therapy and therapeutic writing. In addition to teaching core classes, she is a supervisor for trainees at TWI.

Books:
Thompson K & Adams, K. (eds), 2015 Expressive Writing: Counseling and Healthcare, Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield

Thompson K. 2010 Therapeutic Journal Writing: A Guide for Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley Publisher.

Bolton, G., Field, V. & Thompson K. (eds) 2006)Writing Routes: A Resource Handbook for Therapeutic Writing Workshops and Activities. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Bolton, G.,Field, V. & Thompson K. (eds) 2006 Writing Works: A Resource Handbook for Therapeutic Writing Workshops and Activities. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Cyncie Winter, LPC, CJT

Cyncie Winter is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Life Coach, Creativity Coach, and professional artist, from Evergreen, Colorado. She specializes in empowering people who want to develop their creative inner resources as part of their commitment to a transformative path of the heart. She provides face-to-face and distance consultation and counseling and offers a wide variety of coaching packages and independent study. Cyncie is a contemporary abstract artist who is collected nationally. You can find out more about her through https://www.bright-star-coaching.com and http://www.cynciewinter.com

Additional Licensure, Certifications:
Certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach