Kitchen Table Poetry Therapy Week 3

Here we are on the 3rd post on doing Poetry Therapy from your Kitchen Table. I'm referencing this original post about using lyrics of songs in the therapy session to help my clients explore what music they identify with and what about the music speaks to them. This process helps us more clearly understand ourselves, our season of life, our emotional needs or our emotions in general. This exploration is a part of Poetry Therapy because of the use of lyrics (or poems set to music). It is a way to fully engage with feelings that are at the tip of your tongue, but may be forbidden or difficult to express. Find a comfortable place to sit and clear the counter space. Light a candle or make yourself a cup of fragrant tea. Find some paper and writing tool that you particularly enjoy using. Now, let's begin. In this week's Poetry Therapy time, playing music in the background is going to be our focus. Do some soul searching of what top three songs are particularly moving for you currently. These are songs that you identify with- even if all of the lyrics aren't completely congruent to your life, values or "heart". (Example: Teens may bring in a very vulgar song about a relationship, angry song with cursing and screaming, or pop song with lyrics that seem irrelevant). Spend some time reading over the song lyrics, circling what stands out to you the most. If expressing yourself by writing out the lyrics in different fonts and decorating them feels natural, do that! Ponder what it is about these words and maybe the way the music plays that moves you. Name the emotions that the lyrics are expressing. You may be able to sum it up in one, or it may be a plethora of emotions. How do these lyrics make you feel? Are they contradictory to how you currently feel or in congruence with it? (Ex: do they make you feel happy when you are angry or allow you to express your anger). The process of exploring what songs are speaking and singing your "soul's tune" is a way of understanding yourself more fully: What is you, what is not you, who you are, who you are not, the feelings you are having, how to express them, how to tolerate them, how to enjoy them and how to change them. Who would have thought listening to music was so good for figuring out who you are? The trick is being mindful of what moves you. This may help you understand other people better, too (if you are mindful of what lights them up or what they tend to listen to most). Hope you enjoyed this week's Kitchen Table Poetry Therapy! Stay tuned for more prompts. Really do it. Pen to paper. Go! Emily