$1 Therapy (Awesome Free e-Book)

Chaundra McGill is an inspirational writer whose web site, Writing Reflections, and blog, Writing with Purpose, are dedicated to making you a better writer as well as a better person.

Her goal is to help people discover more about themselves through the therapeutic process of writing. Chaundra is a former journalist, and she offers a free e-book entitled, “$1 Therapy: Achieving Emotional Well-Being through Reflective Writing Therapy.” After reading it, it got me excited about starting some reflective writing therapy of my own.

In “$1 Therapy,” Chaundra talks about how she came to embrace writing as an emotional release method for what turned out to be a very traumatic childhood. Like so many people, she found herself struggling with anxiety and depression as an adult, and self-help books and expensive psychiatry offered only temporary reprieves. Instead, she turned to writing.

Given the timing of events in my life, I loved the personal examples Chaundra shared of how reflective writing therapy helped her learn more about her failed relationships, for instance:

“As I examined the inner workings of my last three relationships, I discovered something very disturbing: I was attracted to emotionally unavailable men. To gain a better understanding of why my adult male relationships were so dysfunctional, I began to write about my childhood male relationships, which included no father, two rarely-there uncles, and a distant grandfather. And then it suddenly dawned on me – I had no male role models growing up.

“I had no benchmark, no standard for how a man should treat me. I had subconsciously convinced myself that if I showed them enough love and was perfect, my boyfriends would stay around and love me.

“I always knew that my fatherlessness was the reason for my dysfunctional relationships, but I never bothered to spell it out. By digging deeper, I was able to get to the root of my issues, evaluate why I accepted certain behaviors from myself and others, and then isolate the specific behaviors I no longer would tolerate in my life…  I then committed to the page exactly what I wanted in a man… Most women have at least a mental checklist of what they want in a man, but my list included much more than tall, dark and handsome. I described the physical attributes, emotional qualities, character traits and values I wanted in a mate.

“Taking it even another step further, I challenged each of these characteristics on the page. I asked myself why I wanted them and how did these traits reflect on me. This honest assessment now equips me with an accurate barometer for my present and future interactions with men.”

Interestingly, I just did this “wish list” exercise last week. I jokingly told a friend that I filled two sides of a typed 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper! What I haven’t done yet is to challenge each of the characteristics I listed and find out why I want those things in a mate, and how they reflect on me.

As you can see, reflective writing therapy is more than simple journaling. It goes many steps deeper. Read Chaundra McGill’s free, well-written, concise e-book and discover a new, powerful healing technique for yourself.

Click here to download your own free copy of $1 Therapy: Achieving Emotional Well-Being through Reflective Writing Therapy.

Click here to visit Chaundra McGill’s web site, Writing Reflections.

Comments

[Jay Schryer]

This sounds very interesting. Thanks for bringing it to my attention! I'll have to come back tonight to do the downloading, but I'm really looking forward to it.

[Daphne]

I have definitely realized things through my writing that I otherwise wouldn't have clarified for myself. Great suggestions!

[Bob Weisenberg]

Your blog above is a great description of why writing can be therapeutic.

Chaundra's site is also interesting to me because I'm just preparing my e-book for free pdf download, and it was good to see how she did it.

Thanks,

Bob Weisenberg
http://YogaDemystified.com

[The Everyday Minimalist]

This is most definitely why I blog.

Blogging and writing (well, typing), helps me get the ideas out and from there, I can flesh out why I feel the way I do.

It's an underrated activity! But it has yielded some great results from the past 3 years.

[Lance]

Megan,
I find writing to be very therapeutic, much more so than I expected it to be. It's like a workout for my heart and mind - and that's been so, so good. Off to check out the ebook - thanks!!

[Peggy]

Megan,

Thank you so much for introducing me to Chandra! She and I have a lot to talk about :-)

My writing through divorce and breast cancer - so very theraputic and cathartic. Once I discovered my inner poet, I let go of any remaining grudges I was holding onto about my ex husband. Poof. Gone.

Through my dating experience, I wondered why on earth I kept attracting toxic and emotionally needy men. One day I reviewed my journal and realized I had a laundry list of what I did NOT want. And since I was coming into a little more self-awareness and had been introduced to the Law of Attraction, I realized that as long as I thought about what I didn't want, I was attracting it.

So I got smart.

And wrote exactly what I wanted, in one sentence. "I want to be in a long term, emotionally happy, healthy, and passionate relationship with he who is worthy."

Six weeks later, Richard emailed me out of the blue (gosh Megan, you know my story! But for those who don't, Richard was my first love, my high school sweetheart and after not seeing or hearing from him in TWENTY FIVE years, he emailed me!)...

We got married five months later =) And have been living in bliss for the last three years!

[Joy]

Wow. Peggy's comment gives me hope:)

Megan:
Thank you for introducing Chandra, and I will download her book and look forward to reading it since your prior recommendation was perfect!
It is about the journey, but it's great to take time to delve into the how's and why's to make each step forward much more purposeful and rewarding:)

[Mark]

This is excellent, thanks for sharing!

[Liara Covert]

Writing is one of the empowerment tools at everyone's disposal. Expansion is ongoing. Finding the courage to explore the inner truth is a remarkable journey to an incredible lightness of being. Every experience you have is a choice and a teacher with meaning.

[julie]

Hi, Megan. This seems a wonderful, beautiful variation on journaling, on intention, on self-knowledge and growth... You might also enjoy "The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julie Cameron. Several people I know have used her approach to awaken themselves. The title's a bit misleading; it's really similar to what Chandra's created. Thank you for the link to her ebook.

[Stacey Shipman]

I couldn't agree more about writing as a great release. For me that coupled with yoga provided me the healing I need to move forward in a positive way. I look forward to checking out her site. Thanks for introducing us to Chaundra!

[Heather Kephart]

Boy, can I relate to that! I was the same way before I met my husband. A complete mess. It's not just about loving, it's putting your love in the right place.

[Wilma Ham]

I had to laugh at Peggy's comment about her list of 'want nots' and then Joy's reaction about getting hope.
Isn't it interesting how getting these limiting beliefs on paper will let us change them.
Like making a new blue print to build your life from.
It looks like we all will play and how fun is that. All of us becoming architects of our lives spurred on by you and Chaundra.
Let's go and make life happen.
Lots of love and I trust all is well?
Hugs anyway, Wilma

[Zeenat{Positive Provocations}]

My Joyful angel....always bringing ways and rays of joy..This is book is like one such ray...I love how you speak about it..and I love the therapy approach to it.
I am just downloading the book as I type this :)
Chandra is an awesome writer to say the least.
When I was learning spiritual healing , my teacher taught me this little technique...he said WRITE your wants..of what you want 10 years from now. Close it in a small box. Dont open that box for ten years. And pray and meditate on that box for just 3 minutes everyday. After 10 years you will see you have that and a lot more...I agree...I did it..and it works. Miraculous!! Its more than 10 years fro me...I still havent opened that box cause that wish has been answered. But i have a few more boxes now :)Writing it after visualising it..somehow locks that want in the big universal plan....and the universe works hard to get it to you...
Lots of love
Zeenat.
p.s. If you need help in transferring your blog to wordpress.com let me know. I seem to have mastered it ;)

[Evelyn Lim]

I certainly agree with the benefits of doing reflecting writing. That is the reason why I blog. I find that I gain so much. I am even suspecting that I gain more from the process of writing than it is for any derived benefit by any one of my readers.

Thanks for making the valuable resource available. I am going to download it!

[Megan "JoyGirl!" Bord]

Hi, Jay!
Thanks for checking it out and leaving an awesome comment, as always! I hope your week is spectacular!

Hi, Daphne!
Thanks for your comment! Like you, writing has allowed me to process things in a deeper way – beyond just thinking about them. That’s why when I read Chaundra’s method for reflective writing, it seemed to take it one step further, which I loved the sounds of!

Hi, Bob!
I’m glad Chaundra’s site could offer you inspiration on how to do your own e-book, which we all anxiously await! Thanks for your great comment!

Hi, Everyday Minimalist!
(I love that name…!) Many others, including me, agree: blogging is a great way to process what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling. I can’t imagine my life before I started writing again, which, like you, only happened three years ago. I took a long break from it, and am so glad I resumed what’s not only a passion, but purposeful in my life.
Thanks for coming by!

Hi, Lance!
A workout for your heart and mind – I love that! I feel similarly, and just like physical workouts, there are days when my writing feels difficult or I’m dragging. Gosh I love that analogy. Thanks so much for coming by and commenting, and for supporting Chaundra!

Hi, Peggy!
Your comment has been receiving good buzz – thanks for diving in so deep with it!
Your story, and how you wrote about each (this word seems too lame for what you’ve gone through) challenge as it popped up, still wow’s me. And can I just tell you that your one sentence wish list sounds PERFECT? Can I please borrow it?! My goodness, talk about concise. You nailed it!
I love your love story with Richard, too. It inspires me, as you do daily.
Thank you so much for sharing and being the awesome woman you are.

Hi, Joy!
More purposeful and rewarding, indeed. My mind can be quite analytical and likes to understand “why.” Writing gives me a way to actually see some of my why’s on paper and sit with them, understanding how they’ve affected me thus far. I like it! What’s more, writing my why’s on paper allows me to chart a new course for an even brighter, more joyful future. Thanks for commenting, and I agree, Peggy's comment gives me hope, too!

Hi, Mark!
You got it, and thank YOU for commenting!

Hi, Liara!
It does take courage to explore the inner truth, doesn’t it? I appreciate how you framed the writing & self-inquiry process and I agree that every experience is a teacher. Am I always willing to learn the lesson? Not always, but I’m more aware ith each passing day, and that’s pretty cool. Thanks for commenting!

Hi, Julie!
I’ve heard of The Artist’s Way, but haven’t read it yet. Thank you for reminding me that I should check it out. I’m also so glad you said that the title is a bit misleading. Probably why I didn’t pick it up right away! I’m grateful for your good comment and loving energy, Julie! Peace to you.

Hi, Stacey!
Thank YOU for coming by and commenting, and offering support to Chaundra. I’m getting more and more into yoga, and appreciate what a great tool it is for self-inquiry and awareness. In the past, I just thought it was good physical exercise, but now I know it’s so much more. Just like writing is more than words on paper. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Hi, Heather!
The way you worded “putting your love in the right place” really struck a chord in me. Thanks so much for coming by and commenting, and giving me a neat phrase to hang onto!

Hi, Wilma!
“Want nots” --- that’s great! And yes, I agree that getting our limitng beliefs on paper can help us to see where we need to make adjustments in our lives. I reviewed journals from when I was a teenager and in my 20’s, and I thought, “Who was that girl? So depressed, negative, and thinking the worst of everyone and thing?” It helped me see, though, how far I’ve come since then. Had I been more self-aware at an earlier age, I could have used those journals in the moment to shift my thinking around. Hindsight is 20/20, though. (smile)
I love your idea to go and make life happen – I’m with you! And yes, all is very well, thank you, my friend!
Love to you, always.

Hi, Zeenat!
Your sweetness brings a smile to my face and warms my entire being. Thank you! I so agree with you that Chaundra is an awesome writer. She’s a former journalist, and it seems like there should be “award-winning” in that title somewhere just based on how she paints a story.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea to get wants onto a piece of paper and lock it up, blessing it with love and growth, and meditating on it each day. My goodness, that seems like such a beautiful ritual. I’m so glad you shared it here!
As for my blog, I may take you up on your offer; thank you! I realized I missed my cancellation deadline with Typepad, so I’ll be on here at least another six months, which is fine. I might do double-duty, though, and grab a Wordpress site again and start building it so the transition is smooth. You’re a doll, and I love you!

Hi, Evelyn!
Thank you so much for commenting, and for supporting Chaundra. Like you, writing has offered me invaluable gifts, and while I love thinking I’ve positively affected one other person somewhere, without a doubt I’m always positively affecting myself when I write. Love and joy to you!

[Jodi at Joy Discovered]

Hi Megan,
I heard from Chaundra, too, but haven't checked out her e-book. You did a great job of sharing the highlights. I am intrigued and want to read more! I have done this kind of journaling and it is what catapulted me through some tough issues that I couldn't let go of. It is long and sometimes arduous process to investigate your emotions, motivations, intentions so closely but in the end, it pays off!

[Evita]

Hi Megan

Thanks for writing more about this. I have heard of it and was interested to check it out more...but sadly have not found any time for it yet. So your post motivates me a little more to check out this book. Thanks!

[Nadia - Happy Lotus]

Hi Megan,

I am familiar with the work of Chaundra McGill and I think she is awesome. It is great to see her getting the attention that she deserves.

[Megan "JoyGirl!" Bord]

Hi, Jodi!

I appreciate knowing that someone as happy and well adjusted as you (the epitome of JOY!) did this sort of exercise and benefited from it. Thank you for sharing your experience and commenting!

Hi, Evita!

I hope it's been a good busy that you've been experiencing, and am also happy that maybe now you're more inclined to read Chaundra's work. It's quick, easy and enjoyable (or so I found). Thanks for commenting and supporting her!

Hi, Nadia!

I agree - she's awesome, and I like that she's getting much-deserved attention. May all of us who write and aspire to earn a living at it be successful beyond our fondest dreams, and know the good and loving support of friends old and new alike.
Happy Weekend!!

[Paul Maurice Martin]

I can see how that would work - writing as therapy. I found writing intertwined with my own spiritual growth - I would see some things then write about them, and then see more things through writing about them. The writing process and processes of personal healing and growth seem to connect really well.

[Peggy]

Megan - feel free to borrow my one sentence wish list =)

While you borrow that, I'm going to borrow Wilma's "Want Nots" - what a perfect way to describe my Laundry List!

[Chris Edgar]

Hi Megan -- that sounds like a great exercise to me -- and I suspect that writing down what we want in someone else is often a reflection of the qualities we'd like to see more fully expressed in ourselves.

[suzen]

Hi Megan! Seems I'm "late" to the party! haha! Great post as usual, sweetie and being a journal junkie I do really appreciate and applaud Chaundra's contribution! I've journaled daily for over 40 years - yes, boxes and boxes worth. Best dang therapy in the world! It has been priceless and precious. I absolutely cannot recommend a better way of getting to know yourself, knowing what you want, reallllly want, working out icky stuff, seeing your own growth and progress, etc.etc.

I've been teaching journal writing classes half my adult life. I've seen how it has helped SO many people with so many things! Yep, I'm sold! The "investment" in time spent is the only one I know guaranteed to pay off well!

[Karl Staib - Work Happy Now]

Sounds like a great resource to build relationships that support you instead of tear you down.

The why and the how is so important. When we know why we need the things that we do then we can figure out if they are really what we need. If yes, then let's figure out a plan how to get them. If no then how can we reframe this so it doesn't hurt our happiness.

[Megan "JoyGirl!" Bord]

Hi, Paul!

Thanks so much for your supportive comment! I love reading how others have used writing as therapy; it just strengthens my own desire to do so, and do it more consistently. The way Chaundra presented it, too, really struck a chord in me. I love learning new ways to greater awareness. Love & joy to you!

Hi, Peggy!

I did and put that line right in my daily reminder calendar so I'll always see it! You're genius! I liked Wilma's "want nots," too. You guys are fantastic!

Hi, Chris!

I think you might be on to something there... Especially since we admire or abhor those traits in others that we, too, carry. Thanks for adding another layer to this conversation!

Hi, SuZen!

The party doesn't officially start until you arrive - no worries there! I am wow'd by your confession that you've journaled daily (DAILY!) for 40 years. Holy Toledo! And you've kept them all? Your future generations will have wonderful treasures to look through someday (if you choose let them). I always thought that's why I'd keep a journal, or mementos from my teen's and 20's... But being a minimalist and then reading up on Feng Shui, I actually dumped just about everything from my past that had a negative association. I wasn't left with much! (But my closet is really clean!)
Thanks for your always awesome comments and bringing your love this way.

Hi, Karl!

You put your comment so well, and added action to-boot. Having goals is one thing, but knowing how to get them is another, and then actually going about getting them still another!
Thank you for being here and sharing your thoughts.

[wendy]

Let me add my experience with a "wish list" for attracting a mate. It works! I wrote one up ages ago after my divorce and after a horrible romance-gone-wrong-he-already-had-a wife! Well, I wrote that list like an affirmation, every day and presto! About 6 months later, I met the man of my dreams. Yes, we got married and we're still in love. Now I have to figure out why his health is failing.

Thanks for the links. Will explore Chandra's blog and her ebook.

Oh yeah, I like that idea of analysing the list, with a view to deeper inner work. Hmmmm.

[Tabitha @ ichoosebliss]

this is something that I need to do. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[J.D. Meier]

I love the power of thinking on paper. It's one of the best ways I know to reflect and introspect ... or at least get a new perspective.

[Megan "JoyGirl!" Bord]

Hi, Wendy!

What a great story about how you met your husband - thank you for sharing it, and I'm so glad you found true love. Awesome! (But let me second your sentiments about figuring out why his health is failing... I'm sorry about that.)
Sending positive energy your way!

Hi, Tabitha!

You're welcome; thank you for coming by and sharing a comment.

Hi, J.D.!

Thanks so much for coming by, and like you, I find I can get to new perspectives when I write. Chaundra's method really intrigued me when I read about it.
Happy Monday!

[Jannie Funster]

I agree -- writing is the best therapy.

And Megan, when you go on a date will you bring your list and check the items off as they do or do not appear in your prospective Mr Right?? :)

[Megan Bord]

Hi, Jannie!

Hmm, I think you caught me! Although I wont have the physical list with me, its emblazoned in my brain. Im always doing the check, check or missed that one exercises in my mind. Egads! I hope THEY dont realize that. (smile)

Thanks for calling me out on this, Jannie! (Tee hee hee)

[Alexys Fairfield]

Hi Megan,

I am all for expanding consciousness through writing and when it enlightens others, that's even better. Thanks for the link.

[Kaushik]

Writing is so very cathartic and I found out the exponential power of releasing limiting beliefs with writing exercises through the Sedona Method. Chaundra's method sounds similar so I'm sure it's very powerful.

[Megan "JoyGirl!" Bord]

Hi, Alexys!

You're welcome, and thank you for commenting on this post!

Hi, Kaushik!

I'm with you: writing has helped me to see more clearly the thoughts floating around in my head, and helped me sort through things I otherwise would have distracted myself away from. Thanks so much for commenting!