Parrish sits cross-legged on a white couch with a laptop on her lap. She is looking and smiling at the camera.

Hi! I’m Parrish Wilson – Writer, Workshop Leader & Writing Therapist

I’ve been in love with writing since childhood—not to be read, but to be real.

 

Writing was how I made sense of the world, how I found myself, and how I learned to BE myself.

In 2013, as a mom of a toddler and a baby, I needed a new job. My career up to that point was in youth mental health and my depleted patience levels didn’t have the capacity for that type of work with two high demand sweeties at home. I turned to writing, that trusty love of mine, but quickly discovered I didn’t like writing for other people nor did I enjoy tying the value of writing to a publisher’s judgement.

 

So I started helping other people write.

Bringing together my own writing practice and my background in mental health, my workshops quickly became therapeutic with participants reporting cathartic-like experiences and a better understanding of themselves. This led to my later master’s research where I identified 5 ways autobiographical writing specifically supports trauma healing: breaking the silence, controlling the narrative, being witnessed, connection with others and cathartic release.

The Academics:

MA Counselling & Spirituality, St. Paul University
Grad. Diploma Creative Writing, Humber School for Writers
BAHons Psychology & Women’s Studies, Carleton University
Diploma, Child & Youth Worker, St. Lawrence College

Back in my years working with kids, I knew we needed more effective, embodied treatments for emotional and cognitive distress. Now I get to bring research-backed therapeutic writing workshops to people around the world.

Dream come true.

 

Creative practices move us toward happier, more fulfilled lives by offering a sense of meaning and opportunity for self-expression

 

A pen line

 

Read me here:

Rewriting the Trauma Narrative: The Effectiveness of Autobiographical Writing in the Treatment of PTSD and Complex Trauma, St. Paul University, Ottawa (2022)

You Are Not Alone: An Anthology of Perinatal Mental Health Stories from Conception to Post-Partum, Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative (2021)

More Than a Zero, Women Who Inspire (2017)

A few of my most popular blog posts: The Art of Journaling: Harnessing the Power of Self-Expression; Why We Left Beautiful Vancouver & Moved to “Onterrible”; I Guess The Concussion Helped?: Hard Lessons in Self-Care

 

 

Listen to me here:

The Power of Writing, Expert Speaker Podcast with Majeed Mogharreban

Journaling as a Path to Healing, The Simple Plan Podcast with Mia Moran

Living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Phoenix Wisdom Podcast with Janet Sandberg