Welcome.

How many times have you started journaling because you heard that writing could help you through a rough patch or create a vision for your future, only to put the pen down or close the screen in frustration?   Perhaps you have a journaling practice but it lacks spark/feels stale.  Or you’re dutifully writing daily gratitudes wondering why you don’t feel replenished. And what happened to creativity?

The answer may lie in the secrets that the brain has begun sharing with neuroscientists. In order for our journals to be effective tools as we navigate through life’s transitions,  create visions for our future, nurture creativity and meet the challenges of modern living it’s important to partner with our brains.

Welcome to my website. Perhaps you found your way here intrigued by the title.    What is the connection between writing and the brain?    Or perhaps you’ve learned that the brain has been sharing its secrets with neuroscientists and you’d like to understand how to use this exciting knowledge to make your journal a powerful life companion.

I am Deborah Ross and I’ve had a lifelong fascination with the healing power of telling a story.    I sometimes refer to the library card that I got when I was five as my first driver’s license.     Whether coordinating exhibits for the Smithsonian in my earliest career, working as a private practice psychotherapist mid-career or teaching journaling I’ve been dedicated to facilitating the relationship that we have with our stories.

Now the frontier is the exciting news that our brains are not fixed and rigid as previously thought,  but constantly changing in response to experience.    And we can use our pens to guide that process.    Instead of being buffeted like a rudderless sailboat our pens can be the rudder that guides us to safe harbor or new places to explore.