The Emotional Healing Behind Words Workshop

Esther Ruth Kentish is a Houston native with a Bachelor's degree in English and Philosophy from the University of Texas at Arlington. She furthered her studies with a Master's in Technical Communication from North Carolina State University and an MSc in Medical Humanities from King's College London. She spent two years in the Oxford English Department working on her PhD. Kentish is recognised for her contributions to narrative medicine and has presented her work at institutions like Columbia University Irving Medical Centre's Division of Narrative Medicine

The Emotional Healing Behind Words by Esther Ruth Kentish is a unique interdisciplinary work that blends poetry, psychology, philosophy, and data analysis to explore the transformative power of language. Combining personal narrative with scholarly inquiry, Kentish examines how poetry can serve as a catalyst for emotional, psychological, and spiritual development.

Published in 2016, the book presents a collection of self-authored poems accompanied by critical metadata analyses. Kentish utilizes text-mining techniques to uncover quantitative and statistical correlations between the thematic and literary content of her poetry and the actual words used. This approach aims to reveal how specific linguistic choices can reflect and influence emotional states, offering readers a deeper understanding of the human condition and the healing potential of language.

The Emotional Healing Behind Words, has been successfully implemented in a variety of academic, medical, and business settings, focusing on the therapeutic potential of storytelling, poetry, and reflective writing. Through a combination of guided exercises, individual and group writing activities, and discussions, participants are encouraged to explore and express their emotions, confront difficult experiences, and reflect on their personal growth. The workshop also aims to improve communication skills, enhance empathy, and build a stronger sense of self-awareness and resilience.