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Healing Powers of Poetry
How I Understand It is a blend of poetry, memoir, therapy-informed reflection, and guided self-inquiry. Did you write these poems with a specific audience in mind, or was it a more personal endeavor?
Writing poetry–especially what I call Bad Poetry is always a personal endeavor, near and dear to my heart and my experiences. Because of this, taking my poems public has been a very vulnerable exercise. It is perhaps because this book has been the most vulnerable project I have engaged in that it has also produced the most delight and been one of the most rewarding experiences.
When I first started writing, I was writing specifically for an audience of one: my young daughter. I felt compelled to transmit information, my hard-earned wisdom, my therapeutic insights, to her in a way that would be accessible, engaging, and informative. I wanted to make a reference tool that she could return to throughout her life, one that would be a source of comfort and guidance if I could not be there in person. (I wanted to make not just something that she could refer to, but something that she would want to refer to.) I wanted her to know me, what I wish for her, and what I have learned about resilience that would be useful to her in different phases of her life. To my surprise, once I started writing, I found that poetry was the best vehicle for this project. The poems that became the core content of the collection poured out of me, one after the other. In writing for my daughter, I found myself all over again, and eventually realized that I was writing as much for me as I was for her. Once I finished writing the collection of poetry, the experience was so profoundly moving that I knew I wanted to extend the project further and bring it to a wider audience.
I started writing the book as a mother doing a very private project. But, as a therapist, I knew that the content of the collection would appeal to a wider audience. I’ve worked with enough clients to know that the topics covered in the book are topics everyone ponders. Bad Poetry is something everyone can do and benefit from. Bad Poetry helps us connect to ourselves and others in meaningful ways. Bad poetry helps us discover the strength within our vulnerabilities. Moving forward with publication was, in a sense, an embodiment of the Bad Poetry ethos.
In my profession, I have taught and experienced creative writing and particularly the healing powers of poetry. There is something magical that happens when we take important information, condense it, and infuse it with layers of emotion, with pieces of ourselves. Our ability to gain insight into ourselves grows. Our ability to engage in perspective-taking increases. Our resilience improves. And- who wouldn’t want that? This poetry collection is for everyone.
The book draws from your experiences as a therapist, mother, former spouse, and individual navigating life’s challenges. How did you balance personal vulnerability with professional insight?
I’ve always been a practical person. And, to me, poetry became appealing when I started to understand its practical applications and specifically how I could use it as a tool for self-improvement, insight, and growth. It is much easier for me to be vulnerable if I understand why I’m doing it and that my vulnerability is serving a purpose worth pursuing. The private matters I discuss in the book, I do so with intentionality and purpose.
Additionally, my book is all about how I understand my experiences and life. I don’t know that I can separate my understanding of my experiences from my professional insights because my profession has informed me and shaped me profoundly. Becoming a therapist has given me the language to talk about my experiences in a way that I find deeply satisfying.
What misconceptions about healing do you encounter most often?
So many that it is hard to list!
I will say this: More often than not, healing requires us to confront pain, hold it, and metabolize it.
Many people believe that they cannot handle pain. That to confront the emotional pain would be too life-threatening. It is, in fact, more life-threatening to avoid your own emotions and pain. It leads to so much disconnection, suffering, and stagnation- much more so than if you took the initiative to confront, hold and metabolize it.
If you are anything like I once was, and thought that poetry was a frivolous, self-indulgent luxury, I have news. Bad Poetry is a way to take the initiative and gently metabolize pain, at your own pace. And it works!
What do you hope readers take away from the sections dealing with relationships and codependency?
Hope!
Everyone wants love, to have it, to give it… Humans are wired for connection. We just can’t help ourselves. Relationships are wonderful. Connections and especially romantic connections are ways that we learn more about ourselves, and they are how we learn how to give and receive love. Difficulties in relationships, such as codependency issues, are invitations to examine our relationship with ourselves and erroneous conceptions that we might have about what constitutes love. It is worth the effort to fully be present for your relationships, to listen to your emotions… It makes space for real love to grow.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website | Amazon
How I Understand It is a candid, unconventional collection of poems, reflections, and clinical insights from a therapist who isn’t afraid to call out codependency, detail the emotional complexities of grief, or tell imposter syndrome to go f*ck itself. Each chapter explores a universal theme-love, divorce, dating, trauma, forgiveness, grief, motivation-blending raw poetry with therapeutic commentary and journaling prompts that invite readers into their own journey of insight and growth. The book culminates with a guide on how to build your own collection of poetry for resilience, making it a practical therapy tool for anybody looking to upgrade their self-expression repertoire.
Whether you’re a therapy client, a clinician, or a human navigating the tender terrain of adulthood, this book is here to remind you: your emotions make sense, your perspective is valid, and your story is still being written.
This is not your average poetry book.
This is not your average self-help book.
This is How I Understand It.
How I Understand It
How I Understand It: A Bad Poet’s Guide to Mental Health & Resilience is a deeply personal blend of poetry, memoir, therapy-informed reflection, and guided self-inquiry. Author Margaret Bryden writes from the overlapping places of therapist, mother, former spouse, wounded person, and stubbornly hopeful human being, moving through love, belonging, divorce, pregnancy, aging, trauma, grief, parenting, imperfection, and creative resilience. The book’s central idea is simple but surprisingly fertile: “bad poetry” can be a brave, playful way to tell the truth, make sense of pain, and build a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
I appreciated the book’s refusal to act polished in the ways books about healing often do. Bryden’s voice can be funny, blunt, tender, profane, and oddly ceremonial, sometimes all within the same page. I found that tonal looseness disarming. A poem like “Making Love Alone,” with its cookie, its solitude, and its sweet redefinition of intimacy, captures the book at its best: warm, strange, embodied, and quietly radical. I also liked the way Bryden keeps returning to personal responsibility without turning it into punishment. In poems about boundaries, codependency, and divorce, she doesn’t soften the bruises, but she also doesn’t linger in helplessness. The writing is not traditionally elegant all the time, and it doesn’t seem to want to be. Its charm is more ragged than refined, more alive than sculpted.
The ideas in the book stayed with me because they’re grounded in emotional reality rather than neat self-help slogans. Bryden’s treatment of grief, especially the long case-study sequence on grief avoidance, is messy and uncomfortable in a way that feels honest. Her reflections on pregnancy and motherhood are just as affecting, particularly when the body becomes both a site of wonder and bewilderment. I was moved by how often the book turns toward paradox: selfishness as a path to deeper love, boundaries as a way of drawing the right people closer, success as boring and humble, and death as a reason to live more fully. There’s a real pulse here, a sense that the author has earned her insights by walking through the smoke herself.
By the end, I felt that How I Understand It is less concerned with being a perfect poetry collection than with becoming a companion for people trying to hear themselves clearly. Its ending, especially the defiant tenderness of “Imposter Syndrome Can Go Fuck Itself” and the practical invitation to make one’s own poems of resilience, gives the book a satisfying sense of arrival. This is a heartfelt and emotionally generous book. I’d recommend it to readers who like therapy-adjacent writing, reflective poetry, journaling, and books that speak plainly about love, grief, trauma, and the difficult art of becoming kinder to yourself.
Pages: 234 | ASIN : B0H2FPMTS9
God Is For Us and Not Against Us
A New Song is a deeply personal, spiritual, and practical guide to reviving love and connection within a Christian marriage. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wrote this book to dig into my life to rediscover and clarify my experience of the Lord’s work in my life and marriage – what He had taught, and was continuing to teach me about myself, and how He had worked, and was continuing to work in my marriage. We go along from day to day, and it is easy to lose the details of the past. It can be important to go back and recapture and articulate them not only for ourselves, but to share them with others. I had completed a certification program to be a life coach. I wanted to focus on helping Christian women who were struggling in their marriages, as I had. I had always wanted to write a book. This was the perfect opportunity.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you wrote your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest thing for me to write about was probably my mother’s death and its impact on me. It was very personal, but its impact was so strong and far reaching, I couldn’t leave it out. Our past shows up in our present giving us an opportunity for healing.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The three most important ideas for me to share in this book were the three main topics. The first was that we create our own reality – the reality we experience – by how we think and what we focus on. The second was the importance of releasing everything, including our spouse, to God. Letting go, getting out of the way and trusting Him fully to work. The third was to then focus on our self and our growth – to become more and more the person God is calling us to be in our life and marriage.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
I hope readers take away that there is hope. That God is for us and not against us and that if we release our relationship to Him, He will do amazing things!
Author Links: Facebook | Facebook 2 | Website
Do you love the Lord and seek to follow Him in all areas of your life, including your marriage? In A New Song, Miriam Hampton outlines a path to God’s peace, love, and harmony in your relationship with your spouse.
Are you wondering what went wrong after your marriage began so well? If you’re feeling alone, frustrated, unloved, or unsupported, A New Song shares a message of faith for your life. Using biblical principles, this book will guide you to refocus, release, and renew your central relationship.
In your journey through the pages of A New Song, you will discover how to be the catalyst for new love and life in your marriage by:
Returning to love through refocusing
Abiding in the peace of God’s presence, letting go, and letting Him work in ways you could not imagine!
Growing into the fullness of who God made you to be and keeping your marriage growing
Author Miriam Hampton, a certified life coach, has fifty years of experience in her own marriage. Walking with God through Christ, she has seen their marriage grow from a codependent/alcoholic relationship to the happy, healthy one it is today.
Bring new life into your most important relationship today!
Available in Kindle and paperback. Click ‘Look Inside’ to begin reading now.
A New Song
Miriam Hampton’s A New Song is a deeply personal, spiritual, and practical guide to reviving love and connection within a Christian marriage. Drawing from her own journey through addiction, depression, and the slow rebirth of intimacy with her husband, Hampton delivers not just advice, but lived experience. The book is structured around three powerful phases: Refocus, Release, Renew, each meant to bring clarity, healing, and transformation. It’s not your usual “how-to” manual. It’s more of a heart-to-heart, with God right at the center.
One of the most striking aspects of Hampton’s writing is her unflinching honesty. From the very beginning, she invites readers into the idealistic early days of her marriage in the 1970s, an era of creativity and youthful optimism. Yet, she does not shy away from revealing how swiftly those dreams were tested by the realities of addiction, emotional isolation, and personal despair. Her vulnerability is both poignant and powerful. In the chapter titled “Our Past in Our Present,” Hampton recounts a moment so raw, admitting she sometimes wished her husband wouldn’t return home due to his drinking, that it’s impossible not to feel the weight of her anguish. And yet, the transformation that follows, born of faith, reflection, and persistent emotional work, feels deeply authentic and profoundly moving.
I also really loved the section about “refocusing.” Hampton goes deep into the psychology of our thoughts and emotions, especially our brain’s negativity bias. She writes, “What we focus on expands and creates the reality we live in.” It’s such a simple truth, but she explains it with warmth and clarity, not fluff or preachiness. The example she gives, where she catches herself in a negative thought pattern and instead chooses to respond with love, was practical and made me feel like I could do it too.
What surprised me was how seamlessly Hampton mixes neuroscience, scripture, and practical coaching tools. In “Your Brain and You,” she breaks down how subconscious programming affects marriage dynamics without sounding like a textbook. Her conversation around “ANTS” (Automatic Negative Thoughts), inspired by Dr. Daniel Amen, was spot on. I found myself underlining whole paragraphs, especially when she described the spiritual tug-of-war for our focus and how affirmations and gratitude can help us rewire our reactions. It’s the kind of stuff you want to stick on your fridge or journal about.
A New Song is as much about personal transformation as it is about marriage. I’d recommend it to anyone, especially women, who feel like they’re stuck in relational patterns that keep repeating. It’s faith-based, no doubt, but even if you’re not Christian, the emotional truths ring clear. This is for people ready to stop pointing fingers and start looking inward. It’s honest, hopeful, and filled with grace. It gave me not just insight, but courage.
Pages: 208 | ASIN : B0BRBKWP9N
It Takes a Woman to Empower Women
Johanna Crawford’s It Takes a Woman to Empower Women is a heartfelt guidebook for women navigating the aftermath of abusive relationships. Drawing from her personal experiences and her work with over 2,200 survivors through the Web of Benefit nonprofit, Crawford combines memoir with practical advice. The book walks readers through the nuances of abuse, offering a mix of survivor stories, empowerment exercises, and step-by-step strategies for building a life free of violence. With its central themes of resilience, self-care, and dreaming big, the book is a beacon of hope for women reclaiming their power.
One thing that stood out to me was Crawford’s candid storytelling. Her recounting of her own childhood trauma, marked by her father’s abuse and her mother’s despair, was both heartbreaking and inspiring. In Chapter 1, she writes about how she used to crawl to the end of her bed in fear, clutching her blanket as her father raged below. These raw glimpses into her past not only ground the book in authenticity but also show that she understands survival on a personal level.
It’s not just advice she’s offering—it’s hard-won wisdom. The actionable tips sprinkled throughout the book are empowering and refreshing. I especially appreciated the journaling prompts and affirmations, which encourage introspection and self-love. However, I wish she delved deeper into some of the more complex challenges survivors face, such as navigating systemic barriers to financial independence. While the book touches on these issues, it left me wanting a bit more.
The most moving parts of the book were the survivor stories, like Choko’s in Chapter 2. Crawford recounts how Choko, a doctor in her home country, fled an abusive husband to rebuild her life in the U.S. Despite financial struggles and her son’s resentment, she persisted with the help of Web of Benefit grants. Reading about Choko’s transformation from despair to empowerment felt like a testament to the book’s message. These stories make the book shine, illustrating that hope and recovery are possible.
It Takes a Woman to Empower Women is a compassionate and inspiring resource. It’s perfect for survivors of abuse looking to reclaim their lives and for anyone seeking to understand the journey of resilience. The writing is straightforward and conversational, making it accessible without diminishing the gravity of its subject matter.
Pages: 203 | ASIN : B0CCZSTJWG
The Alchemy of Shadow Work: Sacred Relationships Unveiled
The Alchemy of Shadow Work by James A. Poke and Tanasia Poke delivers a powerful guide to creating relationships that flourish beyond the constraints of generational patterns. Rooted in their transformative H.E.A.R.T. method (Holistic Engagement Alchemizing Relationship Transformation), the book offers a wealth of practical exercises and meditations. It invites readers to embark on a profound healing journey that nurtures emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual growth, both individually and as partners. Messages of healing childhood wounds, unraveling the desire for control, and rewriting relationship narratives make the experience deeply immersive and impactful.
What truly impressed me was the book’s practical approach. It doesn’t just offer theories; it asks you to do the work. With spaces to reflect and write, the book becomes a personal journal of discovery. I found the exercises revelatory, particularly a prompt that asked me to “write about a time when you felt the need to hide your true feelings in a relationship.” It challenged me to confront hidden parts of myself, and I emerged more honest and unashamed, even embracing desires I had previously suppressed. Nature lovers will find themselves captivated by the book’s integration of the natural world into healing practices. The poetic language and the imagery tied to nature create a beautiful, almost meditative reading experience. One prompt even inspired me to visit a park and allow “the sights, sounds, and smells of nature to comfort the wounds of” my inner child—a testament to the book’s ability to connect readers deeply with the environment around them. The flow of the book ensures that readers feel guided, not rushed. Each chapter builds thoughtfully on the previous one, with thematic depth and clear directions making the process accessible yet deeply engaging. The authors encourage a patient approach, inviting you to savor the journey and allowing each chapter to unfold naturally. This creates a rhythm that feels both gentle and powerful.
The Alchemy of Shadow Work is packed with rich resources. It covers enlightening topics, offering psychological insights that help readers understand themselves and their partners more profoundly. The meditations are especially uplifting, providing therapeutic tools that support a harmonious relationship and personal well-being. Every page feels like a masterfully crafted piece of a larger puzzle designed to transform love and nurture growth. This book is a must-read for anyone committed to personal and relational transformation. It’s a masterclass in shadow work, presented in an engaging, poetic, and practical way. Whether you seek to deepen your bond with a partner or simply want to understand yourself better, The Alchemy of Shadow Work is a guide you’ll return to time and time again. Highly recommended!
Pages: 145 | ASIN : B0DFN2Y751
Higher Love: A Psychedelic Travel Memoir of Heartbreak and Healing
Anne Kiehl Friedman’s memoir, Higher Love, offers a candid and powerful recount of her journey with drugs, psychedelics, and medicinal products. Within its pages, Friedman delves into the societal pressures placed on women in North American culture—pressures to be thin, beautiful, marry young, and have a large family—expectations ingrained from a young age that followed her into adulthood. Friedman’s life took a significant turn when she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which led her to grapple with her mental health, self-medication, and self-worth, often defined through her relationships. After ending her engagement with a man also struggling with self-worth, she decided to leave everything behind and travel.
One of the strengths of Higher Love is Friedman’s upfront message at the beginning of the book, cautioning readers against seeking quick fixes for mental and physical health issues. This “Don’t Do What I Did” message is crucial in memoirs addressing drug addiction and substance abuse, as it emphasizes the importance of avoiding actions that can cause irreparable harm. The memoir tackles profound and meaningful subjects such as mental health, body dysmorphia, and relationships, areas increasingly highlighted by social media. Friedman’s narrative sheds light on the damaging impact of societal beauty standards on youth. Her honest recount of feeling pressured to be thinner, happier, and in a loving, long-term relationship is both dark and heart-wrenching. Particularly poignant is her reliance on cannabis to manage her emotional state rather than its intended use for alleviating Lyme disease symptoms, which adds a layer of emotional depth to the memoir. Friedman could enhance her memoir by delving deeper into how the thoughts and actions of those around her affected her mental state. The initial chapters quickly outline her relationship with David, focusing more on her feelings about the relationship rather than how David’s actions influenced her. Expanding on how David shaped her thoughts, actions, and weight could provide greater insight into how these relationships contributed to her mental state and personal growth.
Higher Love raises important and controversial topics surrounding drugs and mental health. It is exceptionally well-written and profoundly engaging. Psychedelics are potentially dangerous due to the unpredictable nature of their effects but under professional guidance, they may benefit some individuals.
Pages: 259 | ASIN : B0CZ4SH4FL
Sisters in the Storm
Sisters in the Storm: For Moms of Mentally Ill Adult Children by Linda Hoff is a book about the author’s struggles as the mother of a son diagnosed with chronic paranoid schizophrenia. Hoff offers encouragement to other mothers facing a similar situation dealing with a mentally ill adult child, providing support, advice, and resources. In this book, the author shares the lessons she learned and insights gained from her personal journey to help other parents discover ways to cope, find acceptance, and reclaim their own lives.
This is an inspiring and informative book to read for anyone with a family member or friend who struggles with mental illness. Linda Hoff provides valuable tools to live a better, more joyful life despite the difficult battles faced. There is great comfort in knowing that we are not alone and that many others understand what we are going through. I liked that each chapter in the book began with a few lines of poetry, and each chapter ended with a visualization journey.
The inclusion of the author’s personal stories (or stories from friends or acquaintances), which were used to illustrate the author’s points, allowed me to connect with Hoff. For example, a very significant point that the author highlighted was the importance of learning to not allow her own mental health and well-being to suffer due to her child’s mental illness. My favorite chapter in the book was the one about living a joyful life with the twelve elements of hope, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, reverence, generosity, energy and vitality, listening, laughter, love, cheerful enthusiasm, and inner peace, with actionable to-do lists and mediation exercises. I appreciated that the author gave suggestions that she learned from her specific experience and provided information about additional resources where readers can find help for their own personal situations.
One style element in the book’s formatting was to repeat sections of text like in a magazine article style. This method is effective in highlighting important points in writing. However, I felt, at times, it was overused. With so much fantastic information in this supportive book, I can understand why it was hard for the author to decide what key pieces to highlight.
Sisters in the Storm: For Moms of Mentally Ill Adult Children is a heartwarming book for mothers that take on the burden of trying to shoulder everything. It can be an overwhelming experience, and having a book like this to read and look back at gives them the knowledge they are not alone.
Pages: 422 | ASIN : B09VLHL2DG
