Writing a Book Can Help You Heal (and How to Do It)

As long as I can remember, I’ve kept a journal. I have boxes of them in my parents’ garage, scribbled pages recounting teenage crushes, cross-country moves, losing friendships, and rediscovering my spirituality. 

Expressing myself through words helps me process my day and detangle the deeper emotions. 

I’m also a writer by trade, working across journalism, content marketing, and now, as a fiction writer and writing coach. 

The first book I wrote was a memoir. 

What it taught me is that writing for an audience is distinct from just writing. 

You might be called to write a book because you’ve already done a lot of healing, and you want to write about it. 

A book not only recounts your healing, but becomes a healing transmission for others. 

Whether you’re writing a memoir, self-help, or even a novel that tells about the transformation of a fictional character, the writing process is inherently healing, because all these genres arise from a deeper truth of who you are.

Let me tell you how it works. 

Writing to Heal  

When you have an idea for a book, it’s likely you’ve already experienced a transformation. It might be healing physically, emotionally, or spiritually, or you’ve accomplished something against the odds, or overcome great barriers. 

There are actually three phases of healing when you write a book. 

The first phase is the one you’ve already been through, that is the idea for the book.

The second is the writing process itself. As you write, you’ll recall events and see them in a new way: hindsight. You might feel shame, regret, and greater compassion for yourself, all at once. This goes deep. 

The third phase of healing is when you publish. Even if people in your life know about your experience, you’ll be putting it in front of them in a new way. Some people in your life might refuse to read your book. Some might be critical. And some will be super supportive. I lost friends when I published my memoir, and got closer with others. 

Writing a Book vs. Journaling 

Writing a book is uniquely healing because you are writing for an audience. When you journal, you let your words flow, you don’t edit, and you express your emotions. 

When you write a book, you follow a familiar structure, and you write for someone who doesn’t know all the characters or situations involved. You have to set the stage. 

When you do this, it forces you, as the writer, to create some distance to the material, to consider how it sounds to someone who doesn’t know you. And you tell the whole story, start to finish. When you become the observer, you see the events in a new light. 

This distance gives you greater insight into yourself, which is healing. It also gives you a chance to validate your own experience. 

If you’ve ever found yourself lying awake at night, replaying an argument, or practicing for a conversation you’ll never have, you know how it feels to want to get your point across and not be able to. 

When you write a book, this is what you get to do. You get to say, without interruption, this is what happened and this is how it made me feel. 

You are reclaiming your agency over your own life. 

Healing to Write 

Because of all the healing that takes place when you write a book, you may find the process to be mentally and emotionally taxing. 

Writing requires you to face the inner critic. Many writers experience thoughts like, will anyone read this? Am I wasting my time? What if it’s not good, what if people criticize me? Is it really a good idea to share something so personal.

These thoughts are a natural result of telling your story, because of everything we’ve just talked about. You’re reclaiming your agency by writing. You’re validating your experience. This is actually rewriting neural pathways and building self-confidence. The old programs will try to resist, to bring you back to the familiar thoughts. 

But you’re not just doing this because your book will help people or even make you some money—you’re writing to heal. 

Many writers find practices like meditation, spending time in nature, or yoga to help them write. These are practices of patience and acceptance, which will help you persevere through the difficult thoughts that writing brings up. 

Energy Healing for Writers

A practice that is uniquely powerful for writers is energy healing. 

Energy healing is a deep meditation that opens up the subconscious by using breath and visualization. The subconscious is the nonverbal part of the brain, so it communicates using physical sensation and images. 

When you tap into your subconscious, you enable nonlinear thinking. Writing is a high-level mental process. Stories may be told chronologically, but themes connect disparate parts of the story and weave the pieces together in a meaningful way. This is impossible when you are only in the active conscious part of your brain. 

Energy healing helps you relax and drop into a restful brain wave state. Your intuition can take the lead. This is what writers call creative flow, and it’s also when the best writing comes through. 

Some additional benefits of energy healing are emotional resilience, physical vitality, and reduced anxiety. 

I teach energy healing for writers in my group and 1:1 coaching containers, where I help you finish your book with ease. If you’re a writer who recognizes a greater need for healing within yourself to support your writing, I’d love to support you. Visit my website to see my current programs available.