Poetry As The Healer Initiative
PI: A/Prof Joanne Ngeow
Oncology ACP
SPECIFIC AIMS:
1. To implement a faculty development programme to train healthcare professionals in Singapore in the use of poetic medicine for patients and healthcare providers.
2. To support the development of a poetry therapy service for patients through the training programme.
3. To initiate research projects investigating the impact of poetry medicine in the local setting.
BACKGROUND / RATIONALE:
Poetry therapy, a form of expressive arts therapy, involves the therapeutic use of poems, narratives, and other spoken or written media to promote well-being and healing. The non-profit organization providing this training has developed a process that they refer to as Poetic Medicine. The participants in this training programme may use existing literature as part of treatment and/or encourage people to produce their own poetic works to express experiences and emotions. In either case, the trained poetic medicine facilitators offer a safe, nonjudgmental atmosphere in which people can explore their written expressions and associated emotional responses. The therapeutic value is enhanced by the interactive responses of people engaged in exploring a poem together.
In March 2024, NCCS-ONCO ACP partnered with John Fox, a pioneer in the field of Poetic Medicine and Poetry Therapist and the Institute for Poetic Medicine (IPM) to introduce the PATH (Poetry As The Healer) initiative to Singapore. PATH aims to explore the therapeutic benefits of poetry in healthcare settings, focusing on both healthcare professionals and patients. By integrating poetic medicine into healthcare practices, this project seeks to enhance emotional well-being, reduce burnout, and improve the overall quality of care provided to patients. A series of workshops were organised to introduce staff across SingHealth clusters to poetic medicine as a healing technique for patients and as a personal reflection technique. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive and many expressed the hope to use this as a tool with patients, with one noting within the survey 'I wish I had more time to learn the techniques of a Poetic Therapist.'
Recognising the profound impact and expressed desire of healthcare professionals to incorporate poetry medicine as a healing modality, we hope to continue PATH by establishing a local training programme in collaboration with IPM. This programme will equip healthcare professionals with the skills and techniques to conduct poetic medicine sessions with patients, and to train more staff in the future. By nurturing a network of proficient poetic medicine facilitators, we aim to foster a culture where the humanities, particularly poetry, play a central role in psychosocial healthcare interactions. This initiative represents a pivotal step towards enhancing the holistic care provided to patients and promoting the integration of creative and empathetic approaches within the healthcare community.
