Wednesday, April 2nd, 9th, and 15th

5:30PM-7:30PM Phoenix MST
Location: Zoom
 

What to expect at a glance:

• Create a self-care writing ritual guide for managing difficult material
• Build a personal emotional boundaries toolkit
• Draft a writing safety strategies plan

Course Description:

In this trauma-informed workshop, writers will explore methods for writing about traumatic experiences while maintaining emotional safety and developing stronger narrative techniques. Drawing from leading trauma experts and contemporary memoirists, we'll examine how trauma affects memory, narrative structure, and emotional processing through the lens of both psychology and literature. We'll study Bessel van der Kolk's groundbreaking research alongside powerful memoirs like Tara Westover's "Educated," Carmen Maria Machado's "In the Dream House," and Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" to understand how writers successfully navigate challenging personal material. Through guided exercises, craft discussion, and attention to emotional safety, participants will develop tools for establishing boundaries in their writing practice and shaping their experiences into compelling narratives.

Writers will leave with practical strategies for continuing their writing practice, enhanced understanding of trauma's impact on storytelling, and techniques for managing challenging material while maintaining their wellbeing. This workshop creates a supportive environment for writers at any stage of processing their experiences through words. This course is designed for nonfiction writers who want to explore personal narrative through a trauma-informed lens. Whether you're working on a memoir, personal essays, or simply exploring your experiences through writing, you'll gain concrete tools for approaching challenging material with confidence.

About the instructor:

Dr. Tamara MC combines her expertise in Applied Linguistics with her lived experience as a child bride, cult survivor, and human trafficking survivor to advocate for girls and women worldwide. Her work exploring trauma, identity, and survival has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Newsweek, Salon, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She attended Columbia University's MFA program and has been honored with fellowships at prestigious writing programs including Bread Loaf, Iowa Writers' Workshop, Sewanee, Ragdale, Cave Canem, and VONA. Her memoir, CHILD BRIDE, chronicles her experience of being married at age twelve within an American Sufi cult.