Life Story Writing for Seniors

Life story writing is an excellent way to build community with other seniors. Anne Flaxman, a certified instructor with The Center for Journal Therapy, teaches memoir writing for seniors in Fairfield County, Connecticut, as well as traveling around the country seeding new life story writing groups. Benefits of writing in a structured class include the guidance of a writing prompt, the coaching of a trained facilitator, the enjoyment of hearing the stories of others, and the power of writing and sharing one's own story to a listening audience. Writing groups also decrease isolation, reawaken dormant interests, offer purposeful activity and hone cognitive skills.