What If Clumsy Words Are The Bravest Words, with Margaret Bryden

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We are taught to chase “good writing” and avoid saying the wrong thing, but what if the clumsy, imperfect line is the one that actually helps you breathe again? Therapist and poet Margaret Bryden joins us to make a grounded case for bad poetry as a mental health tool, not a performance. When anxiety spikes or depression flattens your voice, polished words can feel impossible. Margaret explains why that is normal, and why writing badly on purpose can create safety instead of shame. 

We dig into what poetry really does in the body and mind: it contains big feelings, turns vague fear into something you can see, and makes room for ambiguity and contradiction. That is especially important for trauma and PTSD, where fragmentation and feeling unsafe can take over. Margaret shares how expressive writing and poetry therapy can support catharsis, integration, and connection, including what changes when a person shares a poem with a trusted listener and receives validation. We also talk about the cultural myth of poetry as elite and inaccessible and why everyday language is often the most honest language. 

You will leave with a simple practice you can try tomorrow: five to ten quiet minutes, a few slow breaths, and one question to start the page, plus a way to handle perfectionism when the inner critic tries to take the pen. If you want a gentle, practical approach to journaling, creative writing for mental health, and emotional processing that does not require talent, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs permission to be messy, and leave a review with the line you are most afraid to write.

Book: How I Understand It (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, launches September 1, Available for Pre-Order Now via website) 

Website: SageInsightTherapy.com

 Instagram: @Sage_Insight_Therapy

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