Poetry Therapy for Building Resilience Among Educators and Students

Professor Anna Romanova has developed a poetry therapy training program aimed at strengthening resilience. The training was created in consultation with world-renowned poetry therapy expert Nicholas Mazza and with the support of Florida State University. The author has already conducted a series of workshops for administrators and educators from Ukrainian educational institutions, as well as cadets of a military academy.

The idea for the poetry therapy training emerged after Anna Romanova became acquainted with internationally recognized poetry therapy expert, former President of the National Association for Poetry Therapy (2022–2024), editor of the Journal of Poetry Therapy, honorary professor at Florida State University, poet, and psychotherapist – Dr. Nicholas Mazza.

"Poetry therapy is a healing practice that involves both experiencing and creating creative, symbolic writing. It does not matter whether it is a poem, an essay, a diary entry, or simply a collection of emotional expressions; the important thing is to transfer emotions and feelings onto paper or even onto a phone screen… There is no need to worry about rhyme or spelling — there is no censorship here, only personal expression. This helps people process trauma and overcome stress," the author of the training explains.

The training has already reached more than fifty participants from the field of education. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that by the end of the sessions, every participant becomes capable of writing their own poem – regardless of whether they had previous experience with poetry writing.

Here is an example of a poem about resilience written by a cadet of the Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine:

Resilience

Resilience reminds me of an old lighthouse standing on the edge of a cliff, one that has survived hundreds of storms and still continues to shine, even when surrounded only by arkness and wind.

When I imagine it, I feel calmness, confidence, and a strange inner warmth, as if someone placed a hand on my shoulder and silently said: "You will make it through."

It has a dark green color with golden reflections, like a forest after rain when sunlight finally breaks through the clouds.

It sounds like the steady beating of a heart, the crashing of waves against rocks, and the crackling of firewood in a fireplace on a cold evening.

To the touch, it feels like rough oak bark – strong, slightly coarse, yet alive and warm from within.

It tastes like bitter chocolate with a drop of honey: at first sharp and difficult, but then leaving behind a sweet aftertaste of hope.

It smells like fresh air after a thunderstorm, wet earth, and pine needles – the scent of renewal and the strength of nature.

Because of it, I do not break under difficulties; instead, I learn to bend like a branch in the wind so that later I can straighten again and continue growing.

(anonymous author, cadet, May 2026)

As participants of the training noted, they plan to continue using poetry therapy practices in the future – both to support their own psychological well-being and to help others.

The organizers are now planning to publish a collection of poems about resilience that could support and inspire others during difficult times.