D.B. Ruderman, Ph.D., is an associate professor of English at Ohio State University at Newark and uses poetry to help people in recovery. He's scheduled to discuss his experiences soon.
Dr. Ruderman works with people recovering from addictions to alcohol and drugs, and he uses poetry to enhance the recovery process. His workshops are part of Newark's Day Reporting Program and provide alternatives to those who have been convicted of non-violent offenses.
Ruderman said he found similarities such as trust, mindfulness, honesty, and community in both the creative writing done in his classes, and in the methods used for treating addiction. He said he wanted to explore these similarities to see if his methods could help in recovery.
Using the creative arts in therapy can help those with mental health or behavioral issues, he says. Poetry in particular is useful, since it concentrates heavily on form (sounds, rhyme), which can help people free themselves to explore new thinking while shutting down their inner critic.
Ruderman will discuss his experiences using poetry in this way, share works written by participants in the program, and trace the connections between trauma, creativity, addiction, and subjectivity.
Dr. Ruderman's talk is scheduled for 7.00 pm on February 27, in the John L. and Christine Warner Library and Student Center, room #175. Poster printing can be used to provide signage to help attendees find locations of places like these.