The Healing Power of Writing
Writing cannot change what happened, but it can change the way we carry it.
In this deeply personal talk, Tom Cottrell shares the story behind his novel Millwood and the unexpected healing he discovered during the nearly ten years it took to write. As he explored childhood wounds, addiction, loss and unresolved relationships, writing became more than an act of storytelling. It became a way of facing what had remained hidden, giving words to what had gone unspoken, and beginning to make peace with the past.
When Tom finally put down his pen and published Millwood, he discovered a freedom he had not anticipated. His experience reveals how writing, whether intended for publication or for ourselves alone, can help us understand our lives, honour difficult memories and loosen the hold of pain.
Honest, gentle and ultimately hopeful, The Healing Power of Writing is designed for small, intimate gatherings where reflection and genuine conversation are possible. It is particularly suited to hospices, support groups, recovery communities, book clubs and organisations working with grief, loss or life transition.
This is not a writing workshop or a promise of easy answers. It is an invitation to consider how telling our stories may help us live more freely with them.
Invite Tom to share this intimate conversation with your group. Contact him to discuss a gathering.