What’s On

‘We sculpt a version of us and a version of the world and how we operate in it. Suffering, then, is when our patterns no longer fit. Suffering eases or ceases when we create new patterns, when we’ve landed on the further shore with a new coherent story.’ – From The Power of Suffering by David Roland

When our life is turned upside down by the death of a child, diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, natural disaster, chronic illness, financial loss, job loss, a tragic accident, sudden disability, divorce, or any other intense loss we have the opportunity to create a new life story, a growth story that takes us beyond our suffering and into new territory. How do we find this story?

Course Details

When: Saturday 20 February, 10am – 4pm
Where: In-person at the Byron Writers Festival office, 2/58 Centennial Circuit Byron Bay
Cost: $100 members, $120 non-members

Detailed outline

In this workshop David will introduce the concept of posttraumatic growth to provide participants with a framework to examine what happens after a life trauma or life upheaval and how, paradoxically this can lead to new beginnings and new ways of being. This is finding your new story.

First, we’ll write about how life was before – our past story.

Then we’ll write about the current story – how it is now.

Finally, we’ll write a new story that could incorporate elements of posttraumatic growth such as, personal courage, enhanced relationships, appreciation of life, new possibilities and spiritual change

The morning session will include introductions and guidelines for the day we spend together. The model of posttraumatic growth. Touching on core beliefs and how these can be disrupted and need to be remade. We’ll write the old story.

We’ll move onto writing the current story before lunch.

The afternoon session will be focussed on finding our new story and debriefing at the end.

David will provide writing prompts for each session and facilitate the discussion about how to apply them. He will offer some sample writings from his own work.

Participants do not need to use writing as their main medium for ‘writing’ their story. They could also use mind mapping, drawing and other methods for depicting their stories that are practical with the workshop environment.

Who is it for

This is for people who are resolving a life trauma, helping others to work through a life trauma, or fiction writers who are keen to understand the psychology of posttraumatic growth and how this might apply to their work. In the latter case, they might write about a fictional character that they are developing for a story.

About David Roland

Dr David Roland brings warmth, humour and insight to his work as a writer, presenter and psychologist drawing on his lived experience as well as his professional training. For more than twenty years David worked as a clinical and forensic psychologist in the treatment and assessment of clients ranging from children to adults. David’s latest book The Power of Suffering: Growing through life crises (Simon & Shuster, 2020) draws together the real-life stories of 11 incredible people who survived their crises and grew in transformative ways.