Writing Our Way Into Recovery Wraps Up

From October 5 to November 16, the Collegeville Institute hosted Writing Our Way Into Recovery: Trauma, Addiction, and Healing, a virtual writing workshop series led by Reverend John F. Hudson and co-sponsored by the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ. Seven writers gathered each week on Zoom to use the spiritual lens of the Twelve Steps as a way to reflect upon our experience as humans in recovery: not only recovery from addiction, but also from broken relationships, loss of faith, and personal and communal trauma. 

A group photo with Karen Ziel, Assistant Director of the Center for Transformational Leadership of the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ, our workshop co-sponsor.

Each week, participants received writing prompts inviting them to reflect on the spiritual practices of the Twelve Steps, which include surrender, self-examination, confession to God, making amends, daily prayer, and helping others to find a higher power. These assignments provided valuable structure and motivation, encouraging participants to dive deep into their past experiences and spiritual lives. “The prompts were quite thought-provoking,” wrote one participant in their workshop evaluation, “and elicited amazing stories from the group [and] spiritual insights for many.” 

Workshop participants gave each other regular feedback, with a focus on providing positive affirmations, honest critique, and practical suggestions. In workshop evaluations, one participant noted with appreciation “the care with which people commented on each other’s writing.” Another praised the “humor and lack of judgment” in the group dynamic. 

Hudson, who is the Senior Pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn, Massachusetts, a former newspaper columnist, and a Collegeville Institute program alum, led this workshop. His lectures were rich in insights on the Twelve Steps, writing craft, and the publishing process. Even more important, as one participant wrote: “John’s kind demeanor made it safe for me to explore and improve.”

Overall, the workshop provided a safe space for writers to learn, explore new subjects—often deeply challenging ones—in their work, and benefit from a supportive community of writers. “I’d love to be in another workshop one day,” wrote one participant at the end. Another joked: “When is part 2?”

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