Lapidus Events

A structured 4-week course exploring self-compassion through creative writing and embodied practice. Develop a kinder inner voice, reframe patterns of self-criticism, and build sustainable practices for emotional resilience.

Drawing from Paul Gilbert’s Compassion Focused Therapy, Kristin Neff’s self-compassion research, and person-centred approaches, this course integrates psychological frameworks with creative exploration including two-pen dialogue, visual mapping, embodied awareness, and collaborative poetry.

The course is limited to 8 participants to help foster community and a sense of safety, and all participants receive a comprehensive 47-page companion guide. The guide contains exercises, weekly trackers, frameworks, and written and video resources for ongoing practice.

The course is designed with neurodivergent processing and varied energy levels in mind, with built-in safety supports and permission to adapt.

No previous writing experience required. Limited to 8 participants for intimate, supported exploration. Zoom link will be provided the day before the course starts.

Book direct: https://buy.stripe.com/cNiaEZ9fC6Un1N28KM9Zm08
Or via my website where the full course outline can be downloaded: https://www.katepoll.co.uk/#compassionjournalling

Limited concession rate places available: £149: https://buy.stripe.com/cNiaEZ9fC6Un1N28KM9Zm08

Perfect as a Valentine’s or Palentine’s gift to a loved one. Or else, a gift to self.

A radical act of self-love over Valentine’s weekend…

In this two hour Zoom workshop, together we will use poetry and writing prompts to fully understand the concept of self-compassion and the ways in which we sometimes judge ourselves unknowingly. We’ll also write an ode to our unloved or disowned parts.

Exploring the barriers that might sometimes prevent self-compassion and identifying opportunities for change and new ways of being we might consider.

All while learning how to ‘tango’ with that inner critic and enhance how we feel about ourselves through compassion-based meditations, discussions and writing prompts.

6 workshops on consecutive Wednesday evenings beginning on 18th February, whole course £105.
In writing for wellbeing we tend to focus entirely on content and not at all on form, but understanding the craft of storytelling can help us to relive our experiences more fully and write with more confidence.
This course begins with a look at how to use the basic building blocks of storytelling – plotting, characterisation, voice and settings – to shape your lived experience into truthful but engaging stories and goes on to explore some of the different forms and styles of creative non-fiction, from essays and themed memoirs to prose poems and lyric essays.

An introduction to embodied writing. Let’s discover the rich benefits of attuning to what we think and feel, and afford ourselves the space to listen. Express our individual stories, draw from our challenging feelings, and write without shame. It’s your turn to have your voice heard.

We will begin by looking inward, considering our individual experience, and what about it we might hope to express or share. We will consider our experiences of health and care as platforms for storytelling, asking ourselves, ‘what is the story we might wish to write?’ and ‘how might we tell these stories?’ If there are obstacles holding us back, we’ll briefly consider ‘what are they and how might we write about them, or in spite of them?’

Reading samples will provide us with impetus for new writing. We’ll consider works rooted in somatic storytelling, writing from a felt sense of our bodies and what our bodies might be telling us. We will also step back to reflect – ‘why write about health and illness at all?’ Learn the proven benefits to our own health and wellbeing when we write in an expressive or therapeutic way.

Course Outline
Session one of a series of three live zoom workshops with tutor of expressive and therapeutic writing, and coach, Andrew Kauffmann. Including a combination of reading, discussion and writing exercises. Later workshops on writing using metaphor in bringing our health stories to the page, and writing ethically and thoughtfully from challenging life material, will be taking place on March 11th and April 1st, also on Zoom, between 2pm and 3.30pm GMT.

Feeling the gap between the compassion you offer others and what you extend to yourself?

This small group course explores self-compassion through embodied practices, two-pen dialogue, and gentle inquiry – without forcing transformation or requiring you to “fix” yourself.

Over four weeks, we’ll: ✨ Work with the inner critic with curiosity, not combat ✨ Cultivate lovingkindness towards different parts of ourselves ✨ Practice holding boundaries alongside connection ✨ Develop sustainable practices for ongoing self-nurture.

This is an invitation to softness without collapse, self-nurture that isn’t escapism.

Two spaces recently became available.

When: Thursdays, 1.30–3pm GMT
Dates: 19th February, 26th February, 5th March, 13th March 2026
Where: Zoom (link provided day before)
Investment: £175
Concession Price: 159 concessions (email Kate direct for concessions booking link): katepoll@gmail.com

Full course outline available here: https://www.katepoll.co.uk/#compassionjournalling

Do you have a longing for feeling at peace with who you are, right here and now?

The only problem is, you have no idea of how to shut up the inner critic that lives inside you mind!

You know, the one that keeps telling you you’re not enough, you didn’t do enough, or that you’re just too much or too little of this and that…

We all have different stories on repeat from the inner critic, but we all share the experience of knowing how it feels to be judged by our own mind.

In this poetry and writing therapy workshop, we’ll work on:

-Exploring the unique ways your inner critic shows up in your life.

-Soften its voice through the gentle power of creative expression.

-Re-write your relationship with your inner critic, moving from self-judgment toward self-compassion.

It’s the workshop to join for you who want to befriend your inner voice!

This workshop is a collaboration between Hanna Svendsen from Writing Therapy Center (https://writingtherapycenter.com/) & Maria Ortega Garcia – transdisciplinary poetry therapy practitioner and educator (https://mariaortegagarcia.com)

You’ll get a Google Meet link to your inbox directly after signing up, so you can easily see the right time for the meeting, regardless of your time zone.
It’s a live workshop that will not be recorded, so you need to attend it at the scheduled time.

A series of monthly workshops that can help you explore feelings, and build your resilience as you connect with others in these challenging times.

The title theme for the workshops was inspired by a poem written by Deborah Cooper.
We will use carefully selected poems as a springboard for writing, reflection and conversations.

The workshops are for anyone who wants additional resources, in these unsettling times. It is for those who enjoy creativity, journalling, writing for personal or professional development.

No prior knowledge of poetry or expressive writing is required; you simply need to be willing to share, reflect and experiment with words in a supportive environment.

Writing for Wellbeing Workshop for women in the beautiful setting of Scampston Walled Garden. The theme is Nostalgia: Past and Present. No prior experience needed, just bring along a notebook and pen.
Workshops held monthly.
Punctual start at 11 am, finishing at 12:30 pm. Arrive 15 minutes before for tea and coffee (provided). Ticket cost is £15 to charity.

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” Aldous Huxley
I am excited to announce the return of Writing Coffee and Conversation—a welcoming event for anyone interested in self-reflective writing, journaling, and poetry.
Join us as we use carefully selected poems to inspire our reflections and discussions.
Our focus is on self-discovery and self-improvement.
We meet at selected bespoke cafés and places of interest across London, using these inspiring venues as a jumping-off point for our writing.
You don’t need to worry about spelling, grammar, style, or having any background in poetry or expressive writing. Just bring your curiosity and willingness to connect, reflect and experiment with words in a friendly and supportive environment.

About the Facilitator:
Charmaine Pollard is an experienced Certified Poetry Therapist, Counsellor and Life Coach with a passion for leading writing and poetry therapy workshops with a particular focus on self-awareness, confidence and resilience.
Her fusion of contemporary coaching with poetry therapy techniques have helped people from all walks of life, find self- compassion, contentment and success.

Poetry therapy is the intentional use of poetry and other forms of literature for healing and personal growth. Learn how to introduce therapeutic writing into your work, to help people improve their health and wellbeing.

What will we cover?
The course will explore the use of poems and expressive writing as a tool for self-discovery, creativity and personal development. No previous experience of writing poetry or expressive writing is necessary.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to…
Describe the basic principles of poetry therapy and therapeutic writing.
Explain the difference between creative writing and therapeutic writing.
List three different poetry therapy / therapeutic writing techniques.
Evaluate the importance of a safe and supportive framework for therapeutic writing

When I’ve finished, what course can I do next?
If you would like to continue building your confidence and facilitate groups, you can progress to the advanced level course Working with Therapeutic Writing – Advanced.

Charmaine Pollard qualified as a certified poetry therapist with the USA-based International Federation for Biblio-Poetry Therapy. She is also a BACP registered / accredited counsellor and life coach.
She has a passion for facilitating therapeutic writing groups and workshops in schools, prisons, libraries, clinical settings and in the community. She enjoys teaching at City Lit, as it is a diverse and vibrant place to learn. She especially enjoys introducing students to poetry therapy. Her courses are based on reading poetry discussing, and writing in response to promote health and wellbeing.
Charmaine Pollard is author of Writing for Resilience a workbook that harnesses the power of writing to help boost self-awareness and strengthen resilience. It is available to buy on Amazon.

According to Robert Frost ‘A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.’ Poetry therapy is the intentional use of poetry and literature to support healing, self-awareness, and emotional growth.
This experiential course deepens your understanding of therapeutic writing and equips you to integrate it into your personal practice or professional work. It builds on the teachings and learnings of the introductory course. Its overall aim is to support participants begin to create a framework to facilitate courses and workshops with various populations. Whether you’re a writer, therapist, educator, or healthcare provider, you’ll gain practical tools to help others improve their wellbeing through the written word.

About the Tutor
Charmaine Pollard qualified as a certified poetry therapist with the USA-based International Federation for Biblio-Poetry Therapy. She is also a BACP registered / accredited counsellor and life coach. She has a passion for facilitating therapeutic writing groups and workshops in schools, prisons, libraries, clinical settings and in the community.
She enjoys teaching at City Lit, as it is a diverse and vibrant place to learn. She especially enjoys introducing students to poetry therapy. Her courses are based on reading poetry discussing, and writing in response to promote health and wellbeing.
Charmaine Pollard is author of Writing for Resilience a workbook that harnesses the power of writing to help boost self-awareness and strengthen resilience. It is available to buy on Amazon.

In this workshop, reclaim your voice. Begin testing out what you have to say, and experiment with new metaphors and motifs to do justice to the vastness of your health or care story.

Here our focus is on finding a language, style and voice for your writing about health and illness that best reflects your story. How might you capture living with an illness, being disabled, or providing care using words that adequately reflect the complexity of your experience?

We’ll consider the expressive potential of creative writing as a corrective to prejudice and ignorance. We will also explore texts that write beyond the simple binaries of being well and unwell, life and death, fighter or victim. Contemporary works which upend conventional norms around writing about health and illness will be a stimulus in the reading material we draw from.

Course Outline
– Session two of a series of live zoom workshops, beginning on February 18th, with tutor of expressive and therapeutic writing, and coach, Andrew Kauffmann. Including a combination of reading, discussion and writing exercises.

– Reading material provided outside of the Zoom session

– Resources on telling your story within safe boundaries and the benefits to expressive writing on health and care experiences

Content rooted in the social model of disability, open to all people with health and care needs, and those who provide care

Paced to be a comfortable writing experience, suited to writers of all levels. There will be a short comfort break. There is no expectation to be on camera, if you don’t feel comfortable appearing on camera. Neither will there be any expectations around sharing what you’ve written with other participants. There will be an added focus in this coming series on writing in a range of experimental forms, mixing genres and without constraints or concern for convention on how we might write our story.

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” Aldous Huxley
Writing Coffee and Conversation—a welcoming event for anyone interested in self-reflective writing, journaling, and poetry.
Join us as we use carefully selected poems to inspire our reflections and discussions.
Our focus is on self-discovery and self-improvement.
We meet at selected bespoke cafés and places of interest across London, using these inspiring venues as a jumping-off point for our writing.
You don’t need to worry about spelling, grammar, style, or having any background in poetry or expressive writing. Just bring your curiosity and willingness to connect, reflect and experiment with words in a friendly and supportive environment.

About the Facilitator:
Charmaine Pollard is an experienced Certified Poetry Therapist, Counsellor and Life Coach with a passion for leading writing and poetry therapy workshops with a particular focus on self-awareness, confidence and resilience.
Her fusion of contemporary coaching with poetry therapy techniques have helped people from all walks of life, find self- compassion, contentment and success.

Humming Home is a 2-hour therapeutic writing workshop exploring belonging, homeland, and the journey home, wherever that may be.

Through gentle breathing and humming practices, poetry from across cultures, and guided writing prompts inspired by Toni Morrison, Mahmoud Darwish, Joy Harjo and others, you are invited to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with a felt sense of home. Humming, an instinctive, soothing sound, becomes both a mindfulness practice and a metaphor for the liminal spaces we move through as we leave, return, and redefine where we belong.

Facilitated by María Ortega García, PTP, from https://mariaortegagarcia.com

A series of monthly workshops that can help you explore feelings, and build your resilience as you connect with others in these challenging times.

The title theme for the workshops was inspired by a poem written by Deborah Cooper.

We will use carefully selected poems as a springboard for writing, reflection and conversations.
The workshops are for anyone who wants additional resources, in these unsettling times. It is for those who enjoy creativity, journalling, writing for personal or professional development.

No prior knowledge of poetry or expressive writing is required; you simply need to be willing to share, reflect and experiment with words in a supportive environment.

This is a five week online course starting Tuesday 14th April, 7-9pm. £175 Bursaries available. Please inquire.

This course will look at poems from poets (or their families) who have been displaced from their homeland, and exploring and experiencing the new insights and beautiful alchemy these poems work on us.

Each session will look at two poets, and time will be given to feel deeper into the poems with all our senses, and time to write your own response to the poem, and a chance to share it in a supportive community of writers. These writers of multi-ethnic and multi-lingual backgrounds fresh insights and portals into deeper perspectives on ourselves and our lives.

Led by Poet, Poetry Healing Practitioner, Focusing Teacher, Bethany Rivers (M.A.). She is mixed race and neurodivergent. She has two poetry chapbooks published with Indigo Dreams (Off the wall), and Fly on the Wall Press (the sea refuses no river). She is author of Fountain of Creativity: Ways to nourish your writing from Victorina Press, and has been teaching creative writing and writing for wellbeing for 20 years.

Photo is of Lorenzo Quinn’s sculpture Building Bridges.

If your body could speak, what would it say? Have you ever had a conversation with it on the page?

In this 2-hour workshop, we’ll explore ways to connect with our bodies and hear their voices through writing. Kate will also share learnings from her MSc research on mind-body writing and reflections on how the research still shapes her life all these years later.

As part of the workshop:

– We’ll explore activities to help us connect with our bodies through writing
– We’ll take some time for relaxation and reflection
– Kate will share her research findings, their impact and additional learnings 10 years on

You can find out more and book here: https://www.katemcbarron.co.uk/conversations-with-our-bodies/