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Check back regularly for new events as we update the list almost every week.

NOTE: All times are UK time unless otherwise specified.

Are you a Lapidus member who is running an event? Complete the form below to submit your event for inclusion on our website and e-newsletter.

LLRC October Recording

Compassion Journalling: Writing as a Practice of Self-Compassion and Resilience

Presenter: Kate Poll

Saturday 4th October 4:00pm.

Developed during an MSc exploring intrapersonal communication and the conditions that support emotional resilience, Compassion Journalling is a reflective writing practice that evolved in response to lived experience of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and a guiding question: if relational dynamics are central to wellbeing, what happens when we apply those insights to our relationship with self? After all, it’s the one we carry for life.

The practice emerged from research reimagining Gottman’s Four Horsemen metaphor through an intrapersonal lens — exploring how patterns of self-talk, nervous system response, and self-defeating storying can lead to internal disconnection. A reference to writing as reflective self-therapy in a paper co-written by Professor Paul Gilbert and Dr Jeannie Wright became unexpectedly foundational, helping shape a creative, sustaining tool that has since evolved into a compassion-focused, neuroinclusive journalling approach.

Now further grounded in Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Kristin Neff’s self-compassion research, alongside Internal Family Systems, narrative therapy, interpersonal neurobiology, and somatic awareness, Compassion Journalling supports emotional resilience and self-attunement. This session blends theory, guided writing, and shared reflection to offer a flexible, compassionate practice — one that supports emotional resilience, deepens self-understanding, and helps us stay present to ourselves and our work.

About the Presenter

Kate Poll is a writer, facilitator, and co-editor of the Lapidus Magazine and former Lapidus Board member, with a particular interest in reflective writing for wellbeing and inclusive creative practice. She draws on lived experience of neurodivergence, creative work, and carer experience, alongside involvement in stroke recovery projects, carers’ wellbeing groups, and independent living charities. Kate’s approach is shaped by community insights, health and care settings, and nonprofit work, with a focus on compassionate, relational ways of supporting self-expression and connection. Her work encourages honest reflection, practical tools, and small, sustainable adjustments that help creative and caring work stay both meaningful and doable.

Zoom Recording

You can view the recording here, please use the following password: !4#7+inF. You can also download the resources and references document here.

About the Lapidus Living Research Community

The Lapidus Living Research Community (LLRC) meets on the first Saturday of every month via Zoom to discuss all things research, with a focus on qualitative arts-based research practices, theory and methods.

All Lapidus members are welcome, regardless of research experience. FREE AND NO TICKETS REQUIRED. Use the Zoom link above to access the event.

Let This Poem Be A Hand upon Your Shoulder Poetry Therapy Workshop with Charmaine Pollard

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.

LLRC November

Collaborative research: This session offers a view of how, as a practitioner-researcher, I have used reflexive collaborative engagement with others to co-construct new knowledge.

Presenter: Kim Etherington

Date: Saturday 1st November 10:00am-11.15am

In conversation with Dr Jeannie Wright we will reflect upon the practices and processes involved in a project I undertook to explore my clients’ experiences of being in therapy with me. These ideas can apply equally to practitioners in the field of using words and writing for wellbeing who want to research their practice through inviting, listening and dialoguing, and making sense of experience with individuals or group members.

My curiosity was partly driven by my belief that we need to be accountable for our practice, and partly by my need to discover if, and how, my competence had developed over the years, and what worked and what didn’t work for my clients.

About the Presenter

Kim Etherington PhD is a professor emerita of Narrative and Life Story Research at the University of Bristol, UK, a trauma therapist, and board member for LIRIC – the Lapidus research journal.

Etherington, K. (2000). Narrative approaches to working with adult male survivors of child sexual abuse: The clients’, the counsellor’s and the researcher’s story. London: Jessica Kingley Pubs:

Jeannie Wright PhD: Lapidus International is the group of people I’ve stuck with – for decades now – unlike most other organisations, workplaces and countries! I’m on the LIRIC Editorial Board. Kim and I were joint Chair of Lapidus for a while and joint Research Director of Lapidus International for even longer. Finding one of Kim’s books 25 years ago enabled me to finish some research I was just starting.

Wright, J. (2018) Reflective writing in counselling and psychotherapy 2^nd ED. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Compassion Journalling: 4-Week Creative Course for Self-Kindness and Wellbeing

An introduction to Compassion Journalling using creative and mindfulness prompts to develop dialogue with your compassionate voice through a two-pen journalling technique.

This gentle, embodied approach helps participants reframe self-criticism, build resilience, and strengthen everyday self-acceptance through accessible therapeutic writing practices.

Course Structure: Four 90-minute online sessions exploring creative prompts, mindfulness techniques, and the practical application of compassionate self-dialogue in daily life. Participants will learn sustainable tools for ongoing reflective practice.

Facilitator: Kate Poll – MSc Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes, specialising in creative facilitation and reflective wellbeing practices. Author of ‘Writing myself back’ (Lapidus Magazine, Issue Six).

When: Wednesdays 1-2:30pm GMT, November 2024 Format: Online | Small group format Investment: £150 per person (15% discount for students & key workers* = £127.50)
One free place available per course for those unable to afford it. All experience levels welcome
Contact: katepoll@gmail.com | katepoll.co.uk
Suitable for individuals seeking personal development tools and practitioners interested in therapeutic writing approaches.

Healing Lines: Writing and Somatic Practices for Scars

Our scars hold traces of what we’ve lived — reminders of what the body has endured and how it has repaired itself. In this two-hour online workshop, we’ll explore these traces through reflective writing and body attention. You’ll be guided through acknowledging your scars and interacting with them, noticing their unique landscapes and the qualities they bring to your life. The focus is not on retelling the past but on listening to what your scars communicate now: resilience, protection, tenderness, perhaps even beauty. Through words, breath, movement, and attention, we’ll meet the marks that shaped us with curiosity and compassion.

This workshop is for you if you…
– have a scar — physical or emotional — that still draws your attention.
– want to reconnect with a part of your body that feels numb, distant, or changed.
– sense that healing happened on the surface, but something still lingers underneath.
– wish to soften feelings of judgment or shame about your body.

Led by Elaine Konopka, somatic practitioner, writer, and editor. She is the founder of The Attentive Body online and in Paris, where she teaches body awareness to help people live healthier, more intense lives. An avid believer in the power of the written word, she has been facilitating writing workshops for over a decade.

Sunday, November 9th, 2 – 4 pm UK time
Standard rate: 25 €
Supporter rate: 30 €

One-to-One Creative Support Sessions with Kate Poll (she/her)

Take time to pause, explore, and create – reconnecting with neglected and under-represented parts of yourself, and cultivating a fuller, more self-directed and connected way of being. These sessions place writing and voice at the heart of the process, supported by sound, image, and other creative tools for wellbeing.

Together, we’ll focus on what matters most to you, nurturing your strengths, giving voice to overlooked parts of yourself, and discovering fresh ways to navigate life with clarity and confidence. Sessions are gentle, collaborative, and shaped entirely around your needs and interests.

Practical details: Online, weekdays and some evenings. £80 per session, or £288 for a 4-session package (£72/session). 15% off for key workers, students, unwaged, and Lapidus members.

Please email Kate to book.

📧 katepoll@gmail.com | 🌐 www.katepoll.co.uk

Writing for Wellbeing workshop

Writing for Wellbeing Workshop for women on the theme of “Procrastination – Now or Never?”
I hold my workshops in the Conservatory within the tranquil gardens of Scampston Hall.
No prior knowledge is necessary. Booking essential via email. Please bring a notebook and pen/pencil. Coffees and teas are available.

Lapidus AGM

Dear members,

The date of our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is 19th November 2025, and we are looking forward to seeing as many members of our community there as possible. The Zoom link will be open from 6.45pm and we will begin at 7:00pm.

We wanted to let you know that you will have the opportunity to vote on a special resolution at this meeting.

The special resolution will be namely, that Lapidus converts from a private company, limited by guarantee, to a community interest company (CIC), again limited by guarantee.

We will send you further details nearer the time, setting out the Board’s reasons for seeking this change. We will also share the precise wording of the resolution, and the proposed new articles of association for Lapidus Community Interest Company.

In the coming weeks you will receive full details of how to vote, both on the day and in advance for those who can’t make the meeting itself.

This is an exciting time for Lapidus and we look forward to sharing our plans with you at the AGM.

Best wishes,

Lucy & Mel

Co-Chairs

Write Here, Right Now: a friendly quiet writing hour

Take a mindful pause in your week and join us for Write Here, Right Now — a calm, supportive online space for Lapidus members to come together and write.

Hosted once a month on a Wednesday lunchtime, this hour-long session offers a simple structure: a warm welcome from a Lapidus facilitator, a chance to briefly connect with fellow members, and then uninterrupted self-directed writing time. Whether you’re journalling, reflecting, or working on a creative project, writing in the quiet company of others can bring focus, motivation, and a sense of shared purpose.

We meet on Zoom. No pressure, no prompts — just you, your words, and a community that understands the power of writing for wellbeing.

Event details

This edition of Write Here, Right Now takes place on Wednesday 19th November 2025, from 1pm –2pm GMT (UK time).

The facilitator will be Mel Perry.

Please send any questions to membership@lapidus.org.uk (responses on Tuesdays & Fridays).

Joining the event

There is no need to reserve your space — simply turn up on the day using the Zoom link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81501593691

Meeting ID: 815 0159 3691

Writing to heal Christmas with Internal Family Systems

An Internal Family Systems (IFS) and expressive writing workshop for calm, compassion, and connection during the festive season. Connect with the parts of you that come alive (or feel burdened) at Christmas

Unburden old memories, stories, and pressures tied to the festive season
Invite in new, chosen rituals rooted in peace and authenticity
Reduce stress and anxiety by strengthening connection with your core Self

Through a mix of guided meditations, gentle writing prompts, small-group reflection, and moments of stillness you can reconnect with your core self: the calm, compassionate presence that can hold all parts of you with love.

The festive season can stir up a ‘parts party’ inside us: the perfectionist, the people-pleaser, the exhausted caregiver, the inner child longing for magic, the one who just wants to escape it all.

This online session invites you to bring gentle curiosity to these parts through creative and therapeutic writing. Using principles from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and expressive journaling, we’ll explore how to listen to, honour, and soothe the different voices within us, so we can approach the holidays with greater self-compassion, clarity, and calm.

Words in the Wood

Words in the Wood brings together the calm of nature and the joy of writing, in the beautiful surroundings of Hazel Hill Wood in Wiltshire.
The day consists of gentle facilitation with writing prompts and the chance to share in a supportive and like-minded group. No rules, no pressure — just space to breathe, explore, and let your writing flow.
The day will run with a group of 6-15 participants. We have access to beautiful spaces indoors and out, so the weather needn’t trouble us.

One-to-One Creative Support Sessions with Kate Poll (she/her)

Practical details: Online, weekdays and some evenings. £80 per session, or £288 for a 4-session package (£72/session). 15% off for key workers, students, unwaged, and Lapidus members.

Please email Kate to book.

📧 katepoll@gmail.com | 🌐 www.katepoll.co.uk

Let This Poem Be A Hand upon Your Shoulder Poetry Therapy Workshop with Charmaine Pollard

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 Friendship in All its Forms with Alison Cable and Kate Poll – Lapidus London Event

Romantic love gets plenty of attention, but what about the importance of friends to our health and wellbeing?

We’re exploring and celebrating friendship in this workshop for fun, but the research is clear: having a supportive network and closeness with others increases our resilience. In a city like London, where millions live and can still feel surprisingly alone, we all need connection.

An invitation to explore friendship in its many forms through visual and written prompts – some concrete, some abstract, playful and reflective – come see what inspires you on the day.

Alison Cable and Kate Poll are friends and share the editorial role at Lapidus Magazine.

About Alison

Alison, MA/MSc, is a creative facilitator based in north London with a background in literature, education, and writing for wellbeing. A former university lecturer in the US, she now lives in London, where she leads reading and writing workshops that invite reflection, creativity and connection. Alison serves on the Board of Lapidus International, volunteers with The Reader Organisation, and is a regular facilitator at the London Literary Salon.

About Kate

Kate Poll, MSc is a creative facilitator based south of the river and loves spending time on it (less so in it but her kayaking skills are rubbish). She works 1:1 with individuals through both private practice and social prescribing, alongside facilitating groups across health, care, and community settings. Kate specialises in reflective writing for wellbeing and neuroinclusive creative practice, drawing on lived experience of neurodivergence, creative work, and caring roles.

Contact: magazine@lapidus.org.uk

Book early as spaces are limited

LLRC December

Finding the road to voice again: after the silencing process by homophobia – Writing Into and In the Well of Being

Presenter: Ineke Duit

Saturday 6th December, 10:00am-11:15am.

I entered the silence, listened tenderly, and wrote my voice home.

Writing Into and In the Well of Being.

During my PhD journey, which I finished this summer, I wrote the thesis: “Coming to Voice: A Critical Autoethnographic Inquiry into the Process of Becoming Silenced and the Road to Finding Voice Again.” It has been a discovery journey. I explored the roots of my being silenced and its personal and relational consequences, while monitoring how various forms of scholarly and creative writing eventually brought me where I stand today. I found my voice again, which meant reconnecting with my feelings and longings; and I share my voice with the world, thus becoming an agent for change.

I will present my research, highlight some pivotal moments, and demonstrate how writing can act as a miner—laying bare layer after layer of personal, forgotten or neglected stories—and show how sharing our stories changes relationships, with the self and with others and how they can change the world, both locally and globally.

I will also offer a writing exercise to demonstrate writing into the well of being.

About the Presenter

Dr. Ineke Duit is a boardroom specialist, serving as a trainer, consultant, and executive coach. She assists leaders and management teams in navigating complex organizational transitions, with a focus on governance, culture, and organizational change.

Her recent academic work, culminating in the PhD thesis Coming to Voice, spurred her deep passion for creative writing, which has become a part of her daily routine. While completing her doctorate, she simultaneously earned a Master’s in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes.

Based on her PhD thesis, Dr Ineke Duit delivered her paper presentation ‘My pen is my vessel’ on the Creative Bridges conference 2025. She demonstrated how, by the process of writing in a variety of forms and in a timespan of some thirteen years, she eventually wrote herself a home and wrote herself home.

Her thesis ‘Exploring my feelings of shame and their impact on my coaching practice’, written for the Master’s in Executive Coaching, is published as a chapter in the 2^nd edition of ‘Behind Closed Doors; Stories from the Coaching Room’ (Erik de Haan and graduates, 2016, Libri Publishing).

Drawing on this unique interdisciplinary foundation, Dr. Ineke Duit now integrates writing into her leadership programs, OD work and coaching practice. She champions writing as a powerful yet gentle tool that allows leaders to explore their inner world, deepen self-awareness, and enhance decision-making and invites them to the true art of storytelling—crucial skills for effective modern leadership.

Zoom Link

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87390426161

About the Lapidus Living Research Community

All Lapidus members are welcome, regardless of research experience.

Make the Most of Your Membership 1:1 Call

Whether you’re new to Lapidus or have been a part of our community for years, we want to help you make the most of your membership.

Members can now book a bespoke, 1:1 Zoom call with our Membership Coordinator, to discuss how we can best support you through our events, networking and other membership offers.

What can you expect from a 1:1 membership call?

Calls last 20-30 minutes and are tailored to your needs. We can cover:

The best way to find your feet in our friendly, global community
A personal tour of our member benefits and how you can access them
Suggested ways for you to share your experience and offerings via our platforms
Discussing your areas of interest and how we can support your practice
A fresh pair of eyes to identify new opportunities for you within our community
Any other questions you may have or ways we can welcome and include you at Lapidus International

Where helpful, Flo will send a follow-up email with relevant links and opportunities for you to peruse in your own time.

How to book

Calls are available generally on Tuesday afternoons, 2-5pm UK time, and Friday mornings, 9am-12 noon UK time.

To book, please send an initial enquiry to membership@lapidus.org.uk. Flo will then reply to arrange a date and time.

Please note that 1:1 calls are a benefit that we offer to Lapidus International members. You must be a member to book a 1:1 call, and you can join our community from as little as £3.50 per month via our Membership Hub.

Writing the New Year In

Saturday January 3rd 2026, 10.30-12.30 and 4.00-6.00, and Sunday 4th, 10.30-12.30. £55 full course.

My creative goal-setting weekend is back! The best way to get what you want is to know what you want, and why you want it, in writing as in life. Knowing exactly what you want won’t mean you definitely get it, but not knowing, or being woolly about it, means you almost definitely won’t.

So start the new year with this fun weekend of workshops designed to help you identify the right writing goals for you in 2026 and start on the path to achieving them.

Writing Your Life: Uncovering the Treasures of the Past

Six Wednesday evenings, 7th January- 11th February, 7.30-9.30 in zoom – £105 full course.
Everybody’s life is amazing, and writing about your own life makes you even more conscious of just how amazing it is.
In this course, we’ll be exploring the kind of awareness, skills and techniques you need in order to find your stories, seeking out the forgotten things for a more rich and textured remembering, and a more exciting writing experience.

Discover Compassionate Inner Reality for Writing for Wellbeing Practitioners

This is a ten week online course, starting on Weds 21st January, 7 – 9.15pm looking at how to discover and promote compassion to all the parts of ourselves, with various poetic and writing prompts, pair work, and a spacious and gentle way of listening.

This is an innovative and inspiring approach to bring more compassion and understanding into our lives, through exploring resonance and accessing body wisdom.

Discounts are available if financial circumstances are difficult, so please inquire.

Literary/ Expressive Writing Journey in the UK: Fostering Insight, Inspiration & Rejuvenation

This excursion-retreat weaves together the inspirational power of strikingly beautiful locations with literary pilgrimage, lively literary discussions, and expressive writing for wellbeing.

During this 12-day UK adventure, participants will be invited to respond to stirring poems and prose pieces of English, Welsh and Scottish authors within sites associated with their life and creative work. In this program, we will travel through varied landscapes, savor restful stays in delightfully scenic surroundings, and visit historically significant places within the Cotswolds, southeast Wales, Liverpool, the Lake District, and Edinburgh. As we savor the charms and literary vibe of these places, we will enjoy numerous opportunities to amplify our sensory perceptions, experience playful creativity, gather rejuvenating memories, and gain personal insight, as we respond to stimulating writing prompts.

Registration for this trip is now open, and the final date to pay your deposit and register is December 5, 2025, but you are encouraged to register as soon as possible to hold your place in the tour. Contact Geri Chavis at ggchavis@stkate.edu to receive a detailed brochure and for answers to any questions you have. Arrangements for this trip are made by Sovereign Tourism, based in London.

Program Leadership by Geri Chavis, Founder/Convener of MN Poetry Therapy Network, Professor Emerita, St. Catherine University.

Included in the cost of the programme:

Teaching, facilitating and preparation of literary materials by Geri Chavis,
Accompaniment by a London-based blue-badge guide throughout the tour,
Accommodations at Four Star Hotels,
Private, deluxe motorcoach for transfer and touring, handling of luggage,
Seventeen meals including full breakfast daily, and six dinners,
Entrance fees and activities,
All gratuities,
Group travel insurance,
Assistance along the way from Sovereign Tourism, based in London.