— Mary Tinucci has always believed that everyone has an important story to tell. She has always believed that everyone wants to be seen, heard, and understood. Mary has always believed that we are all creative in some way. She has always believed that having an outlet for creativity, a place to share our stories, and being heard are healing. She also has always believed that there is an important link between our stories being told and heard and having access to a creative means of expression to share these stories. Mary designed The Poetry LAB with these beliefs in mind.
Valeria interviews Mary Tinucci — she is the author of “The Poetry LAB: A Curriculum Guide for Facilitators - Employing the Use of Groupwork, Writing Circles & The Therapeutic Use of Poetry with Youth.”
Mary Tinucci is also a clinical social worker in private practice and a social work professor. She teaches in the graduate program at Walden University in the Barbara Solomon School of Social Work. Her private practice which she has named, “Think in Possibilities” is based in St. Paul, Minnesota. There, she provides clinical supervision for social workers who are pursuing their next level of licensure in the social work profession and coaching for clients who are seeking support for personal and professional development. Her work is focused on supporting the personal growth, professional development, and transformation of all of her students and clients.
Each facet of Mary’s work – clinical social work, group work, coaching, supervision, training, consultation, and teaching - is informed and fueled by attitudes of hope, creativity, and inspiration. In her work, she integrates her love of poetry and journaling as a healing practice, her belief in the principles of positive psychology to support emotional health, and a variety of creative practices that support personal growth, professional development, self-care, and overall well-being.
In 2004, Mary developed The Poetry LAB, an arts & wellness-based program serving adolescents in St. Paul Public Schools. The Poetry LAB is a groupwork model that employs the therapeutic use of poetry and spoken word performance to support the social & emotional health of youth. Mary wrote the Poetry LAB curriculum and trains social workers, educators, and other mental health providers how to initiate and facilitate Poetry LAB groups in their schools and communities.
To learn more about Mary Tinucci and her work, please visit: thinkinpossibilities.com
The Poetry LAB Curriculum Guide is now available on Amazon — the direct can be found on Mary’s podcast page — The Poetry LAB Curriculum Guide is also available as a Digital Download at her website:
https://thinkinpossibilities.com/product/employing-the-therapeutic-use-of-poetry-with-youth/
— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.
