You Have a Story. Let's Write It Down.
A narrative medicine writing class: an open page, and a room where your story is finally safe to tell.
Classes held every Friday · 9:00–11:00 AM PST | $30 CAD (+GST 5%) | The Root Centre
No writing experience necessary. Just come with a pen and an open mind.LET'S START HEREWhat is narrative medicine, exactly?
Narrative medicine is the practice of using story, your own story, to understand and process your life. Instead of just talking about what happened, you write it. On paper, in your own words, at your own pace.
It's not therapy, and it's not just a writing class. It's something more like a bridge between the two: structured enough to guide you, open enough to let whatever needs to come out, come out. You write toward a prompt, not a topic, and you follow wherever it leads.
The idea is simple, and it's old: the page can hold what's hard to say out loud. Once it's written down, it's a little easier to understand, and a little easier to carry.
THE SCIENCE, IN PLAIN LANGUAGEWriting as healing has been studied for decades, and the research keeps saying the same thing.
In 1986, psychologist Dr. James Pennebaker ran the first study on what's now called expressive writing, and the results surprised even him. People who wrote honestly about their thoughts and feelings, just 15 to 20 minutes at a time, showed measurable drops in stress and anxiety, fewer symptoms of depression, and even improvements in physical health. Decades of research since have found the same pattern, again and again, across very different people and very different life circumstances.
Nobody fully agreed on why it works so well, but the leading theory is beautifully simple: writing forces your scattered thoughts into a story with a beginning, middle, and end. And a story you understand is a story you can finally put down.
LET'S ADDRESS THIS NOWIf you're worried you're "not a writer," this is exactly for you
You don't need good grammar. You don't need a plan. You don't even need good handwriting. Nobody is grading this, and nobody is going to correct your sentences.
All you need is a pen, a page, and honesty. That's it. That's the entire skill required. If you can write a text message to a friend, you already have everything you need to be here.
You Don't Have to Be a Writer. THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT.
— WHO THIS IS FORThis writing class is for you if…
✓ You want a creative outlet, no writing experience necessary
✓ You've always wanted to write, but never knew where to start
✓ You want to understand yourself a little better
✓ You're carrying joy, grief, shame, or sorrow you haven't had space to put into words
✓ You're craving real connection with people doing the same inner work
✓ You believe, even a little, that to write is to heal
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORDr. Nicolette Richer, DSocSci
Nicolette is a Chronic Disease Reversal Specialist, serial entrepreneur, bestselling author of Eat Real to Heal, professional speaker, and podcast host.
Writing has always been at the center of how she processes her own life, long before it became something she taught. Each week, she gives the group two prompts, holds the space, and writes right alongside everyone else in the room.
"I started writing long before I ever called it a practice. It was just where I put the things I didn't know how to say out loud, the grief, the joy, the questions I didn't have answers to yet.
This group is that same permission, just held for you. You don't need to be a writer. You don't need the right words. You just need to show up and let the page hold whatever you bring that day.
This is the number one thing I love more than anything else. I do this because it's healing. It's cathartic. To write is to heal and I'll be writing right alongside you.”
OVER TIMEWhat you'll walk away with
A real writing practice
Tools and prompts you can keep using long after each session ends.
Real friendships
A small group of people who've seen a true piece of you, and stayed.
Processed emotion
Joy, grief, shame, sorrow, excitement, love, adventure, given somewhere to go.
A little more clarity
About what you know, what you want, and what you've been carrying.
CONFIDENTIALITYWhat's shared here, stays here
This group only works if it feels safe to be honest. Whatever you write, and whatever you choose to share out loud, stays inside this room. No one is ever required to share, and no one is ever asked to explain. You're free to write exactly what's true, and trust that it's held with care.
What People Usually Ask
-
None at all. This isn't a writing class, it's a healing practice that happens to use words.
-
Never. Sharing is always invited, never required. Some days you'll want to, some days you won't, both are welcome.
-
No. This is an educational and supportive writing practice, not a replacement for individual therapy or medical care.
-
Just yourself. Pens and paper are provided, though you're welcome to bring a journal you love.
-
Not at all. This is a drop-in workshop, come every Friday or just once when you need it. Each session stands on its own.
JOIN US.Every Friday. 20 seats. One page at a time.
You don't need the right words to start. You just need to start.
Classes held every Friday· 9:00 AM –11:00 AM PST | $30 CAD (+ GST 5%) | The Root Centre