Intensive Journal Method
Encyclopedia
The Intensive Journal Method is a psychotherapeutic
technique largely developed in 1966 at Drew University
and popularized by Ira Progoff
(1921–1998). It consists of a series of writing exercises using loose leaf
notebook
paper in a simple ring binder
, divided into sections to help in accessing various areas of the writer's life. These include a dialogue
section for the personification of things, a "depth dimension" to aid in accessing the subconscious
and other places for recording remembrances and meditations.
The original Intensive Journal contained only 16 sections, but was later expanded to include five additional sections as part of Progoff's "process meditation" method. It has been the inspiration for many other "writing therapies" since then and is used in a variety of settings, including hospital
s and prison
s, by individuals as an aid to creativity
or autobiography
, and often as an adjunct to treatment in analytic
, humanistic
or cognitive therapy
.
The Intensive Journal Method is a registered trademark of Progoff and used under license by Dialogue House Associates, Inc of New York, who train facilitators and consultants in the use of the method and coordinate an ongoing series of public workshops using the method throughout the United States and elsewhere.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
technique largely developed in 1966 at Drew University
Drew University
Drew University is a private university located in Madison, New Jersey.Originally established as the Drew Theological Seminary in 1867, the university later expanded to include an undergraduate liberal arts college in 1928 and commenced a program of graduate studies in 1955...
and popularized by Ira Progoff
Ira Progoff
Ira Progoff was an American psychotherapist, best known for his development of the Intensive Journal Method while at Drew University. His main interest was in depth psychology and particularly the humanistic adaptation of Jungian ideas to the lives of ordinary people...
(1921–1998). It consists of a series of writing exercises using loose leaf
Loose leaf
The term loose leaf is used in the United States, Canada, and some other countries to describe a piece of notebook paper which is not actually fixed in a spiral notebook...
notebook
Notebook
A notebook is a book or binder composed of pages of notes, often ruled, made out of paper, used for purposes including recording notes or memoranda, writing, drawing, and scrapbooking....
paper in a simple ring binder
Ring binder
Ring binders are folders in which punched pieces of paper may be held by means of clamps running through the holes in the paper...
, divided into sections to help in accessing various areas of the writer's life. These include a dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
section for the personification of things, a "depth dimension" to aid in accessing the subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
and other places for recording remembrances and meditations.
The original Intensive Journal contained only 16 sections, but was later expanded to include five additional sections as part of Progoff's "process meditation" method. It has been the inspiration for many other "writing therapies" since then and is used in a variety of settings, including hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s and prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
s, by individuals as an aid to creativity
Creativity
Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...
or autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, and often as an adjunct to treatment in analytic
Analytical psychology
Analytical psychology is the school of psychology originating from the ideas of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. His theoretical orientation has been advanced by his students and other thinkers who followed in his tradition. Though they share similarities, analytical psychology is distinct from...
, humanistic
Humanistic psychology
Humanistic psychology is a psychological perspective which rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, drawing on the work of early pioneers like Carl Rogers and the philosophies of existentialism and phenomenology...
or cognitive therapy
Cognitive therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach: a talking therapy. CBT aims to solve problems concerning dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions through a goal-oriented, systematic procedure in the present...
.
The Intensive Journal Method is a registered trademark of Progoff and used under license by Dialogue House Associates, Inc of New York, who train facilitators and consultants in the use of the method and coordinate an ongoing series of public workshops using the method throughout the United States and elsewhere.
Books
- At a Journal Workshop by Ira Progoff, 1975.
- The Practice of Process Meditation by Ira Progoff, 1980.
- At a Journal Workshop: Writing to Access the Power of the Unconscious and Evoke Creative Ability by Ira Progoff, 1992. ISBN 0-87477-638-4
External links
- Dialogue House Associates at IntensiveJournal.org
- ABC del Diario Intensivo, en castellano