Welcome to Lapidus International
The Words and Writing For Wellbeing Community
Lapidus International is a membership organisation open to everyone with an interest in words for wellbeing.
We support and champion words and writing for wellbeing through development opportunities, exclusive member events, access to the latest research, and more.
We offer a supportive network to enhance both personal and professional wellbeing practice.
What Is Words and Writing For Wellbeing?
Words and writing for wellbeing is the use of words to explore thoughts, express emotions, and support personal growth. It’s not about perfect grammar or literary skill, it’s about connecting with yourself through journalling, poetry, storytelling, or reflective writing. Whether used in a group setting or privately, writing can be a powerful tool to process experiences, build resilience, and find clarity.
At Lapidus, we celebrate writing in all its forms as a gentle, creative way to nurture emotional, mental, and social wellbeing. Find out more in our handy guide to writing for wellbeing.
Upcoming Events
Does your brain feel like a browser with too many tabs open? Half-finished projects, things promised to other people, and a festive season that hasn’t even started yet.
This online workshop is for midlife women whose brains work differently, whether that’s ADHD, autism, or both, diagnosed or not. It offers a calm, structured space to step back from the noise and find some clarity before December arrives.
Drawing on reflective and therapeutic writing practice and ideas from positive psychology, the session uses short, contained writing steps rather than long free-writes, so it’s accessible for brains that find open-ended prompts difficult. Participants will:
Open all the tabs: a guided brain dump to get everything out of their head and onto the page
Close the stuck one: gentle prompts to explore the one thing weighing on them most
Choose what stays open: a simple one-page plan for December
No previous journalling experience is needed, just a pen and paper. Cameras are optional. Every ticket includes a replay.
This workshop will combine mindful movement sequences based on the Feldenkrais Method of somatic learning with expressive and reflective writing. We will use gentle exploratory movement with writing prompts and poetry to encourage connection with our selves and to stimulate creativity and self-reflection.
Sessions are suitable for anyone looking for a safe supportive space for relaxation, play and inspiration on a Sunday afternoon. No previous experience of Feldenkrais or writing required.
Do email to go on the mailing list for forthcoming workshops.
The Poetics of Trauma is a 2-session online course led by María Ortega García (Poetic Therapy Practitioner and Trauma-Informed Educator).
This course is part of the Autumn Online Program for theoretical and practical education and dissemination in the field of Poetry Therapy, coordinated by Viviana Russo and Giulia Tosolini (PTP) for PoesiaPresente (Monza, Italy).
Session 1 – Thursday, December 3rd, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (CET)
This session lays the theoretical groundwork. Drawing on Barthes’ distinction between reproducing the world and signifying it, we explore how trauma fragments consciousness and tears the coherent narrative of the self. Poetry, through image and unexpected association, articulates that disarticulation. Cocteau’s sense of poetry as indispensable yet ungraspable reflects its capacity to touch what reason cannot name; poetry operates where rational thought breaks down, and words fail to hold the magnitude of experience. We’ll also introduce the 4Rs of trauma-informed practice and how poetry engages each one.
Session 2 – Thursday, December 10th, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (CET)
This session turns to practice: using the image of thread, weaving, and darning, participants engage in guided writing exercises exploring how language can mend the tear in one’s sense of integrity, self, and safety by making the repair visible and meaningful.
The course includes a workshop session that require active participation from attendees. For this reason, an “asynchronous” format is not available. Recordings will be available only to participants (to make up for any missed sessions or absences) for a period of 15 days. The course will be held in English.
The course is recommended for poets, teachers, librarians, psychologists, psychotherapists, educators, counselors, university students, and, more generally, professionals working in social, health, educational, and cultural fields. It is also for anyone who wants to explore the potential of poetry as a “tool” for personal growth and awareness.
María Ortega García is a Poetry Therapy Practitioner (iaPoetry, 2023) and a trauma-informed educator (TISUK Level 5 Diploma, 2024), working bilingually between Ireland and Spain. She works at the intersection of writing, emotional well-being, and trauma, integrating poetry therapy, somatic education, and trauma theory into her practice. Website: https://mariaortegagarcia.com
Fee & Certification
Participation in the 2-session course costs €50, payable via PayPal or bank transfer. Upon completion, all participants will receive an official Certificate of Attendance.
A monthly writing for wellbeing space for the neurodivergent community, and open to all.
Spend two hours engaging in gentle writing prompts and journalling activities. I’ll also share a poem, piece of writing or image/photography in each session for us to explore.
The format:
The first hour includes a short introduction, a warm-up writing prompt, and a shared poem. We’ll explore our emotional responses to it rather than literary analysis.
After a short 5-minute break, the final 55 minutes will offer a range of journalling prompts, with space to write, reflect, and (if you wish) share and explore what’s arisen.
I’m hoping this will become a monthly group. This first session is a chance to begin and see what unfolds.
Two free spaces are available for unwaged individuals. Please email for details.
Come as you are…
• Keep your camera off if that feels more comfortable
• No expectation to share anything you write
• You’re free to step away or leave early if needed (prompts can be sent after)
• Take breaks whenever your body or attention needs them
• Come as you are – fidgeting, moving, doodling, lying down all welcome
• Gentle, flexible pacing (nothing timed too tightly)
• You can engage in your own way – writing, thinking, or simply being there
Head to Eventbrite via monthly links below to book, or email (no booking fee).
“A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom” says Robert Frost.
Join us for an inspiring and experiential online workshop designed to uplift your spirit through the power of poetry, expressive writing and meaningful dialogue.
Writing Coffee & Conversation is a refreshing online gathering that helps busy minds slow down. This unique session invites you to experience poetry as a gentle, supportive hand on your shoulder, offering insight and tools for resilience and connection.
Our series of monthly workshops are attended by people from all over the world. It’s become a community of people who share, write, and explore without worrying about spelling, grammar, or style.
To join, simply bring your favourite coffee or tea, pen and paper and an openness to share space with others.
Charmaine Pollard is an experienced certified poetry therapist, accredited by the International Federation for Biblio Poetry Therapy (USA), a counsellor and a coach with a passion for leading therapeutic writing workshops to promote health and wellbeing.
“A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom” says Robert Frost.
Join us for an inspiring and experiential online workshop designed to uplift your spirit through the power of poetry, expressive writing and meaningful dialogue.
Writing Coffee & Conversation is a refreshing online gathering that helps busy minds slow down. This unique session invites you to experience poetry as a gentle, supportive hand on your shoulder, offering insight and tools for resilience and connection.
Our series of monthly workshops are attended by people from all over the world. It’s become a community of people who share, write, and explore without worrying about spelling, grammar, or style.
To join, simply bring your favourite coffee or tea, pen and paper and an openness to share space with others.
Join Lapidus International...
…from as little as £6.30 per month.
As a Lapidus Member, you are part of a supportive, international community who believe in the power of using words to enhance and transform.
You’ll receive a monthly newsletter, get discounts on events and training, have access to our online library of Lapidus journals and more. All for as little as £6.30 per month!
Lapidus News
Our vision
In these times of global upheaval, where words can be debased, Lapidus International will not compromise.
We know that writing endures as a way to express suffering and joy, healing and belonging in the intersection of personal circumstances and social conditions.
Through practice, research, publishing, and partnerships, we recognise words and writing as an accessible force for wellbeing, activism and therapy.
Our membership reflects the voices of all communities, including those who have been discounted, prohibited, displaced and under-served.