Join us for the Lapidus AGM this year which will take place on Zoom on the 20th November at 6:15pm (UK time).
This online event will be split in two - the first half giving members an opportunity to discuss and network in breakout rooms, followed up by the board sharing their reports on what Lapidus has been up to this year.
Coordinator Richard Axtell has been working behind the scenes with a group of Lapidus Members to set up a new pilot project for Lapidus International. Find out more below...
What are Action Learning Sets?
Action Learning is a method of group coaching which involves questioning, listening to self and others and taking action on real issues that are inhibiting progress.
As Dr. Kim Etherington and Dr. Jeannie Wright step down from their tenure as co-chairs of Lapidus International, I just want to say thank you for the work they have done. It has been a busy few months and Kim and Jeannie have been a driving force to keep Lapidus going and growing in this period. They have juggled responsibilities with LIRIC and the Lapidus board, they have furthered the exploration of how Lapidus can be more inclusive and diverse, they have helped the board grow bigger and they have never lost enthusiasm. A big thank you to them and I look forward to working with them more as they step back into their previous roles on the board as Director of Research and Secretary.
Lapidus celebrates our quarter century this year, as a leading organisation in the world of writing for wellbeing. We are very proud of what has been and is being achieved by the many writing for wellbeing practitioners working around the world in diverse settings and we want to find out more about ways you are working during these challenging times. Our zoom get-together on 22nd May was a chance to share knowledge and develop ourselves as practitioners as well as being an opportunity for Lapidus International to learn from its members about your needs and skills.
We know Lapidus is important because you’re telling us so: we want to collect your memories, your wisdom and your photos of writing for wellbeing events to celebrate our first 25 years. Please send them in to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (making sure to gain written permission from those photographed first.) Here’s a selection of recent comments and photos our valued members to get the ball rolling!
Saturday May 22nd 2021 – 10am until 12pm.
Free Workshop – Donations welcome
To start our 25th Birthday celebrations, we are pleased to offer a Saturday morning networking event on the 22nd May 2021.
We are offering Lapidus members an opportunity to share their experiences of writing for well-being/ personal development/therapeutic purposes.
Lapidus International is a leading organization in supporting this work and we would like to discover more about the diverse and distinct ways practitioners are working during these challenging times.
As you know, Lapidus is run by a small band of volunteers who give many hundreds of hours of our time because we believe in writing for wellbeing. We want to bring people and communities together, to bring hope, challenge and enjoyment and to offer opportunities for self-development and healing through writing and words.
Professor Tony Wall reports on a lockdown study of 100 therapeutic writers carried out by Lapidus International.
A new national study by the University of Chester and Lapidus examines how creative writing for therapeutic purposes provision changed under the first lockdown of 2020. The study focused on the top 1% most health deprived areas in England (clustered into 16 areas) and combines web analyses, virtual focus groups and interviews, to find out how provision changed, how these changes impacted people, who had been excluded, and what is needed at the local level.
Saturday 28 November - 11:00am to 2:30pm
Join us this November for our online AGM - free for all Lapidus members to attend. It's another chance to catch up and connect with your fellow members, as well as take part in a workshop run by Jeannie Wright, one of Lapidus's directors.
A research project involving 100 writers for wellbeing has detailed the many creative forms that therapeutic writing is taking. Professor Tony Wall of the University of Chester explains.
This summer, our study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of therapeutic writing groups across the top 1% health-deprived areas in England. The initial findings shed light on the diversity of practice and practitioners and how adaptable the community has been to respond quickly to the pandemic using technology.
Lapidus International is seeking a candidate to lead the organisation in the future. We are seeking someone with experience in the field of therapeutic writing – preferably someone who has a history with Lapidus International and is passionate about promoting its values and leading the company onward into the future.
Take a moment to be kind. Be kind to yourself, or to someone else. Write a positive affirmation in your journal. Hug a kitten. Tell someone how great they are. Why not all three?
Then once you've finished doing that, head on over to our store page and download our completely free e-book: A Moment of Kindness.
This month's newsletter has been a bit of an adventure - madness with Mailchimp causing malicious malfunctions! On top of that, our chair's introduction got lost somewhere in the technological ether. Here is the introduction for you all to read so you don't miss out and we should be back up and running smoothly by next month. Enjoy! - Richard
Did you know that the Lapidus International Research Innovation Community (LIRIC) Journal is open for submissions until the 31st December 2019?
The LIRIC journal provides an interdisciplinary space to extend and develop scholarship that explores the relationship of creative writing to health and well-being. Our aim is foster debate that can support the growing acknowledgement of the role of the written and spoken word in supporting mental and physical health and wellbeing.
The more eagle-eyed of you may have noticed that our website has been going through a few updates recently. The biggest change is the introduction of our new resources page - a link can be found to it in the menu bar at the top of the website.
We hope that with the introduction of this page, it will make finding things on our website a little bit simpler.
Yesterday was World Mental Health Day 2019. Our outreach coordinator, Francesca, asked members to submit ideas/recommendations/creative prompts around mental health. Below is a round-up of what was provided!
Facilitator: Dimitra Didangelou, Psychologist, MSc, Specialist in Therapeutic Writing
A monthly Lapidus group for the first time in Athens.
The meetings will be guided by psychologist Dimitra Didangelou and are open all year round for new members.
We are delighted to invite you join us at our online international consultation for research funded by the TS Eliot Foundation!
Our aspiration is to co-create a new creative practice framework with a diverse group of professionals including words for wellbeing practitioners, health professionals, psychologists, teachers, counsellors, social workers, and educators across all levels.
Great news! Lapidus International has managed to arrange a deal with Balens to insure your work as practitioners in writing for wellbeing. This insurance will give you peace of mind if you are running writing groups or selling your services as it covers three areas:
* Professional Insurance. This covers alleged malpractice, such as a complaint about your practice and where there may have been a breach of your professional duties.
* Public liability. This covers accidental injuries to third parties, and third party damages.
* Product liability. This covers accidental injury to third parties caused by your products. This category may not seem that relevant for us, but in cases where members combine writing with other activities this may be very useful.
The Board of Lapidus International has been working hard to provide members with value for money for their membership fees. We have an enthusiastic team of volunteers and self-employed contractual staff working to deliver a more accessible and lively online presence, guidance, advice and useful materials.