Cindy Gum is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an Ambassador of Compassion for Stanford’s Applied Compassion Academy. She was also a caregiver for her husband Stan for fifteen years. After her husband’s death in 2020, she began to realize how much her journaling practice had helped her hold on through the emotional challenges and difficulties she had faced. She began a program and training at Stanford University in early 2022 to examine how she might help caregivers, or anyone interested in being a giver of care to themselves, develop better self-care and compassion, through journaling.

“I talk to my journal as my friend… and you can, too. It is the holder of your story and your experiences, thoughts and feelings. You can tell your journal about things you are trying to figure out, answers you are trying to find, challenges you are trying to overcome, situations you need to either let go of, or allow.  It can become not only your best friend, but a relationship that connects you to your authentic self.”

Specifically, this journaling circle will provide:

• A clearly defined process for expressive writing/journaling and creating a journaling practice. The focus will be upon writing and self-reflection – what you need in order to create better self – care and compassionate conversations with yourself.
• A way in which you can cultivate an intimate and kind relationship with yourself that can offer guidance and clarity. How long has it been since you made a new friend?

Journaling Journeys (An Inside Job) is for you if:

• You are feeling lost in emotions and self-doubt.
• You feel overwhelmed.
• You’ve lost connection with yourself.
• Emotional depletion has you feeling anxious and uncertain.
• You feel as though you need something that can help you but you are not sure what it is.

Cindy offers Journaling Journeys, meeting on Zoom, the third Saturday of each month from 10-11:30 AM Pacific Time. While journaling is a great tool for caregivers, this program is open to anyone interested in becoming a better giver-of-care to themselves.