Bad Poetry as a Tool for Mental Health with Margaret Bryden

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What if you didn’t have to be a good poet to heal through poetry?

In this episode of Stories and Stanza, I’m joined by Margaret Bryden, a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, author and founder of Sage Insight Therapy. Margaret shares the idea at the heart of her book, How I Understand It: A Bad Poet’s Guide to Mental Health & Resilience, and why she calls it “bad poetry”: writing that is honest rather than impressive, accessible rather than perfect, and free of the inner critic.

We talk about how poetry can open a door to pain that’s hard to say out loud, why it can sometimes reach what journaling and talk therapy can’t, and how writing a few raw lines can turn the “tornado” in your head into something you can look at. Margaret also reads one of her poems, “A Bird’s Eye View”, and leaves us with a simple five-minute writing exercise for anyone who feels intimidated by poetry.

In this conversation:

• Why Margaret wrote a poetry book as a therapist, after years of feeling intimidated by poetry herself
• How bad poetry lowers the barrier and quiets the inner critic
• Writing from pain, and using metaphor and non-linear writing to say what a straight story can’t
• Unlearning shame by bringing it into the light, through writing and safe connection
• How poetry differs from journaling, and how it works alongside therapy
• A practical exercise: set a timer for five minutes and ask yourself, “What am I carrying today?”
• Why handwriting and human expression matter more than ever in an AI-driven world

Chapters
 00:00 Teaser: Poetry and Humanity
 00:39 Welcome and Introductions
 01:48 Margaret’s Therapy Background
 03:59 Why She Wrote the Book
 09:14 Writing From Pain
 11:37 Reading “A Bird’s Eye View”
 14:54 What Bad Poetry Really Means
 27:11 Unlearning Shame Through Writing
 32:28 A Simple Poetry Exercise
 34:52 Poetry Versus Journaling and Therapy
 43:24 Poetry in an AI World

About Margaret Bryden
 Margaret Bryden is a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, author and founder of Sage Insight Therapy. She works with individuals and couples navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction and life transitions. Through her work, she helps people understand themselves in a way that leads to real connection, clarity and resilience.

Get the book: How I Understand It: A Bad Poet’s Guide to Mental Health & Resilience
 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2FPMTS9

Learn more about the book and Margaret’s work:
 https://www.sageinsighttherapy.com/thebook

Stories and Stanza is a conversation about creativity, resilience, and the stories that shape us. If this episode spoke to you, please follow the show and share it with someone who might need it.

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