Congratulations to Lorrieann Geyer who has been invited to sit on the board of the National Association for Poetry Therapy! Lorrieann will be attending their upcoming conference in April and collaborating with the academic chair to assist with their goals of bringing the practice of poetry therapy to educational platforms. Mrs. Geyer completed her master’s thesis, “The Effects of Reading and Writing Poetry on Self-Esteem” in 2017 and is currently working with Dr. Sherry Reiter to fulfill the requirements necessary to become a Certified Poetry Therapy Facilitator.
Lorrieann has been an English instructor at Hunterdon Prep for six years. During this time she has shared her love and passion for writing and poetry with her students. The popularity of her writing instruction made it apparent that a vehicle for students to share their writing was necessary. Thus “Poetry Café” was born. This popular activity became a tool that allowed Lorrieann to access our students socially, emotionally and academically, through literature.
The positive role models found in classic books such as “The Catcher in the Rye,” “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” “The Freedom Writers Diary,” “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and “The Alchemist” have helped Lorrieann’s English students make the connections between these novels and current societal issues, while strengthening their critical and analytical literary skills.
As a member of the National Association of Poetry Therapy (https://poetrytherapy.org), Lorrieann will collaborate with their academic chairperson to merge poetry and literature with academic platforms to allow young people to express themselves creatively while developing crucial interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
