To preserve and strengthen mental health in local communities - especially in underserved and rural areas - through creative writing methods that promote self-expression, empathy, functional literacy, and intergenerational connection.

We combined facilitator training, community-based workshops, and public sharing. The approach was grounded in the Creative Cycle – Plant • Grow • Harvest:

• Plant: Internal training for volunteers with an instructor to develop facilitation skills and confidence.

• Grow: Implementation of workshops using tested creative writing methods, adapted for different audiences.

• Harvest: Public sharing of outcomes through local and national media, a dedicated Instagram channel, and a facilitator’s handbook.

Target group:

• Age range: 22–91 years.

• Occupations and backgrounds: Seniors living in retirement homes; unemployed individuals; employed adults in sectors such as education, health, and administration; young people in tertiary education.

• Geographic reach: Participants came from rural and small-town Slovenia, including areas with limited access to cultural and mental-health-supportive programs.

Core team: Five trained female volunteers aged 18–30, with backgrounds in social pedagogy, preschool education, youth work, and community development.

Instructor: Dr. Alja Adam — poet, lecturer, Gestalt psychotherapy trainee, and experienced facilitator in creative processes and arts-based counselling.

Seed – Prepare with Intention

• Internal training for five young volunteers on creative facilitation, working with vulnerable groups, and adapting methods to different age groups.

• Development of the Textherapy workshop format, including vocabulary-building exercises, creative prompts, and safe-space guidelines.

• Community outreach and partnership building with retirement homes, libraries, and local cultural centers.

Grow – Create Within Frameworks

• Seven Textherapy workshops in Notranje Gorice, Vrhnika, Zagorje ob Savi, Logatec, Idrija, Črni Vrh, and online.

• Guided writing sessions using thematic prompts to encourage self-reflection, emotional expression, and creative thinking.

• Adaptation of content to suit each target group’s needs (e.g., handwriting focus for seniors, resilience-building for youth).

Harvest – Share, Reflect, Inspire

• Group sharing circles in each workshop, encouraging participants to present their work and exchange feedback.

• Creation and publication of the Textherapy Handbook for facilitators, capturing practical tips and exercises.

• Public presentations, including a live appearance on Jutro na Planetu.

• Instagram storytelling campaign (@tekstoterapija) with 56 posts and over 160 followers.

• Funding from the European Solidarity Corps (Co-Funded by EU).

• Local partners: retirement homes, libraries, and municipal cultural centers.

• Digital tools for coordination and promotion (Google Workspace, Canva, Meta Business Suite).

• Expertise from Dr. Alja Adam and the multidisciplinary volunteer team.

• Capacity building: Trained five new facilitators in creative-counselling methods, equipping them to run similar workshops in the future.

• Community reach: Delivered workshops to 47 individuals from geographically remote and underserved Slovenian communities.

• Personal outcomes: Participants reported measurable improvements in self-expression confidence, emotional well-being, and functional literacy, along with a renewed appreciation for handwriting and slow, focused work.

• Social outcomes: Strengthened intergenerational connections and fostered empathy within participating towns.

• Public awareness: Increased recognition of creative writing as a mental health support tool through local media coverage, national television (Jutro na Planetu), and ongoing social media storytelling.

• Knowledge sharing: Developed a Textherapy Handbook containing 10 concrete guidelines for facilitators, based on direct practical experience.

The Plant phase proved crucial in building confidence and unlocking creativity. Based on feedback, future steps include:

• Developing an online training for new Textherapy facilitators.

• Establishing a national facilitator network.

• Expanding the program to more rural and underserved areas.