Progoff Journal Course 8/2027

Teacher

Kosonen Päivi

I am Päivi Kosonen, a literature therapist and a literature therapy trainer for the Finnish Association for Literature Therapy.

I am an adjunct professor of literature and have worked in literature teaching and research. Currently, I am involved in the Academy of Finland's cancer narrative research project, where I facilitate literature groups and workshops for cancer patients and healthcare staff. Autobiographical literature and the study of life stories led me to literature therapy. I have worked in literature therapy since 2010: I have facilitated literature therapy growth groups, autobiographical writing groups, diary groups, and book clubs. I also have training in solution-focused individual psychotherapy.

I have facilitated Progoff courses in Turku since 2017 and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, also remotely. I have facilitated courses in Valamo since 2023.

What I like about Progoff is its meditative, gentle, and holistic nature. The method adapts to various life situations. It is not about performance-oriented writing, but about settling down at one's own pace with oneself and one's own matters, searching for one's own words from silence. This is the basis of the courses' effectiveness: writing for oneself alongside others.

More about my activities: www.ajatusmatka.fi