Gillie Bolton

Gillie Bolton is an experienced consultant available to be commissioned to run courses.

Practice can be intensely rewarding, yet deeply demanding. Clients, patients and colleagues receive the best energy and attention, but what of the practitioner? Writing exploratively and expressively, and discussing these writings, can offer time and space to reflect deeply and effectively, reaching parts other courses don't. Trust and confidence in effective dynamic collegial communication is facilitated.

This method facilitates deep and effective reflection upon practice and related issues.

The process is so simple, anyone can be involved, gain insight, and enjoy it. No previous writing experience or skills are necessary. Skilled and experienced facilitation will enable communication through writing and discussion, and offer confidence and inspiration to start the writing process. The content, focus, and confidentiality of both writing and discussion will be determined by group members. A spin-off is that skill and confidence in any kind of writing - reports, journal papers - is enhanced.

Quotes from Participants

Thank you again for the magic and for being the catalyst which brings such authenticity from people who have never met before.  (Doctor and Academic Medical Educator)

I didn’t expect to benefit from this, so I was really surprised to find it so enjoyable informative, and so useful (Medical Registrar)

Quite brilliant (Medical Professor)

I found this really difficult and draining, but surprisingly enjoyable; it was great to hear about other people’s experiences (Medical Registrar)

A great learning experience and also great to know that people have the same feelings about patients as me!! (Medical Registrar )

Why write rather than talk?

• thinking or talking can go round inconclusively and then evaporate
• writing has the power to go straight for the heart of the matter
• writing in these courses usually takes 10-20 minutes.
• the impact value of every sentence is high, with almost no waffle
• the literary quality is also often high - an extra benefit

Courses include

• Reflective writing, under straightforward and clear gui dan ce
• Reading and sharing of writings in a respectful forum in which participants are free to choose how much writing to share
• Confidential discussion of issues arising from the writings, including -
• Supported decisions relating to practice change and development
• Realistic learning needs assessment
• Completing the Learning Cycle: (ie how to increase practitioner effectiveness by applying knowledge acquired by reflection, back into practice)

Course length

• half-day
• weekend
• 5 day
• monthly days
• monthly half-days

Reflective writing has the power to

• make direct contact with knowledge, intuition, and experience
• clarify wants and needs
• organise thoughts, ideas, inspirations - straightforwardly
• widen understanding
• enable effective concise communication
• be a private dialogue with the self
• endure on the page to be reviewed and worked upon
• increase ability to see other points of view, and collaborate
• develop critical awareness
• enable questioning of previously-unquestioned assumptions
• play, try out, think about work flexibly and experimentally.
• increase self-respect
• empower confidence in the processes of writing

Aim

To offer experiential professional development using reflective writing in a carefully facilitated, interactive, trusting, confidential forum.

Objectives , to

• Foster critical evaluation of professional practice in a supportive peer forum
• Increase confidence in professional practice
• Relieve stress by examining troublesome areas of practice using:
• the illuminative power of writing and effective group work
• Increase understanding of peer's pressures and needs
• Identify, examine and evaluate learning needs
• Identify and extend knowledge-in-action
• Disseminate experience and expertise to colleagues
• Learn essential writing confidence and skills
• Gain in-depth collegial contact and communication.

Methods

• Facilitated plenary group work
• Small group work
• Plenary work to introduce and discuss the process
• Individual writing tasks to create a portfolio
• Reflective journaling introduced and practiced where appopriate

Read about Gillie's Publications and Experience.

If you think you can't write, bear in mind that:

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a ttoal mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the human mind deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Qtiue amzanig huh?