“This stimulating text advocates a workable supplement to one’s professional practice and should be required reading for all therapists and counselors….Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.”

—Choice Reviews


“Intelligent and provocative.”

—Kirkus Reviews (on the first edition)


“[A] delightfully readable and informative book on the relationship between inhibited emotion and disease states and the healing process of writing…[This book] can be used to support treatment. It is particularly useful in helping clients/patients increase their awareness of the effects of inhibited emotion and high- and low-level thinking strategies, and it is a natural support for therapeutic writing assignments.”

—Psychosomatic Medicine (on the first edition)


“The power of expressing emotions is one of the most important discoveries psychologists have ever made. The authors blend scientific rigor with practical wisdom in an accessible book chock-full of insights. Write it down!”

—Shelley E. Taylor, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles


“An absorbing account of expressive writing and how it works. This book is full of ideas and techniques that will benefit anyone who reads it.”

—Timothy D. Wilson, PhD, author of Redirect: Changing the Stories We Live By


“Opening Up by Writing It Down, Third Edition, is a wonderfully crafted blend of engaging examples and current scientific knowledge. The authors make a compelling case that people can improve their overall health and well-being by writing about troubling feelings and experiences. The book is fun and motivating, and it includes helpful exercises and suggestions to get you started on this path to wellness.”

—Dena Rosenbloom, PhD, author of Life After Trauma


“Fascinating. We learn that writing positively affects the immune system and can be a powerful tool in the treatment of trauma, psychological problems, and chronic disease. If you want to jump-start your brain, cleanse the mind, or resolve troublesome experiences, check out this classic book.”

—Susan M. Pollak, MTS, EdD, psychologist, Cambridge, Massachusetts


“Opening Up is a revelation—a fascinating account of the science of expressive writing, from two researchers on the front lines of discovery. This book shines new light on old ideas about the therapeutic effects of emotional expression and offers important insights about how, when, and why words have healing power. Sparkling with data, intelligence, and humanity, this book is essential reading for students of psychology. It provides a review of the research literature rigorous enough for undergraduate and graduate courses in health psychology, emotions, stress and coping, and psychotherapy, and at the same time offers compelling examples, lucid analysis, and straightforward advice that speaks to us all. This is a book that can change your life.”

—Deborah A. Prentice, PhD, Department of Psychology, Princeton University