Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sherry Reiter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Sherry, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I was seventeen years old and wanted a summer job. My overprotective dad had came to this country as a Viennese refugee, and did not want me to work. But I insisted that I wanted to work and make money. My Dad was then a supervisor of New York City’s senior centers.

He said, ” Why don’t you come to the senior center?”

“What will I do?

“Just do what you love to do– you love books, writing, theatre.” And so I did. And to sweeten the deal my. Dad paid me $12 an hour — good money in the 1970s.
So there I was, surrounded by people in their eighties and nineties. We sat in a circle, and after a warm-up, I asked them to capture a moment. Olivia wrote furiously for several minutes.

When it was her turn to share, in a tremulous voice, she said,
“All night long, the rain lashed at my window, and I was afraid.”

As she left, she touched my shoulder, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “This was a very good session.”

Years later, I saw this as a pivotal moment. I knew that what I was doing was not just recreation. What I did not know was that
there is a field called “poetry therapy” or bibliotherapy. Nor did I know that one day I would become a Registered Poetry Therapist/Mentor who would be Director of The Creative “Righting” Center, teaching helping professionals internationally.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Creative “Righting” – also known as poetry therapy or bibliotherapy– is the use of the written and
spoken word for emotional balance and healing. Creative “Righting” offers mental health practitioners, educators, and other helping professionals a brilliant tool for insight, healing and transformation. Both reading and writing trigger a natural self-righting mechanism, a movement toward growth and healing.

What sets me apart from others: I am passionate about this work. I am a Capricorn goat and goats that climb mountains are
incredibly persevering. I am willing to work harder than most others — because I am in love with words. And I love creating transformative programs for individuals and groups that help people to stay sane in a crazy world.The other factor that sets me apart is the fact that I have half a century of experience! I have made mistakes, and struggled through years where I barely made ends meet. However, it was only when my son added his business know-how with my skills that this took off as a business enterprise.

I am training social workers, psychologists, clergy, and educators so that these professionals can help people suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, bereavement, and addiction. I also offer intensive workshops online: “5 Poems to Change Your Life”, “The Bibliotherapy Prescription,” and “What’s Your Story: The Power of Narrative Therapy” as well as self-study programs giving social workers continuing education credits toward their license. I believe that I am throwing a pebble into the river of life where it creates ripples; every person I train has impact on many others. What could be better than that?

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I was fortunate to find a great mentor when I needed one. Dr. McCaslin at the NYU’s University Without Walls said she didn’t know much about poetry therapy but she did know how to be a mentor. She told me I had to find every person in New York who was actually doing poetry therapy, interview them, and ask if I could sit in on their group sessions. How brilliant! At that time–the seventies– there were only four – two psychiatrists and two writers. I got to know leaders in the field. I volunteered at Bellevue and a clinic where a poet was facilitating writing workshop. I voluntarily became a leader working on The Association for Poetry Therapy, and was instrumental in creating both The National Association for Poetry Therapy and the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy with a group of other invested parties.. Sometimes volunteering will get you to a place that eventually pays off. Even more important, you will meet other kindred spirits and find community.

Go where you will find members of your tribe. Keep creating learning opportunities for yourself. Network, network, network.
Don’t be afraid to be a student or ask for an interview with someone you admire. As they say, “It takes a village.” Whatever your field is, find out what it needs, and then figure out how to meet that need. And don”t be a snob about volunteering. Sometimes you need to start at the bottom of the ladder. Just don’t stay there; As any Capricorn goat can tell you– you have to keep climbing the mountain till you get to the top.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

For thirty years, my Pollyanna nature as a social worker was to give, give, give give. My personal values of helping others sometimes clashed with business principles, like insuring profitability, scaling, marketing. This is a common pitfall for persons who do heart-centered work. If someone did not have the money for my services, I accepted whatever was offered. But this fell short of creating a viable business. I worked longer and longer hours with little financial security.

For 30 years, I focused on my work, and becoming the best clinician and educator I could become. But now I needed to find myself a different kind of mentor – a business mentor. I found this in a life-long friend who had been very successful in business. Ironically she is not heart centered, but she added an essential component that I had been missing. She helped me to understand the value of my work and the idea behind “Don’t spill your candy in the lobby.”

The other important lesson my son has taught me is that you don’t need to do everything yourself. You don’t need to be good at technology or website building or marketing. Delegate. Find talented people to make your business complete. The creative inspiration of my work can only manifest fully when it integrates the very real factors of entrepreneurship.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thecreativerightingcenter.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-reiter-1a3021a/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thecreativerightingcenter6503
• Other: Self-Study Courses: https://the-creative-righting-center.teachable.com/

Image Credits

Elle Tyler