“Here’s a poem. It might speak to what you’re experiencing now that hasn’t been articulated yet,” said Ronna Bloom as she prescribed poems to patients and staff in the halls of Mount Sinai Hospital.

Poetry has gradually claimed a place in today’s patient-centered medicine. Ronna, a trained psychotherapist and the first Poet-in-Residence at Mount Sinai Hospital, is one of the most prominent supporters of narrative-based medicine in Canada. This month, we celebrate the publication of her latest poetry collection: A Possible Trust: The Poetry of Ronna Bloom.

Released through Wilfred Laurier Press, the collection engages with the themes of spontaneity, presence, work, and heath care. Together, the poems within the collection speak to “how vulnerability, suffering, and the release into joy, can combine as an ongoing, never-ending life practice.”

Later this fall, Ronna will lead a new NBM Lab offering where she extends a unique opportunity to health professionals. Drawing upon her experience composing poetry and leading writing workshops, Ronna will demonstrate how we can use poetry as a portal for reflective writing and community-building. Learners will have the chance to learn the foundations of effective facilitation in a writing context and practice leading workshops of their own — with healthcare colleagues and friends.

Facilitate a Writing Workshop in Your Healthcare Community — with Poetry Ronna Bloom starts November 4, 2023. Visit the offering page to learn more and register.

A Possible Trust: The Poetry of Ronna Bloom is out now. Visit the publisher to order your copy.