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October 20, 2026
Sight loss, whether abrupt or gradual, can be a traumatic development in a person's life, and can bring with it feelings of despair, terror, depression, anger, total numbness — or a tangled mess of all of these. In this six-week workshop, you'll learn to use creative writing to name, manage, process, and share whichever feelings are burning brightest for you right now.
- Dates: Tuesdays, October 20 – November 24, 2026
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (EST)
- Location: Zoom
The workshop will involve six classes. Each will involve a short teaching component, time for creative writing prompts and exercises, and time for sharing your writing and giving and receiving feedback from the group. You can expect an intentionally small and intimate group, total confidentiality, and space and sensitivity for however you need to show up each week. All emotions are welcome here, and no previous writing experience is needed.
Your instructor is Sophie Kohn, a creative nonfiction writer and instructor who's certified in trauma-informed art therapy. Please note that there's never any pressure or expectation to share anything you've written, and all writing exercises are easily modifiable if you'd prefer to record your thoughts via voice memo. Balance will have counsellors available to help if this class stirs up any difficult emotional reactions or if you just need some extra support.
In this workshop, you can expect to:
- Better understand how the destabilizing and disorienting nature of vision loss can manifest as emotional and even physical distress;
- Learn some strategies for coping with your body's particular response to vision loss;
- Participate in six creative writing sessions that will help you name, own, feel, and make sense of your emotions;
- Participate in an ongoing writing workshop where you both give and receive support, feedback, and suggestions from the group
- Leave with some ideas about how to make creative writing a regular therapeutic practice in your daily life.
Space is limited, so register early! To register, please email info@balancefba.org or call (416) 236-1796 ext. 0. If you're unfamiliar with Zoom, you may also request for a Zoom phone call out.