The Reflections Journal
by Errin Witherspoon

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The Recovery Reflections Journal is a tool to be used to help establish a daily journaling practice. It encourages the use of writing, as well as art, to assist in making daily reflection a habit. Those in recovery from various mental health illnesses and addictions may use this journal to supplement their treatment. The innovative layout of each daily two page spread offers one page lined for writing, noting what you are grateful for and what you have accomplished, as well as for setting some daily goals to assist in continuing to strive for personal growth. On the second page is blank space for expression through creativity with any medium. Some days will be more challenging than others when endeavouring to start journaling regularly. It may seem impossible to write on those days, causing missed days, and hindering the probability that journaling can be made a habit. To help ease that pressure, there is a daily writing prompt and an illustration to colour to help ensure that the journal is attended to each day. Recovery from illness or addiction takes time and focused intention. The Recovery Reflections Journal is the perfect companion for anyone who sees the benefits of using reflection to learn from one's own experiences and feelings.

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Errin refers to herself as an artist by accident. She fell into her love of art when she embarked on her journey to recovery from Binge Eating Disorder in 2018. She has been described as driven, passionate, creative and thoughtful and has learned in treatment, with the help of her recovery team, how to use those attributes to begin to heal. She has always been the kind of person who figures out how to get things done, even when it appears that her lack of experience may impede her. She enjoys the company of others like herself, with a passion for learning new skills. She worked as a (self-taught) graphic designer at a newspaper for years before moving into radio advertising. From there, she transitioned to a career as an advertising and marketing manager for an investment firm. When the grip of Errin’s eating disorder tightened in 2016, she launched an at-home business and left the corporate world. She recently gave up that business to focus on her recovery. Now, with her newly re-sparked passion for art and all things healing/self-love, she is focused on using her experiences to help others like herself who suffer from mental illness.

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Contributors

Author

Errin Witherspoon

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