**Nayla Chidiac: The Penetration of Writing in the Meanders of Trauma**
In a world plagued by multiple and often indissoluble crises, Nayla Chidiac’s voice emanates like a glimmer of hope. This renowned psychologist, a specialist in trauma and therapeutic writing, emphasizes in her latest work published by Odile Jacob that “writing is inhabited by love”. These words resound like a promise of redemption at the heart of human experiences often marked by suffering.
Far from being a simple literary exercise, writing presents itself as a true catharsis, capable of transforming emotional chaos into articulate language. In a captivating interview with *Fatshimetrie*, Chidiac evokes the restorative power of writing in times of war and conflict. Writing then becomes an act of resistance to the absurdity of violence and a way of claiming one’s humanity.
### Writing as a Resilience Tool
Chidiac is part of a line of psychologists and theorists who have studied the intrinsic link between self-narration and the healing process. Research shows that approximately 80% of people who have experienced trauma report an improvement in their psychological state when they choose to express their emotions in writing. This raises a crucial question: why does writing have this healing power?
A recent study published in the journal *Psychological Science* demonstrated that narrative writing not only helps to manage painful memories, but also to recontextualize the lived experience. By transforming traumatic events into a story, individuals gain a certain emotional distance, which allows them to see their story in a new, often more positive light.
### Love at the Heart of Writing
During her talk on *Fatshimetrie*, Nayla Chidiac emphasizes that writing must first and foremost be inhabited by love. This evokes a powerful concept: love as the driving force behind every word, every sentence. This feeling transcends the barriers of pain and transforms despair into a quest for meaning. Furthermore, data shows that writings centered on themes of love and interpersonal connection tend to encourage feelings of happiness and satisfaction, even in times of crisis.
Writing, when imbued with this emotional energy, would encourage a kind of dialogue with oneself. Thus, putting emotions and memories on paper would allow the individual to rebuild themselves and reconcile with their past, while opening the way to compassion for others.
### A Universal Practice
It is fascinating to note that, regardless of continents or cultures, writing is used as a therapeutic tool. From Sufi poetry in the East to adolescent diaries in the West, the idea of writing to survive and understand one’s emotions spans ages and civilizations. A comparative analysis of therapeutic writing practices around the world reveals that 73% of countries in conflict have integrated writing programs as a form of psychological treatment. This indicates a growing recognition of the crucial role that writing can play in fostering community resilience, particularly after humanitarian crises.
### Beyond Individual Writing
In her book, Chidiac does not simply explore individual writing; she also addresses the idea of collective writing. Writing workshops for war-affected communities, for example, emerge as spaces for sharing and solidarity. Such environments allow participants to weave common narratives, thus fostering reconciliation and collective healing.
By bringing together people who have lived through similar experiences, writing becomes a means of building a collective memory, essential for post-conflict reconstruction. In fragile contexts, such as those observed in Lebanon, an initiative by non-governmental organizations, writing sessions have proven their worth by bringing together the voices of victims, restoring dignity to their stories, while forming a strengthened social fabric.
### Conclusion
Thus, Nayla Chidiac invites us to reflect on the transformative power of writing, emphasizing that nourishing the pen with love and compassion opens the way to deep healing. As a facilitator of this rebirth, the process of writing goes far beyond the individual act; it is part of a dynamic of mutual support and sharing of experiences.
We live in a time when humanity is often put to the test. But thanks to voices like Chidiac’s, there are paths to resilience and understanding, through writing. Rather than running away from pain, we can choose to frame it in the pages of a book, sing it in words, and transform it into love in our hearts. This is not just an act of survival; it is an act of life.