When I first began teaching this program I based it upon “C” words or words beginning with the letter C.  I used to joke that “it’s my job to help you “C” better”.  Ha! Ha!  The overall C was change and then the other concepts were Confidentiality, Commitment, Creation, Clearing Out, and Completion.  As you can “C” from this list, so much emphasis is placed upon the idea that the whole process begins with confidentiality.

     The word confidentiality is based on the root word confidence.  The meaning of confidence is faith or belief that we will act in a right, proper or effective way.  If there is confidence there is a sense of safety.  Above all else, one needs to have confidence in the safety of their journaling process.  Remember, that no matter what anyone ever tells you, it is your right to have confidence in the safety of your work.  It is your right to confidentiality.   

     An important finding for me through my research and in my personal life deals with issues of confidentiality.  The journal is an amazing tool for growth.  It allows you to become aware of how you are creating.  There are however definite issues of privacy inherent in the process of journaling.  In order to allow the journal to be the effective tool it can be, these issues of privacy and safety need to be addressed. 

     First, a big problem occurs if you are feeling unsafe about your writing.  If the thought of someone reading your journal is a real threat for you, you will over edit what you write.  You will leave out probably exactly what you need to be writing about.  This over editing greatly diminishes the value of the process.  In fact, you may get little to no benefit from journaling at all if you are doing this.

     To counter act this and to allow this to be the splendid tool it is, it is imperative that you keep your journal safe.  Consider that it is a glimpse of what goes on inside you.  This “inside” stuff is not typically observable to others.  What is contained in a journal is part of a process to internal peace and wholeness.  The pathway to peace is often not paved in gold.  Frequently there is a lot of garbage littering the way.  No one needs to be privy to this “litter” unless you invite them.  However, I would still caution anyone to allow their journals to be read by another.  Things in verbal conversations can easily be taken out of context.  The same thing occurs in writing.  Remember:  it is not OK that others read your journal because it’s your personal internal process.  It is your private property.  Keep it secure. 

      Many people are considerate enough to allow you your privacy.  However, be informed that journals and diaries have been used in harmful ways within the legal system or even within family life. You do not know how many times I recommend to an adolescent to take their angry and intense feelings toward their parents, life, or what have you to their journal only to have the mother or father search the adolescent’s room and read it.  Early on, my research uncovered a young person who attempted suicide because their journal was read.  Were there other issues going on for this individual?  Clearly, but the fact that their personal thoughts, feelings, and beliefs were exposed to the outside world and to individuals who would use the information in a hurtful manner, certainly helped to tip the scales in favor of this child’s choice. 

     If you have fears of your journal being read, I recommend that you lock the journal or keep it in a locked box.  If you are in a conflictual relationship, I particularly recommend that you keep it safe.  More than once in my research a divorce attorney has gotten a hold of a journal and it was read as evidence in court.

    There are many ways to keep your journal safe.  Ask directly that no one read your private property.  Also, there’s a quote from someone about how if you do not want it read don’t write it down.  I think that there is value in writing it down, so what I say is that if you write it down and do not want it read then destroy it completely, as soon as possible.  Remember, the journaling process works whether you keep the journal for re-reading or whether you destroy the writings as soon as you write them down. 

     Another way to maintain safety was recommended by one of my research participants.  She placed a disclaimer at the front of each journal she began.  If you pick up her journal to read it, it said something to the effect that “if you read this, it’s at your own risk; you need to be aware that what you are reading is being taken out of context.”

     It doesn’t matter what you do, but do whatever you need to keep the journal safe.  Know however that if people are not willing to give you this personal privacy and allow you a sense of safety in this journaling process, this is vital information about the dysfunction of your relationship/s.  You deserve this type of privacy.

 

                                                                                         Michelle L. McClellan, Psy.D. ©