bridge crossings
POETRY CENTER
We are an international community of poets, writers, poetry therapists, teachers, lovers of the word, and readers. Participation is open to those who are interested in literature, expressive writing, creative arts, and healing communities. For information about how to become a trained Poetry Therapy Practitioner (PTP) please go to the website of the International Academy for Poetry Therapy (iaPOETRY.org). There you will find full information about how to become a PTP and various courses and seminars that are being offered.
Lila and Alejandra Monroy (Ale), from Mexico, during ACTIONWEEK in Manhattan. Ale is the coordinator of the current poetry peer group Poetry on the Bridge (POTB). For current information on POTB, contact poetryonthebridge1@gmail.com.
Lila Weisberger is the founder of bridgeXngs POETRY CENTER,INC. and the International Academy for Poetry Therapy. She is an award winning Poetry Therapist and continues to advise trainees who wish to become Poetry Therapy Practitioners and those with the credentials to be Mentors.
After sixty years plus of working in the field of school psychology, creative arts therapies, supervising mentor trainees, and training thirty people to become poetry therapy practitioners, she is now in the winter of her life, continuing to participate in facilitations and share creative ideas.
She was licensed as a New York State Creative Arts Therapist and Drug and Alcohol Counselor, which she chose not to renew, and her credentials include New York State educator, School Psychologist, Poetry Therapy Practitioner, and Mentor. She is the coeditor of the text “The Healing Fountain: Poetry Therapy for Life’s Journey,” which has been required reading for those in training. She is the author of “The Art of Finding: A Memoir, Survivor’s Guide, Love Story.” She is the editor of “It’s a Woman’s World: A Memoir” by Marie Griffing. She coordinated three chapbooks with contributions from poetry therapists. The first is titled “Nine Lives: Wings Lift, A Collaboration of Renku 9,” the second “Our Poetic Journey,” and the third “The Lingering Day,” supervised by Hiroshi Tamura, M.D.
Currently Lila is writing her memoir, writing guidebooks, essays, and poetry, and creating art books.
She is always immersed in reading and studying poetry therapy and literature. For 14 years she has had weeklong Poetry therapy intensives “ACTIONWEEK” and monthly Poetry peer groups.
Since distance was required due to COVID, peer groups are presently held monthly on Zoom. The assistant coordinator for the peer groups is Ale Monroy from Mexico.
Lila is the founder of the International Academy for Poetry Therapy. The website is available to view (iaPOETRY.org).
Lila’s work has been highly praised and she looks forward to hearing from you and assisting you in anyway that would be helpful. For any further information, you can contact Lila at 524east@gmail.com.
In the foreword to “The Lingering Day,” Hiroshi Tamura wrote, “…Lila Weisberger, who is a great poetry therapist, with wisdom, generosity, and wonderful poetic mind…”
In an education award presented to her, the following line by James Hirschfield was written:
“What enters, enters like that, unstoppable gift.”
She lives by the word “YES” and by this quote from Gibran:
“WORK IS LOVE MADE VISIBLE”
What We Do
We find guidance and inspiration from poetry and literature
Why We Do It
We hear our own voices and see ourselves and find release and healing in poetry.
bridgeXngs Poetry Center is dedicated to the therapeutic value of poetry and literature. She is the founder of the International Academy for Poetry Therapy (iaPOETRY.org). She was a past president of The National Association for Poetry Therapy (NAPT) and has been registered as a Poetry Therapist and a Mentor/Supervisor.
Subsequently she left that organization to create a new credentialing body for poetry therapy called the International Academy for Poetry Therapy. She is also a retired School Psychologist, a New York State Licensed Educator, and a Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor. Her last credential was from New York State as a Creative Arts Therapist. She continues to be one of the editors of the Journal for Poetry Therapy.
Lila has literary, photography and art projects in progress. In order to experience poetry therapy first hand or for information on presentations, courses, poetry circles, and training opportunities for the credential of Poetry Therapy Practitioner (PTP) or to train to become a mentor, visit iaPOETRY.org and write to poetryonthebridge1@gmail.com.
Faith- is the Pierless Bridge
Supporting what We see
Unto the Scene that We do not-
Too slender for the eye
It bears the Soul as bold
As it were rocked in Steel
With Arms of Steel at either side-
It joins- behind the Veil
To what, could We presume
The Bridge would cease to be
To Our far, vacillating Feet
A first Necessity.
-Emily Dickinson