This paper reports the results of creative writing workshops in various psychiatric hospitals that have demonstrated that individuals in psychiatric settings have particular needs, affinities, and receptivities to the means of self-expression and communication available through creative writing. The purgative effect of Emily Dickinson's poetry and suggestions for using it for cathartic purposes with patients undergoing psychiatric treatment are discussed. Samples of patients' writing are analyzed and the argument is made that creative artistic expression is attainable by seriously disturbed individuals in psychiatric settings and that this expression can lead to such therapeutic gains as increased self-awareness and insight, improved self-esteem, and a better ability to communicate. (AEA)