In recent years, a number of psychotherapists have explored the use of poems in psychotherapy as an agent of communication between psychotherapist and client (Chase, 1973; Leedy, 1969. 1973). For some clients, it is often easier to communicate important messages either through their own poetry or through the poems of others. Alexander (1990) noted that poetry appeals to adolescents because it can be a form of private expression. Several adolescent suicides had expressed their psychological pain through poetry (Mack & tlicker. 1981). The writing of poems perhaps pcrmittcd them to ventilate and clarify their thoughts and feelings without risking ridicule from friends or parents (Rostoe, Krug & Schmidt, 1985). This was especially true if the adolescent was feeling depressed, lonely, sad or misunderstood. In general, commentators see such expression as cathartic, the useful release of suppressed feelings (Leedy & Rapp, 1973). Alexander (1990) saw poetry therapy as a safe way of expression and as a way of helping people feel better about themselves. At the same time. others warn that, for suicidal clients, care must be taken in cathartic writing not to precipitate an intense suicidal crisis (Greuling & DeBlassie. 1980). There are many schools of psychotherapy that see self-absorption and contemplation of one’s problems as counterproductive. Frank1 (1968). an existential psychotherapist, saw preoccupation with one’s inner psychological processes as deleterious for the client. believing that action was far more useful than selfcontemplation. The viewpoint is found also in the Eastern systems of psychotherapy, such as Morita therapy (Reynolds, 1984). This raises the dilemma of whether it is beneficial for suicidally-distressed individuals to express their thoughts and feelings through writing, including poetry, thereby ventilating and perhaps communicating the feelings, or whether this tactic is counterproductive because it leads to self-absorption, making the individuals feel worse. In the present paper we will explore the value of having clients use their own poetry as a means of working through psychological conflicts and distress by considering the life of the American poet Anne Sexton, who committed suicide at the age of 45.