Writing as Healing: Mental Health, Creativity, and Self-Reflection with Vicky Martin

What if the thing that kept you together all those years was a pen and a notebook? This week on the Glow Up, Gyrl Podcast, Kyra sits down with Vicky Martin, licensed mental health therapist, author, and CEO of Oak Hills Behavioral Health Solutions. Vicky has been using writing as a tool for healing since she was a child, and her debut book, Portraits, is a raw, deeply personal poetry collection that spans over 20 years of her life, from age 11 through her mid-30s. It is unfiltered, unplanned, and entirely honest, written at a time when talking about mental health simply was not something people did. This conversation goes far beyond the book. Vicky and Kyra dig into what it really means to take care of your mental health, why so many people are still afraid to start, and how something as simple as breathing can change everything. In this episode: ✨ How Vicky used poetry to process trauma, depression, and anxiety long before therapy was normalized ✨ The story behind Portraits and what it was like to share 20 years of raw, private writing with the world ✨ The 4-4-6 breathing technique and why it is the most basic, powerful tool we all forget ✨ Why you are not your diagnosis, and what that reframe can change ✨ How writing helps us communicate more honestly and more kindly ✨ What Abraham Lincoln's unsent letters can teach us about emotional regulation ✨ The personal experiences that shaped Vicky's career in behavioral health Whether you are on your mental health journey, just starting to consider it, or simply someone who has ever found healing in creative expression, this one is for you. Learn more about Vicky's work: designvista.serverhatch.com/vickymartin Stay connected to Glow Up, Gyrl: Website: glowupgyrl.com | Email: hello@glowupgyrl.com Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn: @glowupgyrl | Facebook: @glowupgyrlatl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices