Yuko Taniguchi, M.F.A.

Education
M.F.A., Creative Writing

Teaching at UMR
In Japanese, the word, human (人.間 - ningen) means “a person in the space.” Humans cannot exist without space. The way we connect with other humans is directly affected by our environment. My intention as an educator is to increase students’ awareness of how they connect to the world and I cultivate the practice of reflection in my teaching. Reflection leads to self-discovery. My role is to help students realize their connection to their environment and express their insights through writing.

Research
Expressive Writing as a Communication Tool for Adolescents in Inpatient Psychiatric Acute Care (Collaboration with a team from Mayo Clinic Inpatient Psychiatric Acute Care for Adolescents and Children)  Deepening engagement through Creative writing for adolescents hospitalized in an acute-care setting (Collaboration with a team from Mayo Clinic Inpatient Psychiatric Acute Care for Adolescents and Children)  Examination of arts intervention boosting brain flexibility and cognitive changes in adolescents with depression. (Collaboration with Dr. Kathryn Cullen, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Minnesota Medical School)

I am also completing a second collection of poetry, Dancing with an American, and a novel, A Widow’s Tango.

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