Become a Bad Poet

Download The Bad Poet’s Permission Slip —
A free 5-day writing guide for people who want to let their inner feelings become a catalyst for healing adventure & amazing poetry.

You don't need to be "good". You just need to be honest.

Allow your writing to be a little bad in the best way possible.

If this guide resonates with you...

My upcoming book:
How I Understand It: A Bad Poet’s Guide to Mental Health & Resilience
goes much, much deeper.

Subscribers receive:
• Early book updates
• Launch details
• Writing prompts
• Occasional reflections

How I Understand It

A Bad Poet’s Guide to Mental Health & Resilience

by Margaret Bryden

Available for Pre-Order Spring 2026

How I Understand It is a forthcoming book of poetry about mental health, emotional resilience, and the messy, meaningful work of being human.

Part poetry, part psychology, and part autobiography, this book explores how we survive (and thrive in) life, how we can understand ourselves along the way, and how we learn to stay grounded—sometimes even sane—through it all. Written by a licensed therapist with a deep appreciation for imperfection, this is a mental health book that doesn’t take itself too seriously—but takes your inner world very seriously.

Why This Book Exists

This book was written for people who want to better understand their emotional world. It’s for people who are curious about mental health but feel turned off by dry psychology textbooks, clinical jargon, or self-help advice filled with toxic positivity. It’s for people who want something real, accessible, honest, and helpful. A book that is relatable and offers practical tools.

How I Understand It grew out of years of listening: to therapy clients, to lectures about psychology, and to the quieter parts of myself that make sense of the world through emotion and reflection. It weaves together trauma-informed mental health insight, lived experience, and creative expression in a way that feels both grounding and approachable.

This book exists as a companion—for moments of confusion, grief, resilience, growth, and self-understanding. It is also a great companion for therapy; for both clients and mental health practitioners.

What This Book Is About

How I Understand It is a book about:

Mental health and emotional resilience
Grief, loss, and learning how to live with what hurts
Belonging, identity, and self-trust
Love, relationships, and emotional patterns
Meeting life as it actually is—not as we wish it were
Enjoying the process of self discovery, living authentically, and sharing that joy with others
Providing practical tools for resilience
This book is about breaking the rules a little: starting with defying book genres, questioning what is really “bad”, and giving yourself permission to find joy in being who you are and feeling what you feel.

How I Understand It is about understanding ourselves more gently, and learning how to embody who we are with a little more compassion and clarity.

Publication
&
Launch Date

How I Understand It: A Bad Poet’s Guide to Mental Health and Resilience is scheduled for pre-order in Spring 2026.

Additional details—including the book cover, official release date, and where to purchase—will be shared on this page as they become available.

Updates about the book will be shared here and on Instagram at @Sage_Insight_Therapy.

You’re welcome to check back as the launch approaches!