ART THERAPY REFLECTIONS

Have You Been Copied?

2012-01-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

Fresh Art is Vulnerable Art

My post at createmixedmedia

Why is Art Making a Form of Meditation?

2012-01-23T18:27:00.001-08:00

I meditate. I sit for an hour on a cushion with my legscrossed and hands folded and quiet my mind. The purpose is to just sit and bepresent with “what is”. Off the cushion I sometimes stay present and awake and sometimesI become emerged with what is happening.

Making art is one of those activities which I find helps mecenter myself in both worlds. I can sometimes fall into action with a brush, aneedle, and or a pen and at the same time stay mindful and listen for whatdirection feels right. Witnessing and observing our self through the marks wemake on paper, could be called Art Therapy or self-reflective practice, ormindful observation. We can see through our art making how we see the world.Art making can be a meditation practice that helps us focus and quiet the mind.

When I meditate I go through phases of experiencing deeppeace, frustration, distraction, and joy. When I sink into the creative processI experience similar stages of feeling connected or oneness with the activity,deep joy or peace, distraction and panic. In mediation I try to seat throughdifficult emotional states and crazy making thoughts. Art making evokes thesame effort from me. I try not to struggle with the voice of the critic, but listenand let it pass. It is the same practice of being with but not hijacked by mythoughts and feeling. Both practice teach me how to stay calm in the face chaosand both practices deepen my ability to be with whatever is present. Peopletalk about meditation in action, which I believe means staying present whileacting in the world. Art meditation, walking meditation, dish washing mediationwould in my mind all be mediation in action. Doodling, painting, working on theloom or wheel would in be action meditation, if one was present of the onecreating. Thomas Merton wrote: “Art enables us to find ourselves and loseourselves at the same time.”

Exercise: Here are some ideas of how the work mindfully with artmaking.

If you are a mediator sit for your usual practice and have apiece of paper close by. After your sitting is done, simply take a few minutesto close your session with a reflective drawing or process painting.

Set a low sounding timer to go off every ten minutes. Standin front of your canvas, sit at your writing desk or be in your dance studio.Take a few minutes to bring yourself into Presence. You could do some deepbreathing, or a centering exercise. Start creating and every ten minutes stop,sit and do some breathing and just be present for ten minutes. If thoughts comewelcome them and let them go. After ten minutes return to your art activity.Gently go back and forth from sitting for ten minute to creating for tenminutes.

If you enjoy do walking meditations, spend twenty minutes orwhatever your usual practice is doing so, but be in your studio ready to createafter you or done. Work for twenty minutes and then return to your walkingmeditation.

Why Do Things Go Awry?

2012-01-11T05:27:00.000-08:00

Art Therapy Exercise

Why Do Things Go Awry?

Why is that? Life is going on smoothly then all of a sudden afriend gets angry, a job opportunity goes out the window or family member is introuble. Whatever the scenario is, it appears that life is falling apart. Iftwo things go array, then I wait for the third. Habit I guess. Or a belief thatthings will magically turn around after the third disappointment. When we arehappily moving through life why do we seem to miss a step and then fall flat onour face? Well, we could blame it on the Wheel of Fortune, the concept that we willeventually become down, or karma, or that things fall apart so we canappreciate what is working.

Maybe dips, dark periods, down times, chaos happens so wecan wake up, let go of old ways and become liberated from our patterns. Maybethings fall apart because they have run their course and there is nothing sustainingthem any longer.

I have just experienced a disappointing run of what I wouldlabel bad luck or bad things happening to me. When I examine each one, thetruth is that I always had a doubt or halfhearted desire or fear that they werenot what I wanted. I just ignored that feeling and hoped that things would beokay. When these relationships fell apart and the conflicts occurred, theyreally were just a reflection of my original doubt, fear or not wanting. Intruth I see that I was not emotionally, cognitively or spirituality reallyaligned with any of them. But I also did not want the relationships oropportunities to be disruptive. A part of me knew that they could be and wouldeventually be.

This is not a one-time event it is a universal experiencethat when we travel through life some events and relationships that we engagein will go sour and others will fall away or become conflicted. I personallyfind that I grow faster if I stop associating disappointing times with bad luck,or negativity. If I genuinely look at these times I can see how I should havebeen clearer from the start with this person or not taken on a job that I knewwas going to end in a loss. I can also be kinder with myself knowing that Igrow when I take risks, make mistakes and I can try to see breakdowns as a wayof breaking through and becoming clearer about my true intent and desires. Mypreconceived ideas that the world should always work for me is a sweet idea,but not exactly good for my growth. It would get boring to never have my dependenceon safety, desire to be liked, and want to have everything in my life runsmoothly to be challenged. I don’t like chaos but I do like getting clearereven if it hurts a little.

Try this Art Therapy Exercise:

Do some deep breathing, get centered and calm. If one of thedisappointing events involved another person, try to visualize them there withyou. Imagine your first meeting or initial responses to this person. Letyourself enjoy the pleasurable parts of this remembering, but also check and seeif there had been some red flags. Now take yourself to the present moment andwrite down three things that you did in this relationship that you are proudof. Release this with a breath. Now write down three things that you learned orwould like to not repeat in your next relationship. Release this with a breath.Now draw three things that you are grateful for in the here and now.

Is It Art Therapy If My Client Does Not Do Art?

2012-01-05T05:08:00.000-08:00

When I first started practicing as an Art Therapist, I feltit was my job to get all my clients interested in creating art as part of theirtherapeutic process. I knew so many great exercises, processes and techniques, Ithought that if I just learned the right way to introduce them, then my clientswould engage with them. Turns out some people do and some people don’t. I have alwayshad some clients who don’t paint, do clay, move or want to use the sandtraytables. Some clients want to talk. That doesn’t mean that they are not creativetypes. They dance, sing, paint and do drama and some don’t, but when they arehere, they want to talk. They want to discuss their life with someone who understandstheir creative process and their way of being in the world. When they leavethey might paint about our session or write a poem, but when they are here theysit and talk. The Art Therapist in me struggles with this sometimes. I feelthat ‘just talking’ is not enough. We can do Focusing, EMDR. meditation, orcreate, why talk? Then I step back and remember that sharing our stories,talking and processing with words is another creative process.

Listening

Mindfullyreflecting, reframing, finding new meanings, reviewing patterns andunderstanding the words that we live by is a very creative act. The words thatwe say to ourselves and others everyday are part of our creative lived expression.Talking is a creative act. To be aware, mindful and attentive of the words weuse is an art form.

Try this Art Therapy Exercise:

1. Listthe words that you use daily that support you.

2. Listthe words that you use daily that may harmful or not supportive.

3. Listthe words that you use when talking to others daily that are positive anduplifting and list the ones that are limiting and harmful.

Words are acts of art. If you consider the conversationsthat you engage in the same light as creating a painting or poem, what wouldyou want your words to convey? Hope, light, wellbeing? Words have power. Wordshelp shape our reality and the way we perceive our reality. Having someonewitness, reflect and deeply listen to our words help us become more aware ofthe words that we habitually and mindfully live by. That can be powerful therapy.That can also be Art Therapy.

"Forme, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change. Theirarticulation represents a complete, lived experience."
- Ingrid Bengis

Being Kind with our Critical Thoughts

2011-12-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

Snowshoeing in the fresh morning snow.

Cyrus our dog making a snowman.

What can we do aboutrepetitive, harmful thoughts that we have a hard time not repeating toourselves when we feel down, tired, discouraged and/or depressed? We have alltried cognitive therapy techniques for reframing negative thinking, thoughtstopping processes and other methods, but some thoughts are difficult tochange. Perhaps there is something useful about some of our negative thoughtsand maybe it is not the thought that needs to change, but how we convey it toourselves. Maybe they carry a buried message or reminder that is important tous, but because we say it to ourselves in such a demeaning negative or hurtfulways, we can’t hear the positive intent. For example, if I find that I amwasting time online, not exercising regularly or not using time productively, Imay begin telling myself that I am lazy, wasting time, etc. What I may really bewanting is to remind myself that I want to find time to finish a book I startedwriting and instead of surfing online I could be spending 20 minutes revisingand editing. The problem is that the voice in my head is demeaning so I won’tlisten. All I hear is that I am lazy or ill guided. I don’t hear the underlying concern or desire.However, if I bring a nonjudgmental attitude to listening to my negative self-messagesI can see that if I soften the language of the messages, then I can hear that theyhold desires that I have to live better or in a more productive way. Just as Ineed to bring a loving compassionate attitude to other parts of me, I need todo the same for my negative thoughts. Instead of pushing them away and seeingthem as the enemy I can view them as being desperate and demanding, but also concernedwith my well being and growth. I can soften the language that these voices useso that I won’t react against them, but be able to listen to them. Just as achild can’t hear what is expected of them when a parent is yelling at them, Ican’t hear what my negative voice is saying when it is yelling at me. If I canbe kinder, softer with these fearful parts of myself, then I can hear the giftof their concerns.

Try this Art Therapy Exercise:

Take a repetitive thoughtthat you have which you may label as negative or hurtful. Take a few minutes to reflect where thisvoice came from (a parent, former partner, etc.), locate where in your body yousense this part of you and see if there is an image of this voice or part ofyou. Draw this part of you when it is talking to you in a critical way.

Now relax and get centered.Take a few deep breaths, and from a place of presence, see if you canre-imagine this part of you as it tells you in a softer, kinder way what itsreal intent for you is. See if you can understand from its point of view whatit is wanting for you. Draw this part of you when it is talking to you in amore yearning or kinder way.

Is there some value is thiscriticizing part when it is seen in a different light?

The Crazy Artist Stereotype and Myth

2011-12-24T05:45:00.000-08:00

Check out my new post at createmixedmedia. I talk about why we should not reinforce the stereotype of the crazy artist and that mentally healthy people are as creative as those who struggle with their mental health. Enjoy the holidays!

Surviving the Holidays

2011-12-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

Collage showing memories of Christmas.

For some of my clients this is the hardest time of the year.At this time we often remember childhood trauma, loss, and disappointment. Forsome, it is a time of overwhelm, depression, stress, and loneliness. Sometimes,complicated family dynamics and unfinished family business get reopened at whatwas ‘supposed to’ be a pleasant outing or family dinner. Mothers make the samepainful remarks to their adult children, Dads behaviour still creates the samepainful reactions and siblings can stir up repressed or what we thought wereresolved feelings.

What can we do when old wounds are reopened during the holidays? It is no fun going to a family gathering in your late 20s, 30s, 40s,50s… and leave feeling like you are still five years old, unappreciated,unsuccessful, and/or unnoticed. Even if we have done work healing childhoodwounds, they can still resurface. First, know your wounds. Read EmotionalAlchemy and identify your core wounding. It is yours to understand, nurture,befriend, and heal. Working with old wounds can be a path to healing and a way togain strength and insight. Find a good therapist to help you. Focusing is agood method to use to do this work.

Be proactive. Know your fantasies. Are they to be finallyaccepted by your sister, listened to by your father and complimented by yourmother? Before you leave for a family gathering do a Focusing session,meditation or art exercise with this part of you and let this part of you tellyou what it needs. Do not judge or label it, listen to what it is wanting. BePresent for yourself and allow the part of you is be just as it is withoutasking it to change, grow up or be more realistic. Give it time and space toexpress itself through art, writing or verbally. This way, this part of youwill not arrive at the dinner or party needy or popping out surprising youbecause you have already spent quality time listening and being with it. Youwill arrive calmer and less reactive.

Holidays can open up old wounds, fantasies and desires. Whenyou are present for yourself, and give yourself time and space to express howthese wounds, fantasies, and desires are alive in you today, you can safelycontain, release and let go of the painful reactions and emotions thataccompany them.

Foster Children

2011-11-29T07:32:00.001-08:00

I work with many children who are removed from their homesand placed in foster care. For most of them this is a traumatic experience. Iknow how difficult it is for most of us to make transitions, move to new homesor countries. Building new connections takes time, love and energy. From attachment theory studies we knowthat if a child can connect to one person, then that child can grow and haveconnections with other important people in his or her life.

But how do we help with transitions and creating new healthyattachments? I have a new helper in my Art Therapy Studio. I had fallen in lovewith Denise’s work and I wanted one of her creations to live with me and helpme with my therapy work. But how could I help Tiny Blessed make to transitionfrom Australia to Canada?

Tiny Blessed arriving in the mail.

First, it was good that her maker and I already had aconnection. We are blogging friends. To know that Denise already liked and trusted me helped Tiny Blessedtrust me. She had to travel a long distance, so, when she arrived I made sureshe was comfortable and settled her into a soft warm place with the objectsthat Denise had packed with her. I knew that Tiny Blessed would need thoseobjects to help her make the transition to her new surroundings. Tiny Blessedwould need time to become accustomed to the new odours, sights, noises andvoices in my Art Therapy Studio. I was hoping that she would want to help withchildren that I work with like some of my other stuffed creatures and dolls do,but first she needed time to settle in.

Tiny Blessed and her transitional objects.

All children in transition need to have freedom to lookaround and find their place. Tiny Blessed tried the dollhouse, several chairs,and the doll shelf. Of course I showed her all the rooms. I slowly and gentlytalked about the other toys, where they came from and watched her body languageto see when and if she was getting overwhelmed or excited.

Routine helps my children feel safe and grounded in my ArtTherapy Studio and it also helped Tiny Blessed. She slowly started makingappearances in the Art Therapy Studio. The separation and reunion process isusually highly individual. Tiny Blessed likes to sleep in the hug chair and shelikes to be in the art studio when the children start arriving. She has alreadybeen held by a few of the children, and I think she likes them. Because shedoesn’t use words to talk, I have to read her energy and body language tonotice when she feels relaxed, comfortable or needs something. She has alreadyconnected with a few of my nonverbal clients and I think she is excited thatshe has a job here.

Tiny Blessed experiencing snow.

She was fascinated with Canadian snow and has had a fewvisits outside. I think she is transitioning well. I feel she likes the idea ofbeing a co-therapist, she already has made some close friends and she likes hernew home. Thanks Denise. I will probably be writing you about one of hersisters coming here.

More Crayon Fun

2011-11-24T09:13:00.001-08:00

What great therapy!!!

Fun With Crayons

2011-11-23T12:31:00.001-08:00

First hot glue crayons on a canvas.

Then use a hair dryer and have fun!!!!

The Teenage Archetype Deck

2011-11-16T04:53:00.001-08:00

The Teenage Archetype Deck by Jennifer Hereth

The Teenage Archetype deck created by Jennifer Hereth isan invaluable therapy tool. The eighty-eight cards for working with teenagerswere created by over fifty different artists, but I have been using them in mytherapy practice for teens and adults. The images are powerful and moving. Ihave used them as a check-in and checkout tool. Clients pick a card thatresonates for them to fit how they are feeling when they walk in and thenanother when the session is over. On the weekend I taught a Level One Focusingand Art Therapy group and the group picked a card at the beginning of the dayand then later after they had their Focusing practice session to represent thepart of them that they were focusing with. They are great cards to doself-inquiry and self-discovery work. They can be used to do Family Systemswork, relationship work, and in many more ways. They are a good starting pointfor clients to understand and explore archetypal work. Jennifer has created awonderful therapy tool. I have taught archetype groups for years and I know howpowerful archetypal work can be.

The Teenage Archetype Deck by Jennifer Hereth

Jennifer is not a therapist; she is an art teacher, and apainter. To quote Jennifer, “The unique visuals are not illustrations of a termbut meant to evoke dialogue. Also the deck is gender, sexually, and raciallysensitive to help as many teens as possible identify with the images. Allartists donated their artwork and funds from the deck will be donated tocharities for teens in this ultimate gift of love.”

I encourage you to buy this amazing deck. My clients loveit. Jennifer and her art students have created something unique and veryspecial. They can be purchased at cost $20.00 as a professional courtesy, tax deductible from JennyHereth@gmail.com or online through http://iartistsinfluence.org/#home for $50.00 tax deductible thru Paypal. 100% of the profits go to teem projects. Shipping is free.

Why go to Conferences?

2011-11-08T05:42:00.000-08:00

I just attended theCanadian Art Therapy Conference in Naigara Falls. It was a wonderful and wellorganized weekend filled with rich insights and offerings. It reminded me ofwhy it is so important to attend conferences. First of all we work alone. We needto talk to other Art Therapists about what we do and why. Secondly we need newideas and inspiration. I read many, many books and articles but being in thesame room with someone and listening and asking questions about their researchand passion is a much better way for me to learn. Thirdly, we need to make artwith other Art Therapists, network, make new connections and have fun.

Cathy Malchiodi was thekeynote speaker and she was brilliant. Being an Art Therapist, I am visual andI loved her visuals, especially because she included some of the artwork(prayer flags) that clients of mine had made in her workshop presentation onGratitude. We made our own Gratitude scrolls in the workshop which was verysatisfying.

My Gratitude Scroll

Studies show that keepinggratitude journals or doing gratitude meditations or prayers helps reducestress, increase happiness and motivation. Check here andhere .

If you are an Art TherapistI hope to see you at a conference some day!

Using Art Therapy to Release Anger

2011-11-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

Expressing feelings of anger.

Anger is a painful, powerfuland complex emotion. When itoverwhelms us, we often want to push it away, stuff it down, ignore it orforget it. Not dealing effectivelywith our anger only increases its potential to be destructive.

1. Our emotions are interconnected, so you suppress anger you also suppressyour passion, and joy.

2.Traits in others that anger us are often those that we reject inourselves.

3. When you hold on to resentment youfreeze yourself in a victim’s role.

4. Anger is a signal that your rights havebeen violated, your needs are not being met, or that you are compromisingyourself in some way. Let anger bea catalyst for you to learn more about yourself.

5. Turn the pain of your anger into energyfor change with five steps: acknowledge your anger, identify its cause,determine what you can do, express your feelings, and let it go.

6. Accept your anger as an emotional factand a tool you can use for personal transformation.

7. In the process of identifying what’scausing your anger, you determine what is and is not acceptable to you. This is vital self knowledge. Use it to guide your choices and shapeyour life.

8. You cannot change others. People are not responsible for youranger. No one else can “make” youangry and no one else can take your anger away.

9. Pleasing others at your own expense canlead to feeling angry.

10. Anger can open a door to the past, adoor through which you can enter and bring healing to old, unresolved issues.

Creativity and Running

2011-10-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

Check out my new post at createmixedmedia on running and the creative process.

Dealing with Stress through Nutrition

2011-10-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

When we arestressed our bodies have a hard time:

Digesting
Detoxing

Digesting: Sometimes our bodies will hold weight when stressed so eatingslowly and really chewing our food helps with digestion. Also our bodies do notabsorb minerals and vitamins from our food as well when we are stressed becauseso much of the energy of the body is in flight or fight. Eating small amountsof protein throughout the day is good (hand full of almonds). Also liquidsupplements are useful as smoothies with fruits and yogurt.

DigestiveEnzyme:

Helpsdigestion, bowel problems

Probiotics: Udo Super 8, healthy bacteria.

Throne DigestionKit is also a good product.

Detoxing:

Any physical activity.
Change the diet. Try supplementing with Omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, magnesium, possibly vitamin B6 and a few others.
Massage.
Walking at least 20 minutes a day. White blood cells make up your body's defense against illnesses and diseases. When your immune system works at its peak, foreign germs are instantly killed by the white blood cells before they infect the rest of the body. Certain diseases, stress, a poor diet and hereditary issues can lead to a low white blood cell count. Drink green tea. Green tea helps stimulate the production of white blood cells. Decaffeinated green tea is better for your body, and 1 or 2 cups a day should do the trick.
Infrared saunas.

InfraredSauna:

* Helps with weight loss

* Improves your immunesystem

* Improves your strengthand vitality

* Helps cure several skindiseases like eczema, psoriasis and acne

* Strengthens thecardio-vascular system

* Helps control your bloodpressure

* Detoxifies your body

* Gives you more energy andrelieves stress

* Helps treat burns andscars

* Relieves pain (jointpain, sore muscles, arthritis)

* Helps control yourcholesterol level

* Helps treat bronchitis

Best foodsfor de-toxing:

All freshvegetables. Vegetables thought to be particularly good detox foods includebroccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, redand green vegetables.

All forms of rice,including rice cakes, rice crackers and rice pasta. Brown rice is typicallypreferred.

Other Grains:Quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat can be used instead of rice. They canbe purchased at a health food store or in some grocery stores.

Split yellow andgreen peas and lentils are easiest to digest and require the least soakingtime. Other good options include kidney beans, pinto beans, mung beans,garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and adzuki beans.

Unsalted nuts orseeds can be sprinkled over salads or eaten as a snack. Good options includeflaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews andwalnuts. Nut butters cashew,almond. Extra-virgin olive oil is a preferred oil. Herbal teas, green tea.

Start each daywith a warm glass of water with a slice of lemon.

Drink a minimumof 8 glasses of water per day, warm or room temperature.

Fish Oil: Udo’s (good brand) , essential fattyacid, omega 3,6,9

Helps changemood, calming effect, helps with focus

Avoid: Dairy Products: Milk, butter, creamcheese, sour cream, and other dairy products.

Wheat andproducts containing wheat, such as pasta and bread.

Allgluten-containing grains: wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), rye,and barley. Food additives and preservatives and high-fat food.

Vitamins for Stress

One effectivemethod of stress relief management involves the use of vitamins. Taking inextra nutrients helps to ensure that the body will have adequate amounts instore to combat stress. Among the most important stress vitamins are theB-complex vitamins and the antioxidant vitamins.

B-complexvitamins are important in stress relief management because one of their primaryroles in the body is to keep the nervous system functioning well.

Deficienciesof B-vitamins are associated with nerve problems and an increase in stress-relatedsymptoms such as depression, anxiety and irritability. The B-complex vitaminswork as a team, and supplements should include a balanced formula containingall of them.

Antioxidantvitamins are important vitamins for stress. Vitamins E and C, both antioxidants,protect the body against free radical damage. When the body is under stress,more free radicals are produced, so extra antioxidants can be of great value instress relief management. Antioxidants also help to strengthen the immunesystem, which can be compromised during stressful times.

Nutritionalsupplements for stress relief management should contain more than vitamins.Several minerals and herbs are of value in combating the effects of stress aswell. For example, the minerals magnesium and zinc are often depleted when aperson is under stress, and supplements may help to replenish stores andalleviate stress-related symptoms. In addition, herbs can be used to treat avariety of stress-related conditions.

Vitamin D isan andro-steriod and it affects serotonin levels, which means when we are notgetting it we experience more anxiety, depression, irritability, and insomnia.It can also cause muscle fatigue.

Along with avitamin D deficiency, an iodine deficiency can cause depression, tiredness. lowenergy and headaches. I recommend IOSOL.

Eat Smaller,More Frequent Meal:

This willprovide your body with a consistent supply of energy throughout the day andhelp you avoid feeling tired or overly hungry.

GeneralInformation: http://www.nutritionmd.org/makeover/index.html

http://www.brendanbrazier.com/links/index.html

We spent the last weekend in Montreal de-stressing and eating great food. Happy fall!

Focusing Level One and Expressive Art Therapy

2011-10-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I traveled to Winnipeg to work with a fabulous group of women who took my Level One Focusing and Expressive Therapy course. They created lots of amazing expressions of their feelings, thoughts and body sensations.

Art Therapy and Focusing is a natural way to work with deepening our inner relationships. Even when people are just beginning this work, they travel deeply into their process.

It was a beautiful weekend working in pairs Focusing, painting, and sharing our lives. If you want to join us for Level Two Focusing and Expressive Therapy, please email me. We have room for a few more explorers. Level Two is Jan. 14, 15 in Winnipeg.

So, what is Focusing?

It is a method ofawareness…

Focusing is a simple matter of holding a kind of open,non-judging attention to a something, which is directly experienced but is notyet in words. Out of this simplicity, many things arise. It is listening deeplywithin you.

How does it help you make changes?

Focusing is a technique that helps us slow down, goinside and hear all of our inner voices or parts. We can get a whole sense ofwhat we are struggling with. This is called a felt sense. This is a body sense.When we make contact we feel release, fresh energy and forward movement.Sometimes change happens by just making time to pause and listen deeply toourselves and sometimes change happens by spending time to listen to all theparts of us that may be conflicted over an issue and need time to express andwork out what is really needed.

So, here are some things it helpedme discover:

- Agreater sense of trust in myself and my own feelings

Through Focusing I learned to slow down, and really listento myself in a compassionate, nonjudgmental way. Due to creating a safe innerspace for myself I could bear witness or increase my capacity, really hear allthe different parts of myself.

- Ithas brought clarity to my life

The process has helped me get in touch with my innerrightness or next forward movement of what I want in my life. I am clearerabout what makes me passionate, and how to move towards it and what triggers orupsets me and what I need to do about that.

- Ithas increased my ability to be Present for myself and others

Present means aware, grounded, expanded, heightenedawareness. This has also deepened my mediation practice.

- Ithas been the most affective way that I have found to work with all the parts inme to achieve inner peace and compassion towards myself

Because the language we use is so respectful and the way wework with our different selves, or parts is so open and unconditionallyreceptive, I feel that I have really made peace with the warring parts of me. Ino longer view my inner critic as a destructive part of me because I now canlisten to it and understand how it is only trying to protect me from gettinghurt. Focusing allows me to sit patiently with all my overwhelming emotions andslow down to really understand what is needed.

- Ithas helped me become free of what used to limit me

I can work with the parts of me that are afraid to moveahead and the parts that are excited and want movement. It helps me negotiate,create a clear path where as before there was only confusion. It has helped medevelop my inner sense of rightness.

- Ithas helped me heal emotional pain

Focusing is a process of sensing, a process of awareness.This process has helped me understand and bring movement to emotionalblockages.

How Does Change Happen?

2011-10-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

There is a visualization that I do with clients whichinvolves having them visualize who in their life stands in front of them,behind them and on each side. They decide who surrounds them.

I was at a team meeting for one of my clients, whichincluded me (her Art Therapist), her psychologist, her school counselor, herparents and her high school principal. We were all gathered at a table for themeeting. We are all good caring people who are invested in my client’s wellbeing. However, because of our different roles, we all stand with herdifferently. I watched her slowly start to react and become activated by theconversation which of course was centered around how she could change. This is often how these meetings go,focusing on deficits. My primary concern is not her outer behaviour but on howto support and help her regulate her inner behaviour. What I am good at as atherapist is helping clients self regulate, slow down, stand in their place ofpower and safety and stay out of reaction. I do this by truly seeing, hearingand valuing them. I am helping her autonomic nervous system function in such away that she will not be overwhelmed by those around her. That is where Istand.

Someone did that for me once a long time ago when I was ingrade six. I was a very disconnected and dissociated child until a teacher sawme and encouraged me to write. I can’t remember much about her, but I doremember that she gave me permission to be. Someone thought that I was okay,just as I was. I felt free. She had helped my resistant, fearful body thaw. Forthe first time I felt valued. Because of that, I was free to change. With thatencouragement I could stand my ground, be still, breathe and write.

I strive to give my clients that freedom. I know what it islike to be a child at meetings where the whole conversation is how I need tochange when no one there is standing with me in a place where change canactually happen. Change takes trust, risk and energy. These things cannot buildfrom focusing on what is wrong or lacking. Inner strength grows from feelingsof self-esteem, self-worth and self-acceptance. When I, as a therapist giveclients permission to “just be exactly as they are,” that opens the invitationto allow the body to make room for change as a natural forward movement not aforced agenda.

Empathy and Creating

2011-09-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

Empathy

Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent,share feelings (such as sadness or happiness) that are being experienced byanother sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certainamount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion.

Many of the children I work with do not appear to haveempathy. Due to their own needs and suffering, they find it difficult to relateto the suffering of others. I do believe that art-making helps create anempathy connection between people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYsE56DZ0KY

Going to poetry readings, creating visual art projectstogether, doing communal art projects does help create a sense of community,connection and empathy. When we realize that we are all connected, then we dobecome creative and empathic in new ways. We know that by going to artworkshops, joining art groups and spending an afternoon playing with a friendin our studio, helps us feel freshly creative in new and different ways. Deepempathy is a knowledge that we are not that different. There is something aboutworking together to create something new that joins us at a heart level. There isa nakedness when we are creating something due to our usual barriers anddefenses being lowered, we are more present, and emotionally unguarded. In myArt Therapy practice I have watched many tough boys soften and tear up whenthey are making something with me.

A lot of the children I work with do not have loving caringparents who help them feel safe, cared for, and understood. Their parents arein crisis and they cannot be there for their children. When I help thesechildren create what they envision in my Art Therapy studio it gives them thatdeep need for connection. Creating together tells them that they are heard,seen and cared for by an adult. It helps them develop empathy on a somaticlevel.

Daniel Pink has written a book called A Whole New Mind. He writes about how important creativity, empathy and rightbrain thinking are. To survive, we need to work hard helping children developempathy and keep working on ways for us to deepen our own empathic response.

Mark Brady writes that we come pre-wired for empathy, butthat children who have suffered trauma and abuse can have that wiringreorganized.

There is a male teenager that I have worked with for twoyears now. When he first came, due to his early years of neglect he was verydissociated, not trusting, or able to connect. We worked along side each otherfor months making things. Our sessions mostly looked like him going through his“thinking drawer” a drawer that I have in the studio filled with stuff. I addednew things to it each week as I got to know what he liked. He was notinterested in doing conventional art projects he wanted to make his own stuff.

Thinking Drawer

He has a very creative, inventive mind. Each week I would sit beside him,finding him things and talking a bit. Slowly he started to relate more to meand slowly we started to have more of a connection. I know he loves cominghere, but what I am working on is attachment repair and empathy building and itis slow careful work. As his therapist I am not trying to be the mother hedidn’t have, but I am trying to help him open up to experience some of thefeelings that most children have in their childhood experience with a caringparent; trust, safety, care and empathy. He is changing. Before he often actedlike I wasn’t there and he had a strong ability to dissociate or tune out. Nowwhen he makes himself a smoothie he asks if I want some. This is a large step.Small changes mean big shifts in the work that I do. When he comes in the door,instead of looking at the art table to see what goodies I have, he looks forme. His eyes light when he sees me and he talks to me. This never happened inthe first six months.

We now have a real connection. He knows that I accept andcare for him just as he is. Most of the people in his life are working hard tohelp him change and that may be important; however, it is also important to havesomeone in his life to accept him as he is with all his strengths and flaws,and it is me. In this way, I am helping him develop empathy.

Read my latest post at Createmixedmedia on the Emotional Intelligence of Artists.

A Process Art Making Workshop

2011-09-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

I just taught a workshop to child educators on Process ArtMaking. Process art is making art with focusing on the process not the product.It is important because it encourages children to find their own uniqueexpression in a relaxed, playful atmosphere. Children are encouraged to beexperimental, curious, playful, open, and adventurous in their exploration ofart materials, techniques, instruments and methods of working. This way ofcreating is body and emotion centered where children are welcome to use theirwhole body and emotional response in their creative work. The group I worked with did the artactivities that I often do with children so they could experience the process.

Centralto this way of working, is to provide children with interesting materials andenough instructions that they feel confident to create but not so much thatthey feel that there is ‘one way or a way’ to create. The teacher is not thedirector or authority in this process, they are there to assist or help thechild’s emerging process. The teacher needs to be playful, open and free oftheir own judgments or ideas of how the art or creative process should unfold.The creative work does not have to be anything, it may have been an experimentwith the tools, or a hour of interest in mixing paint or an interest in how onething leads to another thing when working with art materials. To be askingchildren what something is, limits the creative process of discovery, whichtakes time and is necessary before a child arrives at a finished something. To work in this way, it is helpful to haveuninterrupted time in order to experiment with materials, come back to the workand rework. The environment should be inviting and free of restrictivematerials that don’t allow the child to move around and create freely. Children may want to communicate toeach other while they create, dance, sing, move and or use other means ofcommunicating to get deeper into their process. There is no ‘right way’ tocreate.

In process art making children may be faced with what theythink is a problem, ie. the materials not working they way they thought, andthey should be allowed the space and time to problem solve on their own. Thisis important life learning that later becomes applied to problem solving inother areas in their lives.

When children are creating, they are forming their own senseof identity, They are figuring out how their externalize their feelings andthoughts. They try on different persona, roles, and they copy others. This isimportant to allow for identity formation through the creative process. Theylearn agency, autonomy, and empowerment through taking ownership of theircreative process and ability to freely explore and grow.

I did aactivity that I call “Creativity Musical Chairs.” I set up 40 different artactivities that they could move around the tables and experience. I playeddifferent kinds of music and after each song (about 5 minutes) they move to thenext activity. After awhile people become playful, open and in the flow. Theyfound that different music inspired them to create differently, as did thematerials, and the people that they are working beside. Once in awhile I wouldinterrupt the process and have them close their eyes and image a favorite placeand then return to their art making, get them to use their non-dominate hand,or hop on one foot, etc. People find that having a variety of materials toexplore, different music to inspire them and no rules opens up their creativeabilities in amazing ways.

If you are interested in Arts in Education this is an interesting story "10 Salient Studies on the Arts in Education."

Relationship Repair

2011-09-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

A client doing Art Therapy and relationship work.

In the trauma work that I do with children, teens andadults, I work with relationship repairs. Broken relationships with parents, siblings, partners and friends needrepair in order for the adult or child to move on. The repair does not have to be face to face nor does theother person have to be alive. Therepair is for the adult or child who is still traumatized, stuck or hurt by therupture to feel free in their lives.

The issues that emerge in one relationship will emerge againif not faced, expressed and resolved. That is why I do repair work, so theperson does not blindly keep living through the same relationship nightmare ortrauma.

For example, an abuse cycle needs to be broken so that everyman in an abused woman’s life does not become a repeat of the original abusivehusband. Patterns can be reframed,and changed.

I need to work with how the client has internalized theproblemic pattern (how they expect the pattern to be replayed and how theyunconsciously keep reacting to their part of the pattern) and work with theexternal pattern with other people in their lives.

Mark Brady writes, “The relationship we repair with others,we simultaneously repair with ourselves.” Some of the children I see in mypractice have disorganized brains due to brain injuries, FAS, ADHD, PTSD,Autism, etc. This work can be doneand needs to be done with all children that have had trauma with their birthparents or foster parents if they are still stuck in the re-actionment of thetrauma.

I work with an amazing girl in her twenties who has complexhealth and mental problems due to serious abuse and neglect as a fosterchild. She has very limited verbalskills but she repeats her abuse story over and over to anyone who will listen.When we talk about what happened to her as a child, I tell her that her fostermom is sorry for what she did. Her foster mom will never be here to tell herthat to her face nor would she be able to apologize to her. But for my client,actually hearing the words from her foster mother is not as important as herneeding to hear those words from me or anyone who she believes can talk for herfoster mother. In order to help myclient move out of her trauma memory, I need to tell her what she needed tohear as a child. In a different situation relationship repair can happen by aparent telling a child years after an abusive situation how sorry and wrongthey were for causing that child to suffer. Husbands can apologize to wives andwives can apologize to husbands. Repairs happen when the child or adult can let go of a past hurt or painand move forward. There are manyways that this can happen. Sometimes hearing for the first time from a fatherthat you were loved can be a powerful repair.

Knowing how your body holds the pattern from the originalwounding is also important. Theclient I talked about lashes out violently towards women whom remind her of herfoster mother and is constantly looking for the signs that keep her tied to thepast. I hope with her, even though she suffers from brain damage and servetrauma that she will hear my words of forgiveness from her foster mother deeplyenough that we can reframe it and she can live in the present not herpast. This is part of the complexhealing work that needs to be done.

Designing an Art Therapy Studio

2011-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

During the summer my Art Therapy Studio looked like this:

under construction

Now it looks like this:

When redisigning a space for therapy work, I feel it isimportant to create a space that feels open, warm, creative and soothing.People come into the space to do their therapeutic work and I want them to feelwelcome, grounded, excited, and to be able to be expressive in the space. Iwant them to feel that they belong and that they can open up and do theinternal searching that they need to in a protective, and beautifulenvironment.

I chose a light blue (for the sky) and chocolate brown (forthe earth) for the colours of the Art Studio to help induce a creativeatmosphere. The reading area is comfortable and inviting for tea drinking,reading together, playing games and talking.

The talk process room is composed of rich warm colors deepreds, pumpkin orange, and green.

The sandtray area is small and very organized. I needed tofit a lot of tiny objects into a small space so people could easily access andfind objects quickly when they work with the sandtrays.

The paint studio is an open area that allows for messy,expressive work to happen. I have large sheets of white paper on the walls thatinvite paint to be sprayed, splashed, and perhaps even thrown. There is alsoroom here for movement and dance.

The craft room has bright colours and is very organized so Ican find supplies easily and quickly.

Art Therapy and Difficult People

2011-09-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” Randy Pausch

There is a great deal of talk about the importance of being happy. Positive Psychology is based on the study and research of what happiness is and on how being happy enriches our lives. By using different techniques and means of perceiving what is right in our life instead of focusing on what is wrong, we become healthy, more balanced and of course happier. What is one thing that gets in the way of our happiness? Difficult people. We all struggle with people that we find difficult in our lives. For some people, it is the Know-It-Alls that drive them nuts. They are the people who appear to have an answer to everything and who are defensive if anyone else has an opinion. Then, we have the passive types who never let you know where they stand then criticize you and everyone else behind your back. We have to deal with the dictators who bully and intimidate their way through life. We can’t forget the yes people who are always agreeing and never delivering and the no people who can always point out something that won’t work.

So what to do? First, identify which types bother you and which types you can live with. Once you have done that, pick someone who has frustrated you lately. Draw their picture. Write or draw what it is about them that bothers you and why. Pretend that you are the person and write down what you think they fear and why you think that they may be acting in this way with others. Now think of three positives things about this person. Think of three things that could help this person feel less threatened by people. Know-it-alls often feel unheard, how can you let them know that you hear them and still be able to have room to speak yourself? Passive aggressive types often feel powerless and ineffective, how can you let this person know that you feel that they are talented and able? Dictators often feel threatened because they have been hurt in the past, how can you let them know that you are not a threat but also that you are not a pushover? Yes people have not found their own voice, how can you encourage them to speak up for themselves? No people have learned that whatever they do will be criticized, how can you let them know that you will support them?

Guest Post: Marin Teens go to Haiti to Perform Art Therapy Outreach Program

2011-08-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

Marin Teens go to Haiti to Perform Art Therapy Outreach Program

While many of their peers were enjoying beach days and taking advantage of the opportunity to sleep in, 10 teenage volunteers from Marin, California, headed to Haiti for four weeks in June and July. Girls United, a collaboration from the Meridian Health Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, and Full-Circle Learning, dispatched the volunteers to start an art therapy program for Haitian girls and young women displaced by the earthquake last year. The seemingly simple act of kindness had a powerful impact on the females who survived the devastating natural disaster.

The Marin Independent Journal stated that the volunteers taught teens girls and young women four different forms of artistic expression: photography, printmaking, drama and creative writing. In addition to providing the girls a creative outlet to express their feelings, the volunteers also trained some of the girls and young women in peer-to-peer counseling (and it doesn’t take a psychology degree to see how necessary counseling is as the Haitian people piece their lives together again). Girls United hopes that the women will pass on their new found knowledge to other Haitian women.

The Marin teens worked with nearly 80 women between the ages of 12 and 24. The volunteers received support from writers, artists, and actors, including Rainn Wilson, better known as Dwight from the television show "The Office,” as well as by a United Nations grant of $10,000.

A spokeswoman for the United Nations who was raised in Haiti, Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, is quoted by The Marin Independent Journal as saying, "Haiti historically is known through its art — through our music, our dance, our paintings. Reviving if you will the artistic sense within the Haitian community...is something that gives us hope because this is a survival tool."

Haiti continues to need volunteers willing to sacrifice their time to aid in the healing process. There are a variety of resources for other groups interested in helping. For example, yoga, an ancient form of linking breath with movement to bring inner-peace and awareness, has long been a way to help disaster victims cope with the start of their new lives. Groups can join an organization such as Yoga Adventures, a group that not only practices the art and immerses themselves in local cultures, but will be heading to Haiti this autumn to build a Children’s Center and Home in Jacmel.

Another great organization for volunteer groups to consider is the BuildaBridge organization, a non-profit intervention and arts education organization. Groups are encouraged to apply for volunteer positions that suit their interests. The non-profit's GoodWill Tours are available for traveling performing arts group. Other groups can apply for their desired project, and the organization will accommodate the group depending on its current needs.

A simple Internet search will turn up a wealth of volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups. However, be sure to refer to GuideStar to ensure that you will be working with a valid non-profit. Like the Marin volunteers, you can share your knowledge with Haitian disaster victims and give back to the world community.

Allison Gamble

How do You Handle Conflicts?

2011-08-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in reading more, please go to my post at Create Mixed Media on conflicts.

What is EMDR and why would you use it with Art Therapy?

2011-08-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

Francine Shapiro developed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in 1987, after observing that the mind can heal itself during rapid eye movement or REM sleep. I have used it in my Art Therapy practice to work successfully with trauma, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety and a host of other health problems.

When we are traumized the memory and emotions of the event can become “frozen” in our brain, in a "raw" and emotional form, rather than in a verbal more fluid and flowing “story” mode. This becomes an isolated memory network with its own emotions and physical sensations disconnected from the brain’s cortex. Whenever we experience similar events that remind us of the ogrinal traumatic event, we re-experience the thoughts and emotions frozen in our limbic system from the trauma. It is hard to live in the present moment. Often you feel cloudy, confused and afraid without always knowing why. EMDR helps create the connections between your brain’s memory networks, enabling your brain to process the traumatic memory in a very natural way.

I use a small machine, which has hand pulsars. First you determine how fast and strong you want the pulsars and then we work with reframing the feelings and messages that you have frozen in your body from your trauma. There is a prodigal that I use for this work.

With repeated sets of using the pulsars, the memory tends to change in such a way that it loses its painful intensity and simply becomes a neutral memory of an event in the past. Other associated memories may also heal at the same time. This linking of related memories can lead to a dramatic and rapid improvement in many aspects of your life.

I also use the pulsars to help core feelings of relaxation, healthy self-images, and safety images. The bilatel stimulation felt in the body through the hands helps positive thoughts and feelings to fully and strongly anchor in the felt sense of the body. The client is in complete control of the session and usually they feel empowered, alert and very present after a session. Reprocessing is experienced as something that happens spontaneously, and new connections and insights are felt to arise quite naturally from within. As a result, most people experience EMDR as being a natural and very empowering therapy.

There is a lot of research that validates the reliability of EMDR. (Details on http://www.emdrcanada.org/en/home.aspx and is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as an effective treatment for PTSD.

EMDR can easily and safety combined with Art Therapy. You can paint or draw your felt sense, new feelings of safety or relaxation. When I am working with trauma, I use EMDR during Stage Two of my Trauma Resolution work to help process the trauma memories and install new images that fit the clients present life.

If you are interested in EMDR, ask your therapist if they are trained in this method, and if not find one who is. For most people, this is a valuable healing tool.

Using Art Therapy to Help Create a Patient Attitude

2011-08-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

My Art Therapy Studio being repaired.

Do you have a hard time waiting? Our house is undergoing renovations due to a crack in the foundation. It was supposed to be a quick three-week job starting June 20^th, but surprise, surprise it will not be done until the first week of September. I have lost my therapy space and have had to work in a make shift studio space in our garage. It’s okay, on most days. On other days it has been frustrating, maddening, interesting, boring and irritating waiting for each job to be completed so I can get my Art Therapy Studio back and return “home”.

How are you at waiting? I have always found it difficult. I was born in a car, on the way to the hospital and the story that my mother told was that I was too impatient to wait until we arrived at the hospital. She used to call me “Little Miss Impatience.” A name I hated. Was I impatient or was this her projection? Are some people better at waiting than others or is this a trait we all need to learn?

Patience is the ability to endure difficulty without feeling negative or adverse emotions. I believe most people don’t find it easy to be patient. In our world of instant gratification patience is not always valued. But, we do need to develop the ability to be patient because we don’t always get instant results. Patience does need to be cultivated and nurtured.

So how do we use Art Therapy to transform lagging hours where we experience frustration and anger into a time of relaxation and peaceful waiting?

Figure out why the situation is irritating or frustrating. We tend to lose our patience when we have expectations of when we think events should be done or occur and we can’t control the time line; when we have little or no confidence in the people performing the task that has to be done; or when we have overscheduled ourselves and realize that we can’t complete all the tasks that we expected we could. We may be stretching ourselves too thin and then becoming impatient with our inability to accomplish the impossible. Paint or draw the last situation in which you were impatient.
Identify the triggers. I know that I hate waiting for someone who is late. I release the tension by making sure that I have something that I can do that will productively fill the waiting time. I carry a book that I can read. Add the triggers that caused your impatience to your painting.
I notice the first signs of feeling anxious, worried, or unhappy so that I can identify the underlying cause of these feelings which may be impatience. To reduce the frequency of impatience, it helps to be aware of it. Which events, people, phrases or circumstances always seem to influence you to lose your cool? Add the emotions you felt and where in your body you felt them to your painting.
Look for patterns. Ask yourself if this circumstance is simply not healthy and do you need to change it? Add three other times you experienced this pattern (if there was three times) to your painting.
Remember that things take time. If you are really efficient, be thankful, but remember that not everyone is. With our house, it has been helpful to remember that it is typical for people to not show up on time, jobs to take longer than expected, mistakes to be made and that may have started out as a simple repair can turn into a complicated mess. Expect the unexpected. Add a list of what you could control in this situation and a list of what was out of your control to your painting.
Last but not least, a frustrating situation as this one, waiting for a house to be repaired by several different crews who are not working together, is a great opportunity to learn patience. Create a symbol of patience to add to your painting.

Grounding and Five Finger Shoes

2011-08-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

My new happy feet.

As an art therapist, I am always looking for new ways to help my clients ground themselves. By ground, I mean feel connected to themselves, others and the world around them. Trauma disconnects us from our sense of belonging.

Any exercise or movement that uses our lower body helps us feel grounded. Running is a great way to feel grounded physically (feet on the ground), mentally (thinking about your legs and movement), emotionally (feeling alive, free and happy), and spirituality (feeling connected to nature).

My partners feet.

I just bought some five fingers running shoes. They feel like heaven on my feet! It is almost like running barefoot. What a great way to feel grounded as your foot touches the earth. Their revolutionary design makes feet healthier by allowing them to move more naturally and freely. These shoes stimulate all 26 bones, 33 joints, and 20 muscles in our feet. If you get a chance, try these great shoes!

What advice would you give?

2011-08-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

Me teaching.

I often get emails from Art Therapy students asking for advice. This
week I received an interesting one. All the writer asked for was one
piece of advice about what she should know about doing therapy with
children. How refreshing and different from being asked to name the top
ten pieces of advice, or five most important things that you have
learned during your career. If I could only tell her one thing or piece
or advice, what would it be?

I love the simplicity and brilliance of reducing what I think is
important to one thing. What emerged from my mind right away was
*self-growth*. The best advice I can give her for becoming a good
Art Therapist or to be good in any profession is to work on herself. The
more present, authentic, awake and aware I become, the better Art
Therapist I am. I could take all the workshops in the world, know all
the theories and have a thousand techniques, but if I am not present and
with my client in a self-aware and unconditional way, the session will
not be healing or therapeutic.

What would your one piece of advice be?

Hula Hooping

2011-08-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

The hula hoop has re-emerged as a dance, a form of exercise, and entertainment. There is even an International Holiday World Hoop Day. Hoopers perform body tricks, hand tricks, use large hoops for slow hooping, fire hooping and glow-in-the dark hoops for night hooping. Hooping is all over the internet, there are clubs, groups, and fitness classes.

In a class that I recently taught, the focus was on circles. We made mandalas, played circle games, talked about the archetypal essence of the circle, did some art therapy exercises using circles and ended the day with hooping. It was a wonderful way to end a day. Hula Hooping exercises 30 core muscles, improves balance, and tones the body. http://www.hulahooping.com/ If you have never tried it, it is a tremendous workout.

Mandalas in Art Therapy

2011-07-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

A group mandala showing how people saw themselves in the group.

Making a mandala is a discipline for pulling all those scattered aspects of your life together, for finding a center and ordering yourself to it. You try to coordinate your circle with the universal circle.

-Joseph Campbell

The Power of Myth

Mandala means “magic circle” in Sanskrit. It is a circular design that has been used since ancient times to invoke the spirit of healing. Mandalas have been used in Tibetan meditations, the rose windows of Gothic cathedrals, the Aztec calendar stone, and Navaho sand paintings. In the East, mandalas are used as a focusing device for meditation. Carl Jung used the mandala as an integrative and centering device in psychotherapy.

A mandala can be created as a self-symbol for a visual representation of one’s inner and outer world. The outer circle suggests wholeness, unity, and/or the expression of your outer life. The center of the Mandala represents your center or inner life, and/or your opening. Mandalas, or circular images, occur frequently in nature. The mandala appears in all aspects of life: earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community. It is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy.

A group mandala showing how people saw themselves in the group.

I use mandala making in therapy to help clients feel calm and centered, for self-expression and as a way to help people explore who they are in groups. The following photos are of mandalas made in a classroom showing how each person ‘saw’ themselves in the circle. They painted how much room they felt they took, how they felt their energy or self looked in the classroom and how they felt they fit in the whole. I have used this exercise as:

1. A device to explore group conflict

2. A visual representation for families in therapy

3. A device to work with bullying

4. A device to work with boundaries and shared space

5. A tool to explore aggressive, passive and assertive behavior.

A group mandala showing how people saw themselves in the group.

Seeing how we represent ourselves in our circle of friends, family or peers can be a powerful way to change or express our behaviour.

What is Your Play Personality?

2011-07-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

In Stuart Brown's book Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, he talks about how we have play personalities. He offers eight different categories and he makes it very clear that these categories aren't scientifically based, but a product of his years of observation.

Where do you fit in these eight personalities?

1. The Joker -- makes people laugh, plays practical jokes.

2. The Kinesthete -- loves to move, dance, swim, play sports.

3. The Explorer -- goes to new places, meets new people, seeks out new experiences (physically or mentally).

4. The Competitor -- loves all forms of competition, has fun keeping score.

5. The Director -- enjoys planning and executing events and experiences, like throwing parties, organizing outings, and leading.

6. The Collector -- loves the thrill of collecting, whether objects or experiences.

7. The Artist/Creator -- finds joy in making things, fixing things, decorating, working with his or her hands.

8. The Storyteller -- loves to use imagination to create and absorb stories, in novels, movies, plays, performances.

Some Wonders of Play

2011-06-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

    •    Children think and talk about play frequently and this is the primary focus of their daily lives.
    •    Children need large blocks of uninterrupted time in order to experiment with materials, develop play scenarios.
    •    Children find peace, solace and healing in play by themselves and with others.
    •    In play children often function at a higher cognitive level.
    •    Children enjoy small, cozy, cubby-hole like hidden spaces to play in.
    •    Play can be a minefield; it is not always easy to enter play with other children and do so successfully.
    •    Children enact their own cultural experiences, enact the culture of peers and reinvent/explore culture in their play.
    •    Children often invite playful adults into their play as co-authors and co-players.
    •    While adults primarily use talk to communicate, children are multi-vocal and use vocalizations, gestures, movement, singing and dance as they playfully communicate.
    •    Children understand the communications of each other during play while adults are often baffled.
    •    Children find play to be a spiritual and holy place and express this in their silences and reflections.
    •    Children express feelings and provide empathy to others in play.
    •    Play promotes wellness and healing as children disburse tensions in their play.
    •    Playing in unstructured ways is a place of joy for children.
    •    Children have their own distinctly unique and shifting play styles, patterns, vocal habits and ways of playing.
    •    There is no “right way” to play.
    •    Children are capable of solving their own problems during play.
    •    Play is a platform for identity-making as children try on roles and explore and experiment.
    •    When adults play alongside children the children reveal their meaning-making.
    •    Children communicate empathy, tenderness, intimacy, sharing and human connection in play.
    •    Children have agency and are empowered in play; one of the few places they have this freedom.
    •    Popular culture including movies, computer games, stories read is appropriated in play.
    •    Children enjoy the creative flexibility of moving props from one play centre to another.
    •    Children need to move in order to learn.
    •    Children do not always use play materials in expected ways and their thinking is often divergent and surprising.
    •    The quality of the adult-child relationship is fundamental to the learning process.
    •    Children would rather “play” with adults and not have adult learning agendas integrated into their spontaneous play.
    •    Playful adults inspire playful children.
(As revealed by the children at Learning Tree Preschool, 2008-09)
Robin Adeney passed this along to me. I think it is a good reminder of why play is important for children and adults. Have a playful day!

Reflecting on Suicidal Thoughts

2011-06-23T05:12:00.000-07:00

Clients sandtray image of feelings of hopelessness

Last week a client, who was feeling suicidal asked, “why bother living or trying to evolve?”

Reflecting on that question for myself I wondered, ‘What if this is it and we have no way of ‘not being’ in some form alive?’ What happens if we don’t evolve and we stay with the same emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual awareness that we have now? I would find it difficult to imagine living out eternity with the same awareness that I currently possess. It would seem like a prison to me. I would hope that I could become more peaceful, enlightened, joyful, and wise. If we were all hostages bound by fate and time, I would want to create a life for myself full of freedom, joy, peace, love and kindness.

I have figured out some of the things I think I am here learning. I am learning about letting go, acceptance, non-striving, gratitude, and trust. I am my primary art project. I am always adjusting, transforming refining, revising and recreating myself. I strive to live more in Presence because it helps me be aware, and whole. I strive to find inner peace, and achieve the growth I want in my lifetime. I try to find better ways to nurture, teach and inspire the self with which I am entrusted. That is my answer to this question. How might you respond to the question?
Check out my new post at Create Mixed Media on Why you would see an Art Therapist.

Finding Your Teachers

2011-06-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

How do we know when we are in the right place, at the right time with the right teacher?

Eugene Gendlin tells the story of how he felt better, just by walking into his therapist’s office. He somehow knew that this was the place. When people walk into my Art Therapy Studio I often know right away by how they look, the comments they make, and how their body relaxes or not, if they are in the right place to do the healing work that they are searching for. Often they comment on how much they like the colours, the décor or comment that it feels quiet and peaceful. They are picking up on my energy and the energy of the space. How do you know when you find your teacher?

I want to tell you a story of how I found my next teacher. I recently attended the International Focusing Conference in California facilitating a workshop and attending other practitioners’ workshops. I was not looking to sign up for any courses or to work with anyone, in fact the flight down confirmed for me that I dislike flying, the hassle of leaving my busy schedule, and disrupting my life is not worth it. And then I walked into Russell Dellman’s workshop. I had sat with him over lunch during the first day of the conference, noticing nothing special, but there was an interesting lightness to his being and a wonderful, very wonderful smile. I ran into him several times after that and we smiled. When I sat in on his workshop, after maybe two minutes I just knew, this is my next teacher. He had what I needed.

Russell teaches a course called Embodied Life, which is a combination of Focusing, Zen Meditation and Feldenkrais. But that wasn’t it exactly, it was Russell himself. I knew that his energy could help me grow. It was odd, I sat there thinking I don’t want to fly down to California twice a year to do his Mentorship Program because of the cost and energy that it will take but, damn it, I don’t have a choice because I need this. I need to hear his words, I need to learn from him so, I will. Now I have a new spiritual guide or something like that. I feel blessed, excited and a little exhausted already knowing that I will have to fly into the busy airport in Sans Francisco, rearrange my busy schedule etc. But, I found my teacher. What about you? How do find your teachers?

Three Different Opportunities to Learn Focusing and Expressive Art Therapy

2011-06-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

This August 20, 21 2011 in Madison Wisconsin:

Learning Focusing to Make Inner Peace (Finding Inner Peace through Focusing)

Would you like to learn how to use Art Therapy and Focusing to:

· Invigorate your creativity?

· Be calm and compassionate with yourself?

· Access more of your imagination and creative potential?

Focusing and creating art helps you learn how to be Present and listen to yourself in order to move ahead in your life in an empowered and safe way. It can help you feel more integrated and whole. Focused Art making is a gentle and powerful way to develop a deep intrapersonal healing relationship with the self.

In this workshop you will work with:

• Learning how to guide yourself to have peaceful inner dialogue

•Finding forward movement and feeling empowered to create

•Taking responsibility for your own healing

•Focusing in on your emotional behaviour and language

Awareness of sensations in the body can be blocked through habits of dissociation and repression. This blocks the creative abilities and life force. Transformation of energy involves the acknowledgment and information of the inner movement of sensation. This energy and awareness is essential to reconnect what has been fragmented by life stress, injury or trauma. You will work with releasing emotional, physical, and intellectual beliefs and stories through Focused Art making.

Focusing is "direct access to bodily knowing." It is a practice that takes a person towards a state of conscious perception that goes far beyond knowing something on a mere conceptual level. As with Somatic Experiencing, Focusing refers to this bodily knowing as a felt sense. As the Focusing Institute's website explains, "You can sense your living body directly under your thoughts and memories and under your familiar feelings." Focusing happens at a deeper level than your feelings. Under them you can discover a physically sensed murky zone, which is concretely there. This is a source from which new steps emerge. This murky zone "opens" as you learn to stay with it longer. Being with it increases the ability to sense feelings behind words or images, even when those are not yet formed. Focusing was developed by the philosopher Eugene Gendlin in the late 1960s and early 1970s, while he was working with the famed psychologist Carl Rogers. I combine this process with creative process art making to teach you a way to be freer and more open in your relationship with yourself and your world.

In this workshop you will:

•Learn the skills of Level Two Focusing

•Learn the skills of how to do Focused Art making

•Learn the skills of how to do deep inner listening and expressing

•Learn Creativity and Body/Mind Tools

You need Level One Focusing to take this workshop. You will learn the skills of, and receive credit for, Level Two Focusing by taking this workshop. You can continue to take Level 3 to 4 with Karen or another Focusing Teacher after this workshop. We are offering morning meditation walks, afternoon group running, and evening open studio time. During the Saturday afternoon wine and cheese get together Karen is offering group tarot readings.

To register: http://www.valleyridgeartstudio.com/programs/workshop.asp?WorkshopID=215

In Winnipeg in September 24, 25 2011 and in Regina Saskatchewan in October 8, 9 2011

Level One Focusing and Expressive Art Therapy

Karen Wallace, Art Therapist and Focusing Teacher studied Interrelationship Focusing with Ann Cornell, PhD and Wholebody Focusing with Glenn Fleish PhD, MFT and has combined this with her knowledge of Somatic Experiencing and Expressive Therapy. In this training she will teach the core skills of Focusing through an introduction to the Focusing process and an introduction to the art therapy process.

In LEVEL ONE FOCUSING TRAINING participants begin learning how to do Focusing for themselves, and how to facilitate a Focusing process with clients.

Focusing was developed by the philosopher Eugene Gendlin while working with Carl Rogers in the late 1960’s. Focusing is “direct access to bodily knowing.” It is a practice that takes a person towards a state of conscious perception that goes far beyond knowing something on a mere conceptual level. As with Somatic Experiencing, Focusing refers to this bodily knowing as a felt sense. This felt sense “opens” as one learns to stay with it for longer periods of time. It is a subtle process, hard to define in words. Being present with it increases one’s ability to sense feelings behind words or images, even when those are not yet formed. Eventually, one learns how to let a deeper bodily felt sense come in relation to any problem or situation.

Learning Objectives

Participants will gain understanding of:

a) the difference between a bodily felt sense and an emotion or a physical sensation

b) the attitude of Presence and its importance for emotional healing

c) the stages of Focusing, from acknowledgment to gentle completion,

to the importance of empathic reflection in supporting the Focusing process.

d) how Focusing allows the organism’s own life direction to emerge.

e) how Art Therapy can be used to express felt sense.

f) how art can be used as metaphor and meaning making.

g) how Focusing can be used with EMDR and over the phone (time permitting).

To register for Regina: Karen’s Email: kwallace@islandnet.com

Web site: www.islandnet.com/~kwallace

To register for Winnipeg: T/ 204-885-4155, lboyko@groundup-pd.ca.

Interviewed by Ladaisi

2011-06-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Check out my interview by Ladaisi.

Distorted Thinking

2011-05-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Styles of thinking or as they are called in psychology cognitive distortions, come from the work of Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck, and others. They are thought patterns that lead us down twisted paths in our thinking processes.

Take for example filtering. We take a negative detail and magnify while we filter out all the positive aspects of a conversation or situation. The negative becomes larger. What may have started out as having a keen sense of where you could have done better or a knack for seeing what is missing in situations, could develop into having a biased view of things in which you never can see or feel the positive. Fox News is expert at teaching people how to filter. This habit becomes a dull, narrow and depressing way to see yourself and the world.

Another one that is popular in our media and culture is polarized thinking. We see things in extremes as good or bad, black or white. We have to be perfect or we fail. When there is little room for middle ground in our minds or in our culture, life becomes bizarrely extreme. The media can start and run with rumors that we know are outrageous, but because we get accustomed to thinking this way personally, it doesn’t feel or look like a stretch when we read it in the news.

Another favorite of Fox News is catastrophizing. This is always thinking the worst will happen and expecting disasters. When we internalize this thinking style, we worry about everything and are filled with ‘what ifs.’ When we see it happening in the media, then we start to believe that not trusting in being in a constant state of hyper arousal is normal and desirable.

Another popular one is personalization. This is the tendency to relate everything around us to ourselves. We start to believe that everything that people do and say is some kind of reaction to us. We are also comparing ourselves to others to see who is smarter, prettier, etc. Social media has really helped to promote this one.

We can work to change distorted thinking in ourselves when we recognize it, but how do we change distorted thinking in the media and culture? What do we do to protect children from thinking that distorted thinking is normal?

We all can strive to think with clarity, focus and depth. Making good decisions, balancing choices, thinking in creative and diverse ways is challenging. We have to start with having a good solid practice for our minds to develop healthful thinking patterns that support us in expanding, not becoming more neurotic and confused. It is difficult when society supports and promotes distorted thinking. We can start by accepting that life is complex, full of anguish and joy and knowing that it cannot be reduced to a simplistic formula. We need to stay present and awake to observe our own minds and be consciously aware of when and how we fall into distorted thinking.

For more on Distorted Thinking go to Mark Brady’s great blog The Committed Parent: http://www.committedparent.com/Distortion.html

Identify which ones you are drawn to so you can recognize them. Be gentle with yourself and notice when you are thinking in that particular style. Gently challenge the thoughts and ask yourself if this way of thinking is really realistic? Byron Katie’s four questions is a brilliant method for helping us transform distorted thinking. Look here for her website: http://www.thework.com/index.php

Feedback vs. Criticism

2011-05-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

As artists, therapists and people in the world we all have to give and take feedback. When I work as an artist, my feedback is often framed as reviews and critiques. As a therapist, my feedback happens in a more personal way with clients assessing and evaluating my work weekly, then deciding to return for more sessions or not. I am also reviewed by: the agencies that contract me, students who take my workshops and courses, and my children who show up for Sunday night dinner. It is part of my life. Am I comfortable with feedback and that the world is always assessing and evaluating me? Yes, when it is positive, confirming and or gently and kindly done. No, when it is confusing, judgmental and destructive. We grow from doing more of what is working and less of what isn’t working. Good feedback helps me understand what is working and what is not. Criticism reduces the chance that I will hear what others are saying and often throws me into a defensive mode that may cause me to retreat, and or become angry. It is easy to criticize the one who is doing, teaching, demonstrating and or reaching out. When the criticism happens in a way that there is no opportunity for a discussion about potential, change or growth, then it is not helpful. How do I know if the comment or criticism is more about the person giving it and their issues or if it is a fair assessment of my work? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.

When I was younger and had to give out evaluation forms at the end of each art workshop or class I taught, I would shudder. What if they didn’t like the way I teach? What if they thought the workshop was lacking? What I found over the years is that the feedback was mostly very positive and helpful, but the one or two negative comments would stick with me and I would chew them over when I was tired, stressed or bored. It would have been helpful if I could have asked the unsatisfied students more about why they were feeling that way. Has reviewing feedback helped? Yes when it was thoughtful and directed at something that I could improve upon; i.e., more of this and less of that. It is not helpful when the comments are attacks on personality, or so general that it is difficult to reference them back to the class. If 29 people liked the art workshop and found it helpful how could 2 find it meaningless, useless, and or lacking?

Evaluation forms have added another layer of anonymity by being done online. I would rather be evaluated by someone in person with a chance for a discussion so I could really understand their point of view. It is easy to give harmful, thoughtless, or generalized feedback anonymously.

We’re all imperfect beings struggling to live our lives with grace. What we say affects others whether it is to their face or on an evaluation form done online. Be thoughtful, kind and honest. Reread what you wrote if it is negative and really ask yourself why you are saying what you are saying. Ask yourself if you were receiving this feedback would it be helpful? Is it psychologically violent?

If you are receiving harmful or hurtful feedback that causes you to feel defensive do you agree with it at some level? I think that I am a good teacher, but I also feel inadequate, and unprepared sometimes. We all feel some truth in most remarks, as there is a part of us that believes that we could always do better, or more. Try to feel the truth of the remark without blame, shame or guilt. But also feel the other part or parts of you that know that you are doing an excellent job, working with integrity and talent, and trying hard to reach your students, audience or your own potential. Try to stay curious about what you may be missing. If you find a truth in there somewhere, act on it. It may be a different truth than the student or workshop attendee intended, but it may be true for you.

Criticism can be invalidating, condescending, judgmental, negatively evaluative, and accusatory. Feedback focuses on giving information that can help the person change or reconsider. It is descriptive, not judgmental and provides concrete information that can be motivating or informative. Feedback does not focus on personal attacks and destructive remarks. Feedback is designed to inform not attack. Our instinct is to defend when attacked. I want to be able to re-valuate and self-reflect when I read evaluation forms and feedback can help me do that. Criticism is harder to read objectively as it is often aggressive not assertive communication.

How do you work with feedback and how do you deal with criticism?

Is Your Therapy Useful?

2011-05-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

When I first started working as a therapist, at the end of a session I would ask clients, “What will you be taking with you from this session?” or “What changes will you be making in the next week based on the work that we have done here today?”

Now I say, “What was useful about today’s session?” I would have never used that word in my youth, it is not a word that I liked or would have related to. However, as I am aging and understanding more and more about what real change is, I feel warmth with the utility and plainness of that word. Useful. Is this conversation, art or focusing session of use and if so what use? There is something real and close to the bone about the word useful. I want my therapy work to help inspire, enlighten and enrich my clients, but most of all I want it to be useful and in a very practical everyday workable way.

Let me explain. When I was a little girl my sister and I were alone on our family farm and in charge of cooking, cleaning and other chores. Dad and Mom were away for a week and we felt burdened with the big farm meals that we had to prepare. Grandma Bell showed up one night with a kettle of peeled potatoes ready to cook. It was the kindest, most thoughtful and useful gift anyone had given me. Peeling potatoes every night was a daunting task and Grandma understood this. This is the gift that affected me the most in my life. I want my clients to feel that they are getting something out of their sessions that is as useful and tangible as that pot of potatoes. It was a gift that neither my sister nor I would have ever thought to ask for or even be aware of how much it would lighten our daily work load. Grandma didn’t need to ask or talk about what we needed, she just knew.

The definition of useful is to be of practical use, supply common needs and to be helpful or of good effect. I strive to provide my clients with that kind of knowing and giving. It may be in the form of a right word at the right time, an exercise that really fits or the right book to read. I want to provide my clients with something as useful, heartfelt, and ‘right’ as those potatoes were.

What is useful in your life right now?

Five Reasons That You Know That You Are With The Right Therapist

2011-05-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

You feel it is a good fit. You respect and feel inspired by your therapist. Even though the work may be hard, you look forward to going. You trust him/her.
You feel that your objectives and goals are being met.
Your life is changing. Inwardly and outwardly things are different. You may be feeling lighter, more empowered, or more confident, but there has been a shift.
Your relationship with yourself and others has improved. You are listening to your own inner voice more often, feeling more assertive and you enjoy your own company more. You feel better.
You feel hopeful.

Collaboratively, decide on a reasonable goal or goals to achieve. You cannot expect complicated problems to disappear in only a few weeks, but you should be feeling some shifts right away. Consider how long the problem has existed, and how deeply ingrained it is in your life then be realistic about the time and effort to transform it. Attend your sessions regularly and do what you agreed to in order to create change in your life. Look to your therapist as someone who’s helping you cope more effectively with a part of life that you’re struggling with, but don’t expect the therapy that you are doing to solve every problem in your life. Set goals for yourself with your therapist and when you reach those goals, reevaluate whether you want to commit to further work. If you are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder following a trauma, maybe you’ll want to work on several goals, such as stopping your nightmares, self-regulation, lowering your anxiety, reconnecting with people, feeling safe, and so forth. Small steps help us move into big change.

Therapy can be hard work but it can also include humor, fun, creative enjoyment and delightful new insights. My clients laugh, cry, can feel discouraged, inspired and creative sometimes all in the same session. Be compassionate with yourself as you begin the process of making changes in your life. Sometimes it can be a slow process that takes work and persistence on your part. Investing in your own growth and awareness is a wonderful gift for yourself, your family and others.

Five Reasons Why You Should look For A New Therapist

2011-05-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

Five top reasons:
1. A trusting, compassionate, safe relationship with a therapist cannot include sexual relations of any kind. Sexual actions are inappropriate and unethical. This is the ultimate boundary violation.

2. Being used as your therapist’s therapist is inappropriate. You are paying for your own therapy, not to hear your therapist’s problems.

3. If your therapist falls asleep, consider your work with them over. I hope that there is nothing more that needs to be explained here.

4. If you feel that your therapist is belittling you, treating you with contempt, or disgust you should leave. You desire respect, and understanding from your therapist.

5. Beware of a therapist who needs to sell or justify their work. If they are promising more than they can deliver, saying that it is your fault that the therapy is not working or promising a magic cure, they are not being honest. Therapy is hard work, which for most people requires time and energy.

Art Therapy Exercise: Working With Our Shadow

2011-04-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

Without awareness of our unconscious practices we have little chance of freeing ourselves from the suffering they cause.

-Cheri Huber

In therapy when we do shadow work, we are talking about working with aspects of ourselves that are hidden from us. We may have rejected or denied these parts because we are ashamed or disconnected from them. Unfortunately they do not go away but get expressed through unhealthy and distorted ways. Shadow work brings these parts of ourselves into the light of the day where we can accept, understand and integrate these hidden drives feelings, needs and potentials. They then become a part of us in a healthy whole way.

How do you know when something is a shadow part? Often the things that most disturb and upset us about others are really a reflection of our own self. We displace our own fears and emotions onto someone else. If the threat of an emotion or situation is overwhelming, we can totally disown it and dissociate from it.

For example, I was shamed as child for having speech problems. I did everything I could as a young child to hide the fact that my parents called me “the dumb one in the family.” I got high grades in school because I thought I was hiding the fact that I was really dumb. It never occurred to me that I couldn’t have gotten those marks if I was really dumb. When someone around me did something that I felt was embarrassing or stupid, I felt deeply ashamed of them. I felt that by acting that way, somehow that was insult to me. Until I could ‘see’ this shadow aspect, heal it and embrace it, I falsely projected my fears on others. When I reclaimed my shadow I had more compassion for others who didn’t understand something and more energy for myself because I did not have to spend energy on covering up my feelings. I had new insights and it no longer felt devastating or dangerous if I did not know something.

Art Therapy Shadow Exercise:

Draw three people who you admire and write the traits that you admire beside them. Next draw and write the traits of three people who irritate you. Now write: In me are the following traits… and copy down all the traits in the first group. Next write: In me are also the following traits…and write down all the traits in the second group.

The truth is we contain all expressions that humans are capable of. All parts of us do not have to be acted on, but they do have to be acknowledged. I may never commit acts of violence, but I can’t pretend that the capability to do so is not in me. If I didn’t, I would be creating shadows not light.

These are some of the more common examples of how shadow translates into symptom (and vice versa).

Symptom Shadow

Resentment of outside pressure drive

Rejection (“Nobody likes me”) Rejection (“I reject them”)

Guilt (“You make me feel guilty”) Resentment (of another’s demands)

Anxiety Excitement

Self-consciousness Outward focus (on others)

Fear (“they want to hurt me”) Hostility (“I’m angry and attacking without knowing it.”)

Sad Mad

Withdrawn Rejecting

I can’t “I won’t!”

Obligation (“I have to”) Desire (“I want to.”)

Hatred Self-hatred

Envy (“You’re so great”) “I’m better than I realize.”

From: Integral Life Practice

To learn more about shadow work read Integral Life Practice by Ken Wilber, Terry Patten, Adam Leonard & Marco Morelli.

Fun, Fast Easter Eggs

2011-04-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

Finished Easter Egg

Here is a fun idea for Easter Eggs. First use a product by Tim Holtz called alcohol inks alcoholinks to colour the eggs. Next add a tattoo. Enjoy!!!!


finished egg


Adding the inks to colour the egg

Adding the Tattoos

choices of tattoos.

We Are Failing Our Children

2011-04-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

What makes a country great? In my opinion it is a country that provides education for all, health care, where diversity is respected, where social justice is practiced, where there is equality, and most of all where the children are protected, nurtured and educated.

Canada is failing its children. Compared to other industrialized countries, our children live in high numbers in poverty, obesity, mental illness, and violence. The Harper government has been failing children in this country. We need the political framework and leadership to solve this problem.

see here

I work in education and health care, daily I see where as a country we are failing our children. On May 2^nd join me to help change this; vote for a candidate who cares about children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKq19vfeOBY

Do What You Love

2011-04-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

I was just featured on do what you love by Beth Nicholls. Read about my interview here. Beth shares inspirational stories about people who live life creatively.

A Focusing Exercise to work with Tiredness

2011-04-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

Pema Chodron wrote in “Taking the Leap” that when she was meditating, she was overwhelmed by deep anxiety with no apparent storyline attached to it. She felt vulnerable and afraid. She asked her teacher Dzigar Kongtrul about this, and he told her he had felt the same kind of deep anxiety and it had been an important part of his healing journey. He asked her what she was experiencing, where she felt it, and what the quality of the sensation was. He recognized it as “Dakini’s Bliss,” which is a high level of spiritual bliss. After hearing this, she wanted to practice again to feel the intensity. When she sat down to practice, the resistance was gone and so was the anxiety. Pema realized that she instead of being with the sensation, that she had been making the sensation bad. When her teacher said, “Dakini’s bliss,” it totally changed the way she looked at it.

Hearing this story helped me to look at one of my own stories. I am interested in why I have been feeling that it is worrisome that I am ‘so tired’ lately. For some reason I have been attaching all kinds of negative reasoning to it as; “I am getting to old to do the intense work that I do, I am no longer healthy, or I have lost my stamina.” I feel that I am at my peak in my therapy work, but I am tired, really tired at the end of the day. I used to love traveling to conferences and presenting papers and now I think about the hassle of airports, travel and more times then not, I would rather stay home. Then I start to worry, “Is it over? Have I lost my drive?” But by using Focusing and taking an interest in my fear, moving closer, leaning in, and dropping my labels around my tiredness, I notice that the resistance melts. By using Focusing I can listen to my tiredness with a gentle curiosity and lean in closer to hear from its point of view why it is ‘tired’. I realize that I have blaming my fifty five year old body and jumping into fear instead of staying Present and awake to the experience of what I have been calling exhaustion and/or over tiredness. Taking the time and giving the part of me that feels tired a fresh open space to tell me how it feels from its point of view, relaxes my body and helps release the tension or resistance. When I listen, yes it is tired, but there is more. It is satisfied, feels blessed and well used. It is a good, rich tiredness. I love my work passionately and it is hard work. I work with children and adults who have suffered abuse, have brain injuries, autism, and other obstacles. I work hard to be Present and help them create the changes and healing that they want. When I openly listen to the part of me that is tired at the end of the day it tells me that it feels blessed, joyful and very tired. It tells me that I have limited energy but it loves how I am using that energy.

I remember seeing Gloria Steinman talk years ago about a time when she was completing an important project that she had been working on for years and after it was done, she said that she felt that she could have happily died that night. I remember at that time thinking that I if I died tomorrow, I would not feel that way. Now I do. I am not ready to die, but I do feel that I am making a small difference to the people that I work with. Now when I feel tired, I listen to it fully and move through the fear and resistance so I can also feel the joy. So now when I am tired, I know in my heart that it is a good tiredness.

What is the Difference Between Art Made in Therapy and Professional Art?

2011-04-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Most of the art that I show on my blog is art that has been made in therapy. The intent of creating art in therapy is to release some emotion, explore a feeling or thought, explain a belief, meet and express a body sensation, and/or visually express some insight. The art could be a response, expression, a living forward and/or the next step in exploring an inner or outer experience. The art in therapy usually comes from a feeling and/or a sensate place. It could be the result of a practical exercise to figure out an issue or make a decision. But, the intent is not usually to look good, professional, and/or finished. It comes from the creative work that we are doing therapeutically. This is not to suggest that clients do not like what they make or feel attached to their work. They see it differently than work they do for their home or an art show. Often when people make therapeutic art, their face, body and words are an important part of the piece. Clients can talk about their issues as they paint their feelings or be in the middle of a Focusing session and express some of their feelings or thoughts on paper as they stay Focusing. It can be used as a way to start a session as a centering and becoming Present tool, as a way to close a session as a safety and containment tool, or a way to safely express big emotions and traumas in the middle of a session. It can be completely symbolic or literal. It can be used to help the client relax, feel calm and settle or to ignite excitement or inspiration. One aspect of therapy is communication. Art is a form of communication as is writing, dancing, singing and talking. Talking through art can be therapeutic.

You may feel that you create professional art with the same intent, to communicate, express emotions and insights. But you are also concerned in how the process looks and how it communicates its message to others. You may be aware of the elements and principles of design and your own personal artistic style.

In therapy, these layers to the creative process are stripped away. You are creating from a present, sensate oriented place that is immediate and fresh. Your own personal style may come out, but you are inside the therapeutic process of exploring a problem, part of your experience or a felt sense. In therapy, you may feel free to let your defences down, open up inner doubts and shame, and face overwhelming feelings without guards. The therapeutic artwork reflects this transparency. The guards are down; it is raw, real and fresh.

client painting

Art Therapy Exercises for Working with Self-Talk

2011-03-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

A client's image for her Perfectionist voice

Thoughts help shape our future. Self-talk is how we habitually talk to ourselves. Sometimes it is kind and other times it can be harsh. We all have different styles or ways in which we talk to ourselves.

1. The Worrier: The self-worrier often anticipates the worst. She may create grandiose images of potential failure or catastrophe. She is always vigilant, watching with uneasy apprehension for any small symptoms or signs of trouble. To help the worrier, access a part of you that is compassionate so you can reassure the Worrier within you that all will be okay. Take your sketchbook and draw your Worrier. Try to think of three things that would help her feel less tense.

2. The Critic: The self-critic is the part of you that is constantly judging and evaluating your behaviour. She is often good at pointing out flaws and limitations. She compares you with others and emphasizes your weaknesses. To help the critic within you, remind her of how unique, successful, brilliant and creative you are. Take your sketchbook and draw your Critic. Try to think of three things that would help her feel more secure.

3. The Victim: The inner-victim feels hopeless and helpless. She believes that nothing will change and perceives insurmountable obstacles between you and your goals. To help the victim within you, make a list of all the people who support, believe in, and love you. Take your sketchbook and draw your Victim. Try to think of three times you were successful and/or times when you turned a negative experience into a positive one.

4. The Perfectionist: The inner-perfectionist pushes and goads you to do better. She sees your efforts as not good enough. The inner perfectionist pushes you into stress, exhaustion, and burnout in pursuit of its goals. She has a tendency to try to convince you that your self-worth is dependent on externals such as acceptance from others and money. To calm the inner perfectionist try using the mantra “I am good enough as I am.” Draw your perfectionist. Try to think of three times that you felt good about yourself in the last week or month.

When we are hearing these parts of us, we often lose sight of our objectivity and our whole self. Be aware of situations that are likely to trigger these parts or voices and stay Present with yourself instead of dropping into or becoming emerged in one of these parts.

Any time when you are depressed, anxious, discouraged, and feeling guilty, ashamed or embarrassed can trigger these thoughts. Disrupt your train of negative thoughts by taking some deep abdominal breaths. Stay Present and compassionate with yourself and try some of the exercises above.

Art Therapy Exercise: Reversing Sensory Overload

2011-03-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

Is listening to the news bad for your health?

I usually don’t listen to the news, but lately I have been. I am struck by how the words and images stay with me. People who live with T.V. or radio news constantly on in their homes must either develop defences against the ongoing bombardment of negativity or feel continually stressed. It cannot be beneficial for the health of our children. The article Avoid News: Towards a Healthy News Diet by Rolf Dodelli makes a compelling argument for why we should not listen to the news. I feel that it’s like most things in life we all have different levels tolerance, on different days. I work as an Art Therapist and counselor so it is too much for me to watch movies with violence and trauma. I have to be very aware of my sensory overload. Sensory overload means that your body/mind is over stimulated and needs to retreat. Powerful and moving images, loud noises, pungent smells and constant touch can cause sensory overload in adults and children. It is good to know what you are sensitive to and when you reach your sensory maximum. We have all seen children exploding in the checkout aisle of the grocery store when they reach the limit of their sensory tolerance. It may be the bright lights, all the interesting items on the shelves, the constant noise, touching all the food items, or taking in all the food odours. We all have different sensory limits. What is yours and how do you calm down your system when you need to?

Quick ways to calm your system:

1. Take a 15-minute nap or quiet time.

2. Drink glass of water.

3. Do a 15 to 20-minute meditation or visualization.

4. Sit in a quiet, dark, room with a soft blanket.

Reduce sensory input to one: smell, sight, touch, and noise.

Art Therapy Exercise for Sensory Overload:

Relax and do some deep breathing. Think of one color that feels really relaxing right now and slowly visualize it filling your inner body. Start at the head and work your way down the neck, shoulders, chest and stomach. Pause at the stomach and let yourself breath in the color deeply. Then watch that color gently wash through your hips, legs and down to your feet. Now, pick one smell and let yourself breath it in deeply. Notice how you are feeling. Next, shift your attention to one image that really resonates for you and sense where in the body it gravities to. Sense into your hands and let yourself image touching something that would feel calming for you right now. Take one deep breath and let yourself hear one sound that feels soothing to your ears. As you bring this exercise to a close, think of one word that expresses how you are feeling. Take a piece of white paper and express what you just experienced. Focusing your senses on one strong image, smell, touch or sound helps reduce sensory overload.

Are you Grounded?

2011-03-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

What does it mean to be well grounded? It means that you are aware of the ground beneath your feet and you feel connected to it. In these times of earth quakes and tsunamis, it is important that we stay well grounded. When we are lost in thought, we are often not grounded in the moment and aware of our bodies and the other people around us. Being well grounded helps us stay present and energized. If you 'out of your body' a massage, breath work and/or a quick walk often helps ground you. When you sit, rock your feet back and forth to get a sense of grounding. Walking in nature usually helps. At your desk, or at home in a chair you can imagine roots coming from the bottom of your feet into the ground to firmly tie you to the core of the earth. Yoga and tai chi are wonderful practices to get us grounded. Being grounded is good for our mental, physical, emotional health.

Quiz: Are You Adequately Grounded?

1. Do you get lost easily getting from point A to point B? Yes/No

2. Is it difficult for you to pay attention in the classroom? Yes/No

3. Have you been called a space cadet, airy fairy, or similar? Yes/No

4. Do you lose time? For example: Do you ever find yourself in places -strange or familiar- but don't remember how you got there? Yes/No

5. When asked to wiggle your toes, do you have to make a conscious effort to do this? Yes/No

6. Do you spend a lot of time dwelling on past situations, finding it difficult to move out of those thoughts and live in the present? Yes/No

7. Do you avoid putting yourself in situations that require your full attention? Yes/No

8. Is it difficult for you to concentrate? Yes/No

9. Are you prone to accidents? Yes/No

10. Do you have difficulty staying on topic during group conversations? Yes/No

11. Do you feel that you are more often 'out of body' than 'in body?' Yes/No

12. Are you often scheming or daydreaming about the future because you are unhappy with the status quo? Yes/No

13. Do you tend to trip over your own feet while walking, or bump into furniture while moving about in your home or office? Yes/No

14. Do you believe that you might be addicted to having astral flight experiences? Yes/No

15. Do you retreat to the bedroom, choosing excessive sleep, in order to avoid uncomfortable life circumstances? Yes/No

16. Do you routinely display bursts of anger or frustration in front of others? Yes/No

17. Do you duck for cover --energetically or physically-- when things get ugly in life situations, preferring not to get caught in the crossfire? Yes/No

Resiliency

2011-03-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

When we feel resilient in our lives we feel that we can handle our life situations and can stay present to what is happening in an empowered way. Resilience is the process of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences. Resilient people overcome adversity, bounce back from setbacks, and can thrive under extreme, on-going pressure without acting in dysfunctional or harmful ways. The most resilient people recover from traumatic experiences stronger, better, and wiser. Focusing can be used to increase resiliency as it increases out ability to bear witness to or be with ourselves and our life situation in a kind, compassionate way that allows us to stay present.

Take this quiz created by Al Siebert.
Rate yourself from 1 to 5 on the following: (1 = very little, 5 = very strong)

1. In a crisis or chaotic situation, I calm myself and focus on taking useful actions.
2. I'm usually optimistic. I see difficulties as temporary and expect to overcome them.
3. I can tolerate high levels of ambiguity and uncertainty about situations.
4. I adapt quickly to new developments. I'm good at bouncing back from difficulties.
5. I'm playful. I find the humor in rough situations, and can laugh at myself.
6. I'm able to recover emotionally from losses and setbacks. I have friends I can talk with. I can
express my feelings to others and ask for help. Feelings of anger, loss and discouragement
don't last long.
7. I feel self-confident, appreciate myself and have a healthy concept of who I am.
8. I'm curious. I ask questions. I want to know how things work. I like to try new ways of
doing things.
9. I learn valuable lessons from my experiences and from the experiences of others.
10. I'm good at solving problems. I can use analytical logic, be creative, or use practical
common sense.
11. I'm good at making things work well. I'm often asked to lead groups and projects.
12. I'm very flexible. I feel comfortable with my paradoxical complexity.
13. I'm optimistic and pessimistic, trusting and cautious, unselfish and selfish, and so forth.
14. I'm always myself, but I've noticed that I'm different in different situations.
15. I prefer to work without a written job description. I'm more effective when I'm free to do
what I think is best in each situation.
16. I "read" people well and trust my intuition.
17. I'm a good listener. I have good empathy skills.
18. I'm non-judgmental about others and adapt to people's different personality styles.
19. I'm very durable. I hold up well during tough times. I have an independent spirit underneath
my cooperative way of working with others.
20. I've been made stronger and better by difficult experiences. I've converted misfortune into good luck and found benefits in bad experiences.

Scoring:
80 or higher very resilient!
65-80 better than most
50-65 slow, but adequate
40-50 you're struggling
40 or under seek help!

Learn Focusing at Valley Ridge Art Studio

2011-03-05T06:59:00.000-08:00

Come to beautiful Valley Ridge Art Studio to learn Focusing and Expressive Art Therapy

Learning Focusing to Help Free the Artist in You, Level One Focusing

Do you want to learn how to:

Be a better listener to yourself?
Make clear choices?
Be calm and compassionate to yourself?
Support yourself through change?
Feel relaxed and less stressful?

Focusing helps you learn how to be Present and listen to yourself so that you can move ahead in your life in an empowered and safe way. Focusing brings you closer to wholeness and allows you to access your inner wisdom. This helps you move in the direction of your potential. It can help you move beyond blocks and get in touch with your goals. Focusing is a gentle and powerful way to develop a deep interpersonal healing relationship with yourself.

Awareness of sensations in the body can be blocked through habits of dissociation and repression. This is because the sensation maybe uncomfortable or painful, and we are not trained to focus on this inner knowing and awareness of the body. Transformation of energy involves the acknowledgment, and information of the inner movement of sensation. This energy and awareness is essential to reconnect what has been fragmented by life stress, injury or trauma.

In this workshop we will work with:

artist's blocks
money issues that we may have around our art
time issues that we may have for our art making
why we can’t get into the studio

Instructor Karen Wallace

What is Focusing?
Focusing is "direct access to bodily knowing." It is a practice that takes a person towards a state of conscious perception that goes far beyond knowing something on a mere conceptual level.

As with Somatic Experiencing, Focusing refers to this bodily knowing as a felt sense. As the Focusing Institute's website explains, "You can sense your living body directly under your thoughts and memories and under your familiar feelings." Focusing happens at a deeper level than your feelings. Under them you can discover a physically sensed murky zone which is concretely there. This is a source from which new steps emerge. This murky zone "opens" as you learn to stay with it longer. Being with it increases the ability to sense feelings behind words or images, even when those are not yet formed. Eventually, you can learn how to let a deeper bodily felt sense come in relation to any problem or situation. It is a subtle process, hard to define in words. Focusing was developed by the philosopher Eugene Gendlin in the late 1960s and early 70s, while he was working with the famed psychologist Carl Rogers.

You will learn the skills of and receive credit for Level One Focusing by taking this workshop. You can continue to take Level 2 to 4 with Karen or another Focusing Teacher after this workshop.

To Register: Valley Ridge Art Studio

Learning Focusing to Make Inner: Finding Inner Peace, Level Two Focusing

Would you like to learn how to use Art Therapy and Focusing to:

Invigorate your creativity?
Be calm and compassionate with yourself?
Access more of your imagination and creative potential?

Having acquired the skills of Level One Focusing, you will be ready to deepen your understanding and ability to use of this process to work with creating inner peace for yourself and others. Focusing and creating art helps you learn how to be Present and listen to yourself in order to move ahead in your life in an empowered and safe way. It can help you feel more integrated and whole. Focused Art making is a gentle and powerful way to develop a deep intrapersonal healing relationship with the self.

In this workshop you will work with:

Learning how to guide yourself to have peaceful inner dialogue
Finding forward movement and feeling empowered to create
Taking responsibility for your own healing
Focusing in on your emotional behaviour and language

Humans are creative beings. Sometimes the creative flow gets blocked and Focused Art making helps a person learn how to be Present and listen to themselves in order to move back into the creative flow. Focused Art making is a gentle and powerful way to work with your personal stories and to move away from feeling constrained or trapped by them.
Awareness of sensations in the body can be blocked through habits of dissociation and repression. This blocks the creative abilities and life force. Transformation of energy involves the acknowledgment and information of the inner movement of sensation. This energy and awareness is essential to reconnect what has been fragmented by life stress, injury or trauma. You will work with releasing emotional, physical, and intellectual beliefs and stories through Focused Art making.
Participants will receive Level Two Focusing qualification. To take this workshop participants need to have completed Level One Focusing.

To Register: Valley Ridge Art Studio

Scribble Drawing and Thinking Lightly

2011-03-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

Clarissa Pinkola Estés wrote: In my family there's a saying that is good for those of us who are sensitive... It is, if you listen deeply enough, you will always hear the negative. Sometimes we have to allow people around us not to catch our analytic spirit and just bless down hard on them and then walk on.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how I ‘think’ and how easy it is for me to find the negative, and get caught up in my habitual ways of getting stuck in the drama. I appreciate those who can witness themselves and their life experience with humor, lightness and curiosity. I strive to do that myself and sometimes I succeed.

I have talked before about scribble drawings and how useful they are in Art Therapy. I have created a new art therapy exercise using this technique. Start by doing an attunement or grounding exercise. Move yourself into a state of Presence. Now think about what is bothering you and as you focus on it, start scribbling. When reflecting on the strongest points of irritation, make the scribble line deeper and darker.

Now reflect on what would help you move away from or lighten this area. What would help you feel less attached to these heavy feelings? Often these deep feelings reflect a pattern or habitual way that we react to life. We fear that in certain situations we will lose power, get hurt or shamed. What is the underlying fear that this present situation is triggering? Now create a new scribble drawing still staying with the irritation or problem that you are exploring, but stay lighter on the paper, observing your feelings and slight detachment from your habitual response.

What is different?

Scribble drawing

Social Media: What is your relationship to it?

2011-02-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I am often conflicted about social media. Lori Deschene, has written a brilliant piece that helps me be more mindful about my use of social media.

1. Know your intentions.
Doug Firebaugh of SocialMediaBlogster.com has identified seven psychological needs we may be looking to meet when we log on: acknowledgment, attention, approval, appreciation, acclaim, assurance, and inclusion. Before you post, ask yourself: Am I looking to be seen or validated? Is there something more constructive I could do to meet that need?

2. Be your authentic self.
In the age of personal branding, most of us have a persona we’d like to develop or maintain. Ego-driven tweets focus on an agenda; authenticity communicates from the heart. Talk about the things that really matter to you. If you need advice or support, ask for it. It’s easier to be present when you’re being true to yourself.

3. If you propose to tweet, always ask yourself: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?
Sometimes we post thoughts without considering how they might impact our entire audience. It’s easy to forget how many friends are reading. Two hundred people make a crowd in person, but online that number can seem insignificant. Before you share, ask yourself: is there anyone this might harm?

4. Offer random tweets of kindness.
Every now and then I ask on Twitter, “Is there anything I can do to help or support you today?” It’s a simple way to use social media to give without expectations of anything in return. By reaching out to help a stranger, you create the possibility of connecting personally with followers you may have otherwise known only peripherally.

5. Experience now, share later.
It’s common to snap a picture with your phone and upload it to Facebook or email it to a friend. This overlaps the experience of being in a moment and sharing it. It also minimizes intimacy, since your entire audience joins your date or gathering in real time. Just as we aim to reduce our internal monologues to be present, we can do the same with our digital narration.

6. Be active, not reactive.
You may receive email updates whenever there is activity on one of your social media accounts, or you might have your cell phone set to give you these types of alerts. This forces you to decide many times throughout the day whether you want or need to respond. Another approach is to choose when to join the conversation, and to use your offline time to decide what value you have to offer.

7. Respond with your full attention.
People often share links without actually reading them, or comment on posts after only scanning them. If the greatest gift we can give someone is our attention, then social media allows us to be endlessly generous. We may not be able to reply to everyone, but responding thoughtfully when we can makes a difference.

8. Use mobile social media sparingly.
In 2009, Pew Research found that 43 percent of cell phone users access the Web on their devices several times a day. It’s what former Microsoft employee Linda Stone refers to as continuous partial attention—when you frequently sign on to be sure you don’t miss out anything. If you choose to limit your cell phone access, you may miss out online, but you won’t miss what’s in front of you.

9. Practice letting go.
It may feel unkind to disregard certain updates or tweets, but we need downtime to be kind to ourselves. Give yourself permission to let yesterday’s stream go. This way you won’t need to “catch up” on updates that have passed but instead can be part of today’s conversation.

10. Enjoy social media!
These are merely suggestions to feel present and purposeful when utilizing social media, but they aren’t hard-and-fast rules. Follow your own instincts and have fun with it. If you’re mindful when you’re disconnected from technology, you have all the tools you need to be mindful when you go online.

Lori Deschene is the founder of @TinyBuddha on Twitter and tinybuddha.com, a multi-author blog that features wisdom and stories from people all over the world.

What is Your Social Imagination?

2011-02-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

Our social imagination is based on how we 'imagine' the world. It is based on how we 'perceive' the world and how we envision or want to see the world. How we see is based on the images that we grew up with, surround ourselves with, like, dislike and internalize.
Today, we watch as Egyptian re-imagined themselves. Due to travel, the internet, and social networking, we have more images now of how the world looks and could look, than we ever have. How has that altered your own personal social imagination? As we all imagine ourselves living forward, what is your own image of how you 'see' the world and want to 'see' the world?
This week I am at our home on Denman Island B.C. For over twenty years we lived in the Gulf Islands on the West Coast of Canada. We have lived in Europe, Australia, and traveled through many other countries, but when I imagine a peaceful, healthy, and sustainable world, it looks a lot like where I am now. In my imagination there would be old growth forests, ocean, moss, and fresh air.
How are you imaginng the world?

Therapeutic Thursday: Using Art to Help Change Children's Identity

2011-02-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

When I was an Art Therapist working in the school system, I wanted to give the children I worked with a chance to be seen differently by their teachers and peers. They had been labeled as ‘bad, disruptive, lazy, mean, hyper.’ I knew a different side to these children. They were smart, creative, inventive and energetic. I created a program called Acts of Art, which saw each child take on the role of knower and expert. They taught their classes art lessons. This put each of the children in a position with their peers, and their teacher, that they had not experienced or perceived prior to this. “Imagination is fed by perception and perception by sensibility and sensibility by artistic cultivation. With refined sensibility, the scope of perception is enlarged. With enlarged perception, the resources that feed our imaginative life are increased” (Eisner, 1991). Each of the children were able to play at, and imagine themselves in a role other than the one they had been playing in their day-to-day experience. In turn their classroom peers reciprocated in their new perception of them as expert, as teacher, and as artist. Through the process of art the child changed her/his story; the child engaged in the transformation of self-identity; I am an artist. Of all human capabilities “imagination is the one that permits us to give credence to alternative realities. It allows us to break with the taken for granted, to set aside familiar distinctions and definitions” (Greene, 1995).

Of all the children who participated in Acts of Art all but one demonstrated improved positive self-perception. Teachers’ reported, based on informal class observations and anecdotal records, that the child’s behaviours and interactions with classmates, and classmates interactions with the child, showed continued improvement from after the Acts of Art to the end of the school year.

Weekend Zen

2011-02-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

Therapeutic Thursday: Letting the Images Speak

2011-02-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy week. So much going on, so many expectations and so many demands. But, when I think of the wonderful progress that my clients have made, I can smile. Here is the last week in pictures.This is the work of some of the adults and children that I work with.

Celebrating What is Right

2011-01-31T10:41:00.000-08:00

Clients celebration book

When I started my training to be an Art Therapist my supervisor, Llona O'Gorman, always told me to look for the light in my clients. In other words she taught me to celebrate or work with what was right with my clients.
This DVD, Celebrate What's Right With the World, shows what can happen when we stay open to possibilities, have a vision, and do what excites us. National Geographic's Dewitt Jones amazing photography and words shows us how we can approach life with creative grace.

His principles are:
- Believe it and you'll see it.
- Recognize abundance.
- Look for possibilities.
- Ride the changes.
- Take yourself to your edge.

Watch his DVD:

Celebrating What is Right

Inspiration, Ideas, Instruction

2011-01-29T05:18:00.000-08:00

The new site CreateMixedMedia.com hosts new artists, offers tutorials for creating art, explores new exploring art techniques and lists great mixed-media books and supplies in one warm and inviting space.
CreateMixedMedia.com is owned by F+W Media, Inc., publishers of North Light Books. The site’s editor and contributors are employees and authors of North Light Books as well as other mixed media artists and enthusiasts. Check out my blog Creative Insights where I talk about Art Therapy.

Therapeutic Thursday: Vodoo Dolls

2011-01-27T07:41:00.000-08:00

Teenagers Voodoo Anger Doll


Teenagers Voodoo Anger Doll

Of all the different age groups that I work with, I think working with teenagers stretches my creative abilities the most. A boy that I was working with this week said that he wished he could just give his anger to someone who could turn it into something else. Then we remembered voodoo dolls. We made voodoo dolls and pinned to their chests what we wanted them to work with. It was a creative and fun way to work with something that was frustrating and confusing for him. Creating art about our struggles helps us ponder things freshly. Detachment (giving anger to the voodoo doll) paradoxically makes us more present. This exercise lead to an interesting conversation of different ways he could react when angry. I love this job!

The Magic Cloth

2011-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

The Magic Cloth

We went on a three hour picnic. She reminded her foster Mom for weeks ahead of time that we had a three hour picnic scheduled. She usually comes to see me for one hour, but this time it would be three.

I bought a new cooler, all her favorite foods, packed my camera, and games for after dinner.

She so was excited, so was I. We had never been together outside of the therapy room.

We had our table set, food laid out, drinks, when a family arrived and sat down at the picnic table next to us.

I knew it was coming, it always did. “A cloth, you should have brought a cloth,” she said as the Mom spread out a clean white table cloth.

I tried to defend my lack of planning by pointing out how the wind kept blowing up the edges and they had to use rocks to keep it down. But no matter what I said I could not pull her or all the other children I work with that live in foster homes away from trying to figure out why they are not at the picnic table with the white cloth.

I wish it could be that simple. Bu is it really so different then what I as a therapist, researcher, writer does? Aren’t we all looking for the magic cloth?

By: Karen Wallace

The Secret Tree Festival of Art & Sustainability Feb. 17-20th

2011-01-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

Arts for Change Workshop with Karen Wallace

Equanimity, “being in the middle” refers to balance, to remaining centered in the middle of whatever life change is happening. This balance comes from inner strength or stability. The strong presence of inner calm, well-being, confidence, vitality, or integrity can keep us upright, like a ballast keeps a ship upright in strong winds. We each move through change in a familiar and uniquely different way. Sometimes we initiate change and sometimes life throws change at us. This art experience will be working with finding internal and external balance for the changes that we are all experiencing personality, communally, and globally. Through collage, painting, and text we will work with how we can embrace, reframe, revision and inhabit change in healthy life confirming ways.

Registration details: here

Also check out this excellent article on Nursing School blog here which lists 100 Art Therapy Exercises for your mind, body, and soul.

Weekend Zen

2011-01-15T05:27:00.000-08:00

Waiting for Spring

Therapeutic Thursday: Art Therapy for Relaxation and Centering

2011-01-13T04:57:00.000-08:00

One of the exercises I do with clients in Art Therapy is to have them create their own Zen Garden. The philosophy of Zen Gardens is to bring health to people, to harmonize our life, and to return balance in nature. These are dry gardens using stone arrangements, white sand, moss, statues and sometimes, pruned trees. The act of raking the sand into a pattern is symbolic of rippling waves. The raking motion is meant to have a calming and centering effect on the person raking. Playing with the patterns can be a way to open or close a therapy session. The stone and other miniature elements in the arrangements can be used to represent mountains and other natural elements. Sometimes clients make stone statues out of clay for their gardens or paint special stones.

miniature Zen Garden

Featured on Arttherapy Blog

2011-01-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

I am the featured Artist and Art Therapist on http://www.arttherapyblog.com/.
How exciting! Read the post here: http://www.arttherapyblog.com/featured/art-therapist-artist-karen-wallace/
Happy Monday!!!!!

Sandtray image by client titled: "They are all happy for you!!!!"

Weekend Zen

2011-01-08T05:47:00.000-08:00

Winter walking

What does Divination have to do with Art Therapy?

2011-01-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

Human beings have always had a deep need to ask and seek the answers to

"Why are we here? Who or what controls our destiny? and/or What will

happen in the future?" One way of receiving the answers to these

questions is through divination and all cultures have different ways of

practicing divination. Methods that have all stood the test of time are

Rune stones, I Chin, Numerology, Astrology, and reading Tarot cards.

Divination systems in preliterate times, were largely the exclusive

domain of the rulers, chieftains, sages, prophets and shamans. Although

belief in magic was practically universal up to and through the Middle

Ages, including primitive divinatory practices of folk magic, knowledge

of divination systems could not spread until the invention of printing.

Divination has always been with us and still is. Even in the Old

Testament, Jahweh uses a sacred set of dice called Uri and Thummim to

make decisions in God's name.

In my twenties I experienced several events that shook my hold on

reality. I searched for answers everywhere and then became intrigued

with the Tarot. As a visual artist, I was entranced with the images and

as a seeker of knowledge; I was drawn in by the complex system of

Archetypes and stories that each card held. Shortly after discovering

these cards we traveled through Europe and North Africa, as did many

people of my age in the late seventies. I read all that I could about

the Tarot throughout our travels and I had my cards read by many

different readers. The study opened up my eyes and mind to many other

spiritual practices and ways of perceiving reality. When we

returned to Canada I thought I would move beyond the cards, but they

just kept finding a way of being relevant in my life. Reading is not

something that I advertise or promote in myself, but it is something

that comes naturally to me and I do it. It is one of the few things in

my life that I don't question, I really don't know why or how

readings work, and for some reason I don't need to know. I also

don't know why it seems so natural for me to read. I love the world

of Archetypes and find the study deep and meaningful. I enjoy the

endless combinations and unfolding of story lines that the 78 cards

create and the fascinating way they reflect a person's life in a

reading. Why they can predict the future, reflect the past and confirm

the present I really don't know. Somehow I am detached from needing to

know. I just accept that those cards work. Not necessarily for me, I am

not good at reading my own cards, but for others. Reflecting on this I

am thinking, hmm, good recipe for life. If you want to be accomplished

at something study it hard, practice it for many years, then learn to be

unattached to your performance and let it intuitively and instinctually

unfold. In other words become highly invested in learning the art/craft,

and then get out of your way to practice it. Are reading cards really

any different than creating art? Divination for me is no more or less

magical than this, being Present, in the flow and unattached to the

finished product. It's just another art form.

Mother Peace Tarot Deck by Vicki Noble

How was your art experience in school?

2011-01-03T07:56:00.000-08:00


Students art

Happy 2011! I am teaching an Arts Education university course for students who are planning to become art teachers. What advice would you give students based on your elementary school experience? Who inspired you to pursue your art and why? How were you supported or discouraged by your art teachers? What would you like to tell students about how your art experience in school shaped your view and feelings about art?
I would be most grateful to hear from you.

Add caption

Weekend Zen

2011-01-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

Winter Boating

Therapeutic Thursday: Working With Beliefs

2010-12-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

Clients image of working with beliefs

We all struggle with having a belief system that supports us. Why is that? Often we unconsciously adopt the belief systems of our parents, friends or peers. Or we experience disappointing or trauma life experiences and then base our beliefs on those experiences. It is difficult to go through life and not experience some self-defeating and irrational beliefs due to wanting to be loved, understood, and respected. Often we feel certain beliefs protect us from getting hurt, even when they are irrational and have the opposite effect. Albert Ellis has worked out a list of basic irrational beliefs that are widely held.
Are some of these beliefs a source of stress for you? Start noticing in what situations these beliefs pop up. See if you can gently observe them, and give the part of you that is holding this particular belief room to be heard.
In this blog, I have talked about Focusing and the wonderful clarity and changes it brings when you practice it. When we practice Focusing we start to face these irrational beliefs and have a way to untangle or free ourselves of their hold on our reality. We begin to have more choice in what to believe and feel less bound by habitual thinking.

Irrational Beliefs (Ellis)

1.     You must have love and approval almost all the time from all the people you find significant?

2.     You must prove yourself a thoroughly competent, adequate achiever, or you must at least have real competence or talent at something important.

3.     You have to view life as awful, horrible, or catastrophic when things do not go the way you would like them to go.

4.     People who harm you, or commit misdeeds, rate as generally bad individuals and you should blame or punish them.

5.     If something seems dangerous or fearsome, you must become terribly occupied with and upset about it.

6.     People and things should turn out better than they do, and you have to view it as awful you do not quickly find good solutions to life's hassles.

7.     Emotional misery comes from external pressures, and you have little ability to control your feelings.

8.     You find it easier to avoid facing many of life's difficulties and self-responsibilities than to undertake more rewarding forms of self-discipline.

9.     Your past remains all important, and because something once strongly influenced your life, it has to keep determining your feelings and behavior today

Weekend Zen

2010-12-24T15:35:00.000-08:00

Handmade Chocolate Truffles

Therapeutic Thursday: Can making crafts be therapeutic?

2010-12-23T06:37:00.000-08:00

Making Christmas angels with clients in Art Therapy

Making Christmas masks with clients in Art Therapy

Why would making crafts be part of an Art Therapy session?
Because it:
1. Stimulates the imagination. Creating in any way helps stimulate the imagination. Our brains start firing with ideas when triggered by creating something novel. Working with patterns (knitting), lines and shapes (sewing), and/or different smells and textures (cooking) helps shift us from our habitual way of thinking and wakes us of to wonder: "What would happen if I did this or that?"

2. Calms the Nervous System. The heart rate lowers, the body becomes more relaxed and centered. Often we feel joyful, happy and/or content.
3. Creating crafts can reduce stress. A report, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that extreme tiredness and stress could be as bad for the brain as smoking.
4. It helps us create relationships. Craft groups have a relaxed atmosphere in which people can develop friendships and work on communication and social skills.
5. It allows us to express ourselves. Making crafts gets us to use our senses and improve our motor skills by doing detailed work. We live in a busy overly complex world. It is satisfying and healthy for us to start and finish something beautiful and handmade, especially if we work at jobs where we don't get to see a finished product as a result of our work.

What does it mean to have a Good Relationship with Yourself?

2010-12-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

Having a good relationship with yourself means:

- liking to spend time with yourself

- respecting yourself and the choices that you make

- honoring and listening to your emotions and knowing how to release them

- being a good guardian to yourself

- knowing how to calm yourself

- being present with yourself

- having an inner dialogue that supports you

- holding an open, non-judging attention to your inner sensing

- knowing how to move past old emotional pain and practicing release

- finding ways to access one's larger potential

- feeling safe and secure in one's own being

- having patience with yourself and your growth

- knowing and living your passions

Weekend Zen

2010-12-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

Snow feet

Therapeutic Thursday: Talking about the "RE" Factor

2010-12-16T06:25:00.000-08:00

“The most fundamental skill of the creative person is the ability to constantly re-vision the world. Everything is subject to reconstruction and renewal. The “re” factor is the basis of resurrecting, reshaping, regenerating, reviving, and rejuvenating. Create persons live in a state of constant search and exploration.”

- shaun mcniff Trust the Process 1998

Looking at the world through a creative len, means having the ability to make new meanings of old truths, feel new emotions about known situations or familiar people, and sense new movements where there was stagnation. Re-framing can be the key to help us move away from habitual action into fresh forward movement.

When we act in our lives, we have multiple choices of how that action will take metal, emotional and physical shape. To keep action fresh, new, creative, and free the re-factor allows us to re-vision, re-flect, and re-shape action.

When I am working to increase client’s re-siliency, part of the work is re-framing. It involves re-visiting memories that may be stuck in deficit mode or focused only on what the client didn’t do, say or feel. A re-visit or re-vision of those memories often re-veals an overlooked strength or re-source that helped my client re-sist or even survive. Part of the work of trauma re-covery is learning to be able to be with all of us, all of our life experiences and re-frame the trauma into an experience that can now enrich and add wisdom to the clients life instead of blocking or re-ducing the clients life force.

As we increase our capability to be with our whole life experience, we often need to re-invent our self concept. Trauma or past losses may have re-duced our ability to see ourselves as strong, re-sourceful and intelligent beings. We often need to re-member the parts of our life experiences where we felt successful, passionate, and strong. When we go through a healing process we can play with what the re-connection looks like. As an artist, I am aware that creative practice means the ability to see from many different perceptives, and I have the ability to change that perceptive into something new and exciting. There is no true way to view or create something just as there is no one true way to re-member or re-create yourself.

An example from my own life was my inability to read in early grades at school. I was dyslectic and it was not diagnosed nor did anyone help me with my struggles. This condition resulted in lifelong feelings of shame and failure. As a child I had very little self-esteem and often did not talk. When working in re-frame, often the problem or experience that disturbs you that most may have the most creative energy locked in it. I had to learn on my own to de-code words, learn to pronounce them and read them. This obstacle helped me develop incredible life skills. When I mentally and emotionally re-visit this time in my life, I feel overwhelming sorrow for what I experienced and also wonder at the creative, inventive, and ingenious way that I lived through this time. Since I have re-framed it as a positive time of growth in my life, I now valve the creative skills I learned from having this disability, even though the memories of being shamed are also part of the story. When I used to remember this younger me, I only felt shame and sadness. Now I also am re-ceptive to feelings of compassion, acceptance and pride for my younger self. I am amazed that I could have lived through those years and re-sisted the temptation to let everyone’s option of me defeat me.

It makes me feel excited to look at other areas in my life that I re-sist change, or feel stuck. Instead of being locked in habitual ways of seeing, acting, feeling and thinking I can at any time entertain the practice and play of re-frame. As I become more flexible, I also become more re-silent. This is re-newal.

"RE" art therapy exercise:

Let yourself look at the following picture for 1 minute and then write down what you saw.

Take a deep breath, relax and think of the last time you felt successful in your life. Replay the memory really taking in the good feelings. Now look at the following picture for 1 minute and then write down what you see. What was the re-frame or difference?

I Spy Christmas By: Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo

Weekend Zen

2010-12-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Winter Picnic

Therapeutic Thursday: Talking about Anxiety

2010-12-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

Life can be complex and confusing. As we move through our busy lives, it is important to be aware of and conscious of what causes us to feel overwhelmed. Checking-in with ourself helps us stay connected with what, in the here and now, causes us to feel overly anxious.

Right now, what is happening in your life that you need to cope with?

~ becoming overwhelmed by feelings caused by this time of year

~ dealing with the death of a family member, friend, etc.

~ feelings of loneliness, shame, guilt, anger, and abandonment

~ Fear of change

Clients image of fear of change

Below is a list of things that you can do to help settle the body and mind if you experience overwhelm or stress:

~ Sit down and try to figure how what the triggers were.

~ Make a plan of how you will handle the situation, feelings, emotions, etc. when it happens again, in a healthy way.

~ Call someone and talk about what happened and how you feel. (friend, therapist, family member, etc.)

~ Be gentle with yourself and do something nice for you.

Clients sandtray image of overwhelm

The following tips can be used for containing a flashback, shock or an anxiety attack. They can be used any time you feel that you need to be grounded and centered in your body.

~ Blink hard. Blink again. Do it once more as hard as you can.

~ Change your body position.

~ Breathe slowly and deeply.

~ Go to a safe place.

~ Say your name out loud.

~ Drink a glass of ice water.

~ Tell someone what you need.

~ Move vigorously to release energy.

~ Name the people or objects in the room.

~ Hold something that is comforting.

~ Listen to a tape or something soothing.

~ Make tea. Drink it.

~ Call a friend.

~ Eat a snack.

~ Find your feet and reconnect with the ground below them.

~ Jump up and down waving your arms.

~ Make eye contact with someone else or your pet. Now hold it.

~ Clap your hands or rub them together fast.

~ Alternatively tense and relax some muscles.

~ Wash your face.

~ Repeat to yourself: “I am safe. This is (month, day, and year). I am _____ years

old. I am a big person. I can protect myself.”

Reflecting On: Showing up to Practice

2010-12-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

I have been reflecting a lot on the value of practice. If I want to feel physically healthy, and have energy for the day, I have to make time to run or workout. I don't always want to, but I feel so good after and I don't think it is any different in other aspects of my life.

If I want to grow spirituality, be more aware and awake, I need to make time to meditate each morning. If I want to be emotionally healthy I need to practice Focusing with my partner. If I want to grow intellectually, I need to read each day and do something stimulating, informative or interesting to do with my therapy work or talk to someone about my ideas and thoughts. If I want to stay inspired and passionate in my life, I have to feed my inner fire by by creating art, writing and exercising my imagination.

Emotionally Exercising:

Practicing Gratitude. To shift emotions to positive feelings, each morning and evening say one thing to yourself or another about what you feel grateful for in your life.

Physically Exercising:

Practicing movement. To shift the body to feeling more fluid, each day do some form of movement (Yoga, walking, running).

Intellectually Exercising:

Practicing curiosity. To shift your mind to curiosity and interest, each day read books, articles, or blogs that cause you to reflect, think differently or question.

Imaginatively Exercising:

Practicing creativity. To shift into experiencing more imagining and creativity in your daily life, make time for creative play and exploration.

Spiritually Exercising:

Practicing meditation. To shift into experiencing more awareness and consciousness in your daily life, make time to be Present and mindful.

For myself, what is important is that I show up to practice. I don't care if I am the best runner, creator, meditator, or emotionally balanced person but I am showing up and doing the practice. This practice helps me check-in mentally, emotionally, physically, intuitively and spirituality to see how I am, where I am, and who I am.

Weekend Zen

2010-12-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

deep in the creative process

Therapeutic Thursday: Talking about being Present

2010-12-02T05:02:00.000-08:00

I find it helpful to have reminders throughout the day that help me remember to come back to Presence. Being Present simply means being in the here and now, and not pulled into past memories or preoccupied by planning the future.

Here are some reminders:

1) Before taking the first bite of your food, check-in with yourself to see if you are Present.
2) Use walking through doorways as a wake-up call to be Present.
3) Use starting your car as an invitation to be Present.
4) Frame stepping into the shower or bath tub as stepping into a state of Presence.

Art Therapy Exercises: Using the Face

2010-11-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

Collaged faces showing emotions.

The face shows joy, sorrow, shame, pain, anxiety and many more human emotions. Our facial expressions can be flexible, controlled, masked or revealing. We sometimes have an open face and sometimes not. Our face can show flashes of our fresh thinking, openness, and sometimes we need to shut down, rein in our facial expressions for safety, or because we are not ready to show all and sometimes because we aren't sure.

In Art Therapy work I do a lot of exercises using the face. Sometimes clients paint their face, collage faces, make masks, etc. Sometimes it is to play with how they think others see them or to explore their inner and outer self-expression. Sometimes clients paint or collage their many faces such as, their face of contentment, joy, shame, sorrow, fear, grief, etc. There is a unique psychological shift that takes place when you look into your own eyes and face and paint your own portrait. Your own face suddenly becomes a mirror to your soul, the real you.

Weekend Zen

2010-11-27T04:47:00.000-08:00

Drawing by a four year old child of himself as a cat.

Therapeutic Thursday: Talking about being Authentic

2010-11-25T05:56:00.000-08:00

Client painting.

I am not being authentic when I pretend to be indifferent when I am not, when I present myself as more or less than I am, when I laugh when I need to cry, when I fake beliefs to be accepted, when I fake modesty, and when I allow my silence to imply agreement with convictions I do not share.

Here are some basic questions to consider:

1) Am I honest with others about my feelings in contexts where talking about feelings is appropriate?

2) Do I consciously strive to be truthful in communications?

3) Do I talk openly, and straightforwardly about that which I love and enjoy?

4) If I am hurt, angry, or upset, do I talk about this with honesty and dignity?

5) Do I stick up for myself and honour my needs and interests?