Recommended Reading for your Brain/Body & Creative Wellbeing

BRAIN/BODY Books:

  • “Brainspotting” by: David Grand

  • “Transforming Anxiety” by: Childre and Rozman

  • “The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science” by Norman Doidge

  • ·  “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” by Bessel van der Kolk

  • · “Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma” by: Peter Levine

  • ·        “No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model” by Richard C. Schwartz

  • “Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder” by: Gabor Mate

  • ·        “The Mindful Self- Compassion Workbook”: by: Neff/ Germer

CHRONIC PAIN/ ILLNESS:

  • “When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress” by: Gabor Maté

  • ·“The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain” by Alan Gordon

CREATIVE WELLBEING:

  • ·     “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” by: Betty Edwards

  • ·     “The Artists Way” by: Julia Cameron

  • ·     “Big Magic” by: Elizabeth Gilbert

 

Gathering basic art supplies and materials: Telehealth art therapy sessions.

If you are creating your studio set up in the comfort of your own home, here is your go to guide on materials.

You may be surprised to know that you may already have some of these materials. I like to keep them accessible and you can always add to them over time.

I like to keep my supplies in a shoebox or any recycled and repurposed cartons, such as oatmeal container.

Here are a few of my favorite most basic art supplies. (You may even have some laying around already)

1.      A mixed media journal. Thicker paper holds up to various mediums. Here is a link to my favorite one: https://www.dickblick.com/products/canson-xl-mix-media-pads/

However, scrap paper of many sizes and textures will also do. Think recycling cards, paper grocery bags, cardstock, even wrapping paper.

2.      Some drawing materials: crayons, pencils, colored pencils, a few different pens, a few favorite markers. Keep them in a small zip lock or pencil bag with an sharpener available.

3.      Cutting and pasting: a small glue stick or white glue, and a pair of small scissors.

4.      Collage materials: Think magazines, old cards, newspaper clippings, quotes, photos, recycled drawings, I keep mine in a folder of small envelope. It can be fun to sort your images by categories.

5.      Ephemera; a fancy word for findings. These are your: beads, sequins, stickers stamps, ribbons, feathers, pompoms, pipe cleaners, buttons, paper scraps and glitter glue can always be painted on to add sparkle to your creations.

Nature items: dried flowers, pine cones, feathers, seeds, rocks and pebbles

6.      Added bonus: a few small tubes of paint and a brush. It could be acrylic, tempera, or watercolor. The watercolor could also be in a pan. Such as Prang. I love the vibrancy. https://www.dickblick.com/items/prang-watercolor-pans-oval-assorted-set-of-16-colors/

 One can always expand on these materials in future art therapy sessions, but art directives and exploration can be done with the most basic of supplies. Your art therapist will help you with this.

Stay tuned for another post and for my “all time favorite” art supplies to add to your kit now or later.

Happy Creating!

-Kristen

Basic Art supplies in an oatmeal container

Basic Art supplies in an oatmeal container

How to prepare for your first art therapy session

What if I told you that a box of crayons may be enough to help unlock your creative self? 

With the help of an art therapist by your side it can be.

It can be helpful to know that even if you don’t have a lot of art materials on hand or even if you don’t have experience with art making you can still benefit from art therapy.

Here are a few things to know to help prepare for your first art therapy session.

1.      Come as you are.

You first session is treated like an initial meeting with your art therapist. History will be gathered as well as treatment paperwork. Treatment goals will be discussed. This may be done in person or via zoom or another hipaa compliant telehealth way.

2.      Set up.

You will want to think about where you want to meet with your therapist. You will need a quiet place that is confidential and without distractions. A good secure internet connection is important.  A flat space to work and lay out a few materials is also helpful.

3.      Materials.

Your art therapist will explore your experience with art and materials for future sessions. What types of materials are you drawn to or more intimidated by? Were your creative abilities nurtured or injured at different points in your life? What kind of materials do you already have on had or do you have access to.

4.      Process.

Your therapist may ask you to grab some markers, pens, or crayons to engage in an art process or a directive. Your therapist may also work while you are working. Don’t worry too much about what you make, anything is ok.

5.      Reflection.

After creating, your therapist may ask you to reflect on your process and what it was like to create it. They may also check in with you on how you are feeling and what insights you have gained.

6.      Closing and planning.

You may explore together what you would like to work on in the next session as well as treatment goals. Your therapist may suggest some homework, such as keeping a visual journal, to encouraged you to self reflect between sessions.

I hope that this helps you to understand what an initial art therapy session normally looks like and how it lays the groundwork for future sessions.

Look out for my next post on basic materials that can enhance the art therapy process.

5 things to know when you work with an Art Therapist

You may be wondering what it is like to work with an art therapist. Today I am excited to share with you a little about art therapy and what it looks like to work creatively with me.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. First, I am an artist. I so fond of creating daily that on occasion I mistake my paintbrush water for my teacup. I also have quite the collection of found objects, mostly from nature, that find their way into my artwork. 

I am also a professional psychotherapist trained in mental health counseling and art therapy.  I work with a variety of people just like you who are looking for ways new ways to understand themselves.

Here are 5 things to know when you work with an Art Therapist:

1. You do not have to consider yourself artistic to benefit from art therapy. Art therapy focuses on the creative process of art making.

"Art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone. Kinesthetic, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic opportunities invite alternative modes of receptive and expressive communication, which can circumvent the limitations of language. Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience, and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation.”

- American Art Therapy Association

2. An art therapist is a trained professional. They will help you to understand your art and create goals, but they will not interpret your art for you. You are the expert on your creations.

3. Sometimes art therapists may suggest certain materials and directives that will help you to go deeper with your therapy, exploring your strengths and areas that are healing. Art making can bring up strong emotions, both positive and negative. An art therapist has specialized training to help guide you and provide a safe space during this process.

4. Art therapy is more about the process of art making and less about how the final art product looks. However, along the way, you may develop more confidence in working with materials and mediums with the help of your art therapist.

5. Your artwork is like a self portrait and it belongs to you. Your therapist will help you keep it safe or you can hold onto it. Your artwork is a tangible part of your healing journey.

In summary, art making is a powerful tool for problem solving and raising awareness of deeper emotions and the deep knowing within each of us. A trained art therapist can help you engage with your art and explore the meaning behind what you make.

Now that you know a few things about working with an art therapist stay tuned for the next blog post on how to prepare for an art therapy session with me.

#WhyICreate

“I create so that the right and left sides of my brain can coexist in a left brained world. Artmaking quiets the static in my brain and allows for the creation of new pathways.”

-Kristen

Highly Sensitive People (HSP's)

Have you every been told that you were too sensitive? 

Brain scientists have discovered that 20 percent of the population is wired differently and considered to be highly sensitive to their surroundings. 
This trait can be a great strength and a survival strategy. However, many highly sensitive people (HSP’s) feeling misunderstood and undervalued. Our modern, fast paced world can leave HSP’s feeling overwhelmed and misplaced. 
Dr. Elaine Aron who is credited for on research on Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP’s) recently released two documentaries that help the world understand the values of this trait and how her groundbreaking research can help educate our world. 
Please check out the following trailers and Dr. Elaine Aron’s work if you or a loved one has every been referred to as overly sensitive.

Please check it out here: Sensitive the Movie



Brainspotting

I am happy to announce that I am professionally trained as a Brainspotting therapist.  I will now be offering this effective brain based therapy at my practice. 

What is Brainspotting?

“Where we look affects how we feel”. Brainspotting makes use of this natural phenomenon through its use of relevant eye positions. This helps the Brainspotting therapist to locate, focus, process and release a wide range of emotionally and bodily-based conditions. Brainspotting is also a brain-based tool to support the therapy relationship. It has been shown that Brainspotting taps into and harnesses the body’s natural self-scanning, self-healing ability. When a Brainspot is stimulated, the deep brain appears to reflexively signal the therapist that the source of the problem has been found. Brainspotting can be used to find and strengthen our natural resources and resilience. Brainspotting is designed as a therapeutic tool that can be integrated into many of the healing modalities, and can also be used for performance and creativity enhancement.

 above information from brainspotting.pro/