Spring has arrived here in Texas, so all things growing and changing have been on my mind. As someone who hates winter and loves gardening, I am always so pleased to see those first signs of spring. Even if the weather is still cold and gray for a few more weeks, I eagerly watch the tiny buds, shoots of new green, and first butterflies. One of my favorite things to watch for over the past few years is the blooming of the first bluebonnet in the patch I planted at my house. Bluebonnets (and … [Read more...]
Protective Containers – Using Art To Strengthen The Metaphor
One of the challenges we often face as therapists is how to help clients find the balance between focusing on their emotions or difficult experiences and then being able to put those things away. In therapy we often encourage clients to be more aware of their feelings, honor those emotions, and spend time addressing difficult memories like trauma. However, we also need to give clients the tools to not be overwhelmed by those emotions and memories, be able to turn away from them so that they do … [Read more...]
Is There a Place For Coloring Books in Art Therapy?
What are your thoughts on adult coloring books? Whether you love them or hate them, it seems like the interest in coloring will not be waning any time soon. Many people – both kids and adults – find coloring to be an enjoyable activity, finding that it calms their stress while allowing them to feel proud of their creative accomplishment. I believe that art therapists (and other creative therapists) should consider how coloring can be included in our therapeutic work – recognizing that it has … [Read more...]
Crafting in Therapy
In the profession of Art Therapy, activities that are seen as “crafts” are often not given as much focus as the traditional fine arts, like painting, drawing, and sculpture. However, I believe there is value in offering crafting in our creative therapy approaches or in looking at the therapeutic value of clients doing crafts. One of the important aspects of art therapy is the guidance of a well-trained art therapist – the therapist guides clients toward the art media and types of art-making … [Read more...]
Revisiting and Transforming Art
In my own art I’ve been playing a lot with the concept of revisiting previous things, transforming pieces of art into something new, and pushing past something that feels like it’s failing. The last post shared general ideas for how to manage the concept of “failure” in art and art therapy, and I mentioned that one of the things I try is revisiting the art later and trying to transform it into something new. So post is a glimpse into how I’ve been playing with this in my own art. My hope is … [Read more...]
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