How often do you consciously notice what you can be grateful for in your life? Throughout the day, is your mind full of thoughts about what you need to get done, regrets about the past, annoyances at others? How often is your mind filled with appreciation for the present moment or gratitude for the positive things in your life? As therapists and counselors, we all understand that what you focus on in your mind influences your feelings and the way you react to the circumstances and events of … [Read more...]
The Power of Hope-filled Art
This past week I worked on my postcards for the Hope-filled Art Postcard Exchange, organized by Gretchen Miller and Nancy Lautenbach and part of 6 Degrees of Creativity. Participants create three art postcards about “hope” to mail out and will receive three in return. You can learn more here: https://6degreesofcreativity.wordpress.com/2016/08/29/creative-deed-project-art-filled-hope-postcard-art-exchange/ (And be sure to follow Art Therapy Alliance and 6 Degrees of Creativity on social media … [Read more...]
Creating Tissue Paper Collages
Tissue paper can be a great art medium to try in therapy. I find that it helps to encourage playing with colors and materials, experimenting with new techniques, and focusing on the process. For myself, I have always enjoyed that working with tissue paper forces me to be more abstract and less focused on achieving a certain outcome. I have been using tissue paper in some of my groups lately and playing with it in my own art, so I thoughts I would share some ideas for using it in therapeutic … [Read more...]
Why I Encourage Fidgeting
Be sure to read to the end of this post for instructions on how to enter a giveaway! For a lot of kids – and even adults – sitting still is a hard thing to do! When kids are expected to sit still through a class or in an hour long therapy session, many of them get restless, start daydreaming, or squirm around in their seat. For kids with ADHD or anxiety problems, it’s even harder to try to stay focused. When kids come to see me for therapy, many of them have trouble sitting still if we’re … [Read more...]
Art and Self-care
I’m writing this blog post on vacation, so it's been a great week to focus on art and self-care in my own life. Of course, writing my blog on vacation is not exactly a great example of self-care because I’m still working, but at least I’m working on a beautiful balcony in New Mexico, enjoying the breeze and a view of the Sandia Mountains. During the first few days of our trip, we crammed in a lot of sightseeing and activities. While this was a lot of fun, it was not exactly relaxing. On the … [Read more...]
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