| It’s the process, not the product that counts when it comes to creativity in counseling. And it’s a growing movement, but is it really anything new? Primary Topic: Creativity read more Continue reading Creativity in Counseling Cool Art Therapy Intervention #1 is not a technique or method, but the essence of what makes art therapists different from other professionals who use art in counseling, therapy and medicine. It’s called the “third hand” and it’s really art therapy’s v… Continue reading Cool Art Therapy Intervention #1: The Art Therapist’s Third Hand Call it active imagination, free association, image dialogue, or even a rant. It’s about helping the image to speak your truths, whether through words, visualization, or another art form-and it’s one of the major centerpieces in the practice of art the… Continue reading Cool Art Therapy Intervention #2: Active Imagination Draw a person in the rain. Make a picture of a bird’s nest. Use clay to create an image of yourself as an animal. Or just paint whatever you’d like. Now talk about it with your therapist. It’s all about the metaphor. Primary Topic: … Continue reading Cool Art Therapy Intervention #3: It’s All About the Metaphor Art therapists have a longstanding tradition of prescribing image-making to prompt expression of feelings, often by asking people to draw, paint, or sculpt “how you feel.” It’s one of the fundamental approaches in the field that distinguishes art thera… Continue reading Cool Art Therapy Intervention #5: Show Me How You Feel Today A circular form in art is often referred to as a “mandala” and is also known as a “sacred circle.” Mandalas evoke the cycles of nature, personal and universal symbols, ritual, transcendence, and wholeness. It’s a magic circle that can both soothe and i… Continue reading Cool Art Therapy Intervention #6: Mandala Drawing Given a lump of clay or some canisters of Play-doh, how would you depict each member of your family of origin? It’s cool art therapy intervention #9 and it’s all about a creative way to explore your family system. Primary Topic: … Continue reading Cool Art Therapy Intervention #9: Family Sculpture Those magazine picture clippings you have been saving in a drawer might just mean more than you think. And it’s related to the first installment of the “ten coolest art therapy interventions.” Primary Topic: … Continue reading Cool Art Therapy Intervention #10: Magazine Photo Collage I’m taking a cue from Ryan Howes’ Top Ten Coolest Therapy Interventions to demystify just what art therapy is and some of the tools of the trade. Primary Topic: Media read more Continue reading The Ten Coolest Art Therapy Interventions The disaster in Haiti once again brings up a question for relief workers: Are methods such as critical incident stress debriefing or similar forms of intervention appropriate? And, in fact, can they be harmful? I believe that telling the story when it … Continue reading Is Talking About Traumatic Experiences Dangerous? | |
