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In This Body – Dreaming Awake

Sixteen years ago, I had surgery to remove a tumor from inside my spinal cord. Although the tumor was benign, the surgery paralyzed me from the neck down. I spent six weeks in a hospital and months learning to walk again. I called upon my artist-self during those darkest hours. My fingers were the first […]

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Music in the Recovery of Rep. Giffords

Music offers another pathway back to language. By associating relearned words with rhythm and melody, the victim of a serious brain injury can become conversant again. This process involves strengthening pathways used less frequently during the brain’s normal function. Yet with the major pathways of language and speech damaged, these smaller pathways must become “super-highways”, in the words of doctors in the field. Music therapy has become the most effective way to do this.

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What Art Therapy Learned from September 11th

Art theorist and perceptual psychologist Rudolph Arnheim once noted, “Art serves as a helper in times of trouble.” The events of September 11th, 2001 opened the door to understanding a lot more about how art serves as a helper in times of profound cris…

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Creativity in Counseling

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

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So You Want to Be an Art Therapist, Part Three: The Art Therapy Credentials Maze

LPAT, ATR, ATR-BC, LPC, LMHC, LPCC…which letters after your name will get you your art therapist dream job? Primary Topic:  Therapy read more

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So You Want to be an Art Therapist, Part Two: Art Therapy Education

It’s all about the good, the bad, and the “challenging” about being an art therapist in the 21st century, starting with art therapy education. Primary Topic:  Therapy read more

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So You Want to be an Art Therapist, Part One: Art Therapy as a Career Path

So how cool would it be to get a degree in art therapy and become an art therapist? That’s a complicated question; this series will give you the best information on how to make that decision. Primary Topic:  …

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Cool Art Therapy Intervention #1: The Art Therapist’s Third Hand

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…

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Color Therapy

A few years ago, while painting a series of large colorful abstract paintings on the chakras, I was finally convinced that color truly has a profound effect on our health and general well-being. We can all feel the calming effect of blue, the …

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Cool Art Therapy Intervention #3: It’s All About the Metaphor

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:  …

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