Posts Tagged ‘Art Therapy’

Six-Month adult “Reclaim My Brilliance” Program

February 17th, 2010

I’ve been seeing many adults hurting so badly and in such pain. It may be many things such as fear of the unknown, relationship problems, or the emphasis of lack and scarcity. Sadly, these fears trigger the thoughts and behaviors you had as a child. If you have never fully healed those aspects of yourself you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed, fearful, scared, or avoiding what’s really at the root of your feelings.

However, for those people who are stepping into their fear and allowing themselves to heal there is tremendous change that is occurring. It’s remarkable to see the release of pain that has been held on for years and how people’s lives can be transformed when they are committed to growing- no matter how scared they are.

So many people are stepping forward to heal their hurts and pains. They have grown up in families that didn’t allow their voice to be heard or they never felt good enough. There are years of pain and hurt that have been pushed down because they were so fearful of letting these hurts out- fearful of rejection, worried they may fall apart, scared others may find out their deepest fears. So they keep looking for ways to fill their void. By doing more, buy buying more, by looking a certain way, by focusing on their children’s well being, and putting everyone else’s needs before theirs. It breaks my heart to see these people struggle to push through all the pain they are feeling and keep searching for ways to fill their hurt places.

These deep wounds created in the past keep you running on a treadmill of beliefs that if you did something more, had something more, if others were different, if you looked a different way, then you would be happy, lovable, respected, understood. The truth is that the ability to heal these tender places is already within you and you just haven’t tapped into it, so you continue to look outside of yourself. The sad part is that most traditional talk therapies will give you more of the same. They will continue to keep you in your head, thinking about things- rather than being in your heart, where you can heal and release your pain. Despite years of talk therapy, many still have not healed their heart. As one very wise woman said, “Art therapy allows me to get into my heart instead of my head. When I am in my heart I can feel, and when I feel I am able to heal”.

So I’m offering something I’ve never offered before, an opportunity to get to release your pain and beliefs that you’re not good enough, that you have to do or be more, that you are broken and unlovable, so you can let go of these feelings for once and for all.

If this the right time for you to finally let go of the pain and heal yourself (and you’ll know in your heart if it is) then I ask you to step up and commit to letting go of patterns that no longer serve you and reclaim your radiant self. I’d be honored to help you on your healing journey.

Introducing the Six-month “Reclaim My Brilliance” Program

This new program is designed for you to powerfully and boldly show up in your own life and reclaim your authentic self. The format of art therapy sessions and coaching calls provides a structure to help you gain clarity and insight and to help you make dramatic and powerfully transformative changes.

This is an accelerated program only for those who are ready to commit to change and are willing to show up fully in their lives (and in this program) to make the changes and transformations that you desire.

You will be held in a loving supportive space that holds you as powerful in your life. Your clarity, insights, creativity, and willingness to take action, and make changes will be honored, as you boldly step into claiming your voice and inherent power.

You will discover within you the healing power of self-love through coaching and art therapy techniques. In the process you’ll be artfully guided to create strategies that will let go of old patterns and transform your relationships. You’ll playfully explore how to nourish and re-connect with your heart, while taking action to integrating these changes into your life.

By being held as powerful in making transformative changes, and by being held accountable in weekly connections, you will give yourself the gift of commitment.

This 6-month program is designed to empower you to step forward into your brilliance and heal old patterns using art therapy and creative problem solving strategies, and coaching tools.

Learn to:

Step into your power and express your feelings in a self-honoring way.

Let go of old patterns that no longer serve you so you can feel happier and connect on a deeper authentic level with your family and friends.

Say yes to yourself and your emotional well-being by owning your feelings.

Let go of stress that keeps you sick, tired, and restless and disconnected from others. Learn how to create deeper connections with others as you let go pleasing behaviors.

Spend less time worrying about what you do and say- and what others do and say, so you can be more “present” in relationships and enjoy your time together with family and friends. Learn how to get out of your head, those thoughts that keep you stuck and trapped with fear and worry, and learn to shift into your heart, so you can live a happier, more fulfilling life.

Trust your inner guidance and how to use intuition to guide you in knowing what’s right for you, regardless of outside circumstances and other’s expectations.

Feel invigorated, re-energized, and more confident, as you embrace your self.

Learn to set boundaries from a place of balance, respect, and love, so you clearly convey your needs.

Six-month program includes:

§      Two- 60 minutes exploratory sessions per month (by phone or in-person) using art therapy, creative problem solving, and coaching to help you uncover the deeper patterns that keep you from having the relationships with yourself, and others, that you truly desire.

§      Two- 30 minute laser coaching calls per month designed to keep you focused on positive outcomes and changes as you move forward boldly in the process of self-discovery.

Bonus- Weekly support check-in via email to help you stay focused, by providing support to help you authentically step forward in reclaiming your brilliance.

If you are ready to set into your brilliance call to schedule a time to start this unique transformative program- call (941)504-8498 or click the free consultation button below to set up a time to talk more about your needs.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve you. I look forward to supporting you in your transform, so you may stand in your power and create the life you desire to live!


Mandala Mondays

January 25th, 2010

IMG_1493What do you discover when you are still and use your creativity? This weekend was filled with discoveries on many levels around friendships, vulnerability, healing, and upsets. The art brings me back to listening to the part of me that desires to be expressed and in the process I am learning to sit with the fullness of my emotions-sometimes, messy, sometimes in spurts of fits, sometimes without grace, sometimes cutting and angry, sometimes sad and broken- all with an honesty, compassion, and willingness to hear what needs to be expressed.


Mandala Mondays

January 18th, 2010

IMG_1490Often we don’t take the time to acknowledge the good in our lives and rush forward into the next thing. What gets our attention are those things that are not working well, or things that could be better, or things that are not how we would like them to be. There also a tendency to focus on the negative feelings we are experiencing, rather than relishing the lightness and joy in our lives. This weekend was a reminder of the joys in my life, of relationships that make my heart open wider, and fun activities that just feel so good and joyful! So I savor a delight filled weekend and set an intention to have a week filled with moments where I focus on the joy in my life and celebrate it!


Mandala Mondays

January 11th, 2010

IMG_1485As my mind becomes still and I respect my need to silently listen to my heart the mandala images become more clear and crisp. After 42 days of making daily mandalas (with a few days missed) I feel a need to center with the artwork. I know when I am not creating I feel a bit off, like my energies are flying around and I cannot fully focus. Yes, there are days when I do the art and I still feel distracted and pulled after making art, but I feel centered in the process.

IMG_1486Today’s Mandala reminds me of what I’ve been hiding from and how I have made excuses out of fear. I allow myself to acknowledge and accept what I am discovering and choose to accept with love the deeper layers I’m discovering.


Mandala Mondays

January 4th, 2010

IMG_1479 Monday’s Mandala making reminds me of what I choose in my life and how we consciously choose what we create in our lives. My figure in the center is a flowing tree that is holding the space. As I created the strong lines and leaves I could feel the flow of emotions of holding the emotional space for others and as I sat with those feelings, a deeper realization emerged. It was the holding of the space for the flow of my emotions, a reminder of how easily it is to be in other people’s pain and lose sight of my needs. So I allow the flow of feelings to move through my image, knowing it is all part of nature, and my being. I come back to the reminder that I consciously choose to honor my needs and be in self-love.


Mandala Mondays- Giving Gratitude

December 28th, 2009

IMG_1447This Mandala Monday is focused on gratitude, often forgotten when life becomes difficult. There are so many mixed emotions the first holiday after you lose a loved one. Although it has been a few months since we said good-bye to my mother-in-law, the rush of the holidays kept our family busy. The loss and sadness appears and disappears, but came strongly during the holiday. There is nothing that can be said or done to alleviate the pain and loss. So we embrace it, with all the other feelings that come up this time of year. We welcome family and friends into our home and connect over the phone and skype those who are far. We nap, eat, cry, laugh, go for bike rides, burn a fire, walk the beach, listen to music, and feel a string of sadness that is woven throughout. Yet, in these moments there is such gratitude. Gratitude for being alive, feeling the sun on my face, the smell of salty air, the fur of my dog, the hug of my mother, the joy of snuggling in bed on a cold night, the heat from the fire, a good book, and a cup of tea. All these moments, all these feelings, I give gratitude and know the blessings of being able to feel and be here and bear witness to my life.IMG_1443IMG_1444

Sarasota Season of Sculpture on the Bay


Mandala Mondays

December 21st, 2009

IMG_1289Saturday’s Mandala holds sacred the feelings of change and loss and the sheer beauty of moment. I walked on the beach Saturday with my husband. The wind had been blowing all day and there will a wild brilliance of crashing waves that we don’t often see in the gulf. The waves held a raw beauty that comes on a cool winter day at the beach. We picked shells for my mother’s holiday gift and let the feeling of sadness move through us. This was a favorite spot that my mother-in-law treasured when she came to FL. We knew she was walking with us as we combed the beach; this will be the first holiday without her and she’ll be in our hearts as we celebrate, yet there is a sadness that we honor as we move through the holidays.

IMG_1287Today’s Mandala holds the image of coming back to home, back to the heart. Since my husband and I are native northerners, this time of year there is a longing to be up north with family and friends, decking out our house in the Finger Lakes. The trees and hills are the north. Since we had traveled monthly over the last 6 months we decided to stay local and be with my family in the south. There is a longing to be playing in all that snow up north and having things be the same a they had years prior. Yet  there is the the water, representing the south, and the continuity that life goes on.  There is a sadness in all the changes, and a longing to “return home”. Yet, there is clarity that home is love- love of self, love of others, and love of spirit, and we are always returning home.


Mandalas and Healing, Day 18

December 18th, 2009

IMG_1254 It is interesting to see the unfolding of your feelings and thoughts over weeks through the art making process. On day 17 I make this image. There’s lots happening right now in my business, with the holidays, and in my personal life. I find that the 10-15 minutes I take each time I do a mandala centers me for the day. I did not make one a few days ago and felt really off- overwhelmed and stressed out. I find that even though I am really busy, and it could be easy to not make art each day, that the connection with myself and the art grounds me for what happens during that day. This image is about entering into a new period of growth and development (personal and business). There is excitement and the unknown. However, the seeds of growth are being planted and I honor where I’m at in the process.

Today’s MandalaIMG_1256 is very clear. Last night I affirmed a big decision I am making in my life and the feeling of clarity and power of my choice feels so vibrant. The image celebrates the progression of the flame transmuting into growth and budding into new aspects of myself. I can feel the shift within me as I consciously make choices in a new direction. It feels powerful and affirming.


Help! My Child is Screaming on the Floor, Now What?

December 16th, 2009

If you are a parent then you have faced the challenge of helping your child find ways to manage those big feelings that at times seem to over take them. Those feelings of frustration, anger, or sadness that appear to storm out of nowhere and take over your calm rational child. Often parents are bewildered by the behaviors attached to these feelings such as tantrums, yelling, crying, refusal, inflexibility, shutting down, or hitting. Many calm rational parents, who have read the latest parenting books, still struggle with helping their children through the maze of these intense feelings and out of control behaviors. What may be lacking in traditional parenting methods is a way to teach your children emotional management skills that speak to them in their own natural language. Art therapy offers a way to do just that.

Art therapy is a profession that developed in the 1920’s from the belief that all individuals possess innate artistic abilities that can be cultivated for self-expression and developing coping skills. The field has evolved over the years and Art Therapists now work in diverse setting such as hospitals and schools. If you haven’t heard of art therapy before you may be surprised at how using art therapeutically helps to aid in self-expression and creating positive ways to self-regulate strong feelings.

Children who are unable to regulate strong emotions experience “melt-downs”. Brain research suggests that “emotional hijacking” occurs when there is a flooding of electro-chemicals in the brain. Children who experience a stressful situation may become emotionally escalated due to the amygdala being flooded by peptides and hormones. However, neuroscience suggests that by using your cortex, the analytical part of your brain, you can self-regulate strong emotions. When a child is in a learning environment that elicits strong negative emotions this can impact their ability to hear or comprehend what is being taught. The inability to regulate emotions may lead to social isolation, poor academic outcomes, and low self-esteem. However, there is a link between positive affective states and cognitive performance. Thereby, suggesting a relationship between positive affect, higher productivity, creative problem solving, memory, and logic. It is also suggested that increases in dopamine released by positive affect promotes creative problem solving. Moreover, the research on multiple intelligences offers some insight into the different ways a child learns and why some children learn through trying things out by doing a hands-on project.

So what does that mean to the parent who just wants to help their child learn how to manage the big overwhelming feelings and out of control behaviors? It means that doing a creative and pleasurable activity may enhance a child’s learning. It also means that if a child is involved in a positive learning experience that is related to the way they process information, they may be able to learn and retain this information more readily. So a child in art therapy can use their innate creativity to create a character from their imagination to help them stop and think before they act. They can use clay to express their frustration, and then create a new way to solve the problem they are encountering. They might come up with a creative plan to stop their sibling from bugging them using markers to draw out their choices. Children in a creative problem-solving group can create clay figures to help them negotiate relationships and find ways to build social skills. These creative exercises help children to “strengthen” their problem-solving muscles. In other words, they are building up their prefrontal cortex and when they are becoming emotionally charged they can use their creative thinking to get back in control. Art therapy offers a way for your child to become in control of their emotions, not their emotions controlling them, and isn’t that what every parent wants?


Mandala a Day Keeps the Art Therapist Away?

December 3rd, 2009

I’ve been inspired by my students in the Professional Creative Solutions Certification Program and a recent workshop on Mandalas at The Art Therapy Conference in Dallas. So I was thinking about what it would be like to create a Mandala a day as a way to express what I am feeling and use as a centering tool. I’ve heard others talk of this process as a journey into self healing and discovery and would like to explore the process. I’ll be posting Mandalas and offering some thoughts on my experience.

IMG_1175

If you would like to join me please feel free to offer your insights and links to you images. If a daily dose of  Mandala making seems overwhelming I ask you to join me for Mandala Mondays- as a way to center yourself for the week ahead.

In case you are wondering what a Mandala is, Wikipedia describes it as “Mandala Sanskrit maṇḍala “essence” + “having” or “containing”, also translates as “circle-circumference” or “completion”, is a concentric diagram having spiritual and ritual significance…”

Or in simple language, a circle image you create.

My image above has the words on the bottom reflect the feeling of the image, ” I let go of what does not serve me to create a space for healing”.