Art as Therapy
Art as Therapy
Express, Explore, Heal, Hope, Transcend​
Express, Explore, Heal, Hope, Transcend​
Groups & Workshops
Groups & Workshops
*In response to Covid-19, I am no longer offering group sessions.
I enjoy providing groups to include the social-connectedness piece to a person's journey.
Teens and Adults
The Blind Contour Mirror Drawings
An Art Therapy Group which is geared towards reducing depression, increasing self-awareness, improving self-acceptance/self-identity, and fostering a sense of connectedness.
Trauma Survivor's Art Therapy Support Group
The structure of this program is based on the art therapy exercises as outlined in "Managing Traumatic Stress", by Barry Cohen, Mary-Michola Barnes, and Anita Rankin. Goals are to identify, manage, and heal from the traumatic stress, explore new coping strategies, improve day-to-day functioning, and increase the quality of life.
Areas covered are:
1) Developing Basic Tools for Managing Distress.
2) Acknowledging and Regulating your Emotions.
3) Being and Functioning in the World.
Other resources for the group would include"The PTSD Workbook" by Mary Beth Williams and Soili Poijula.
Family Groups and Resilience Programs
This is a group format based on Froma Walsh's Keys to Family Resilience Program: Healing & Positive Growth From Crisis, Trauma, & Loss. Froma Walsh is the Co-Director of the Chicago Center for Family Health.
C.A.F.E.S.
"Coffee and Family Education Support"
An opportunity to facilitate coping, healing, and positive growth through strengthening family, community, cultural and spiritual connections. Resilience defines our strengths in response to adversity: How we rebound from crises, manage persistent stresses, adapt to disruptive changes, gain resources to meet future challenges.
C.A.F.E.S. (or T.A.F.E.S.- Tea And Family Education Support), can be facilitated at your desired location for a wide range of populations. The groups meet for 6 weeks.
Children's groups
Preparing young people for a fulfilling life is an important aspect of my work. Whether working individually or with groups, helping kids learn social and emotional intelligence is an excellent opportunity to help children develop self-esteem, self-confidence, identity, friendship skills, coping skills, communication skills, and anger management skills. The issue of bullying is important for both the bully and the victim. I enjoy working with both ends of the dynamic to help kids out of that cycle and into a healthier childhood experience.
Groups include: social intelligence, emotional intelligence, anti-violence, anti-bullying, anger management, coping skills, making safe and healthy choices. (This content can also be addressed in individual therapy for children, t'weens and teens).
S.O.S. (Save Our Sanity!) Dealing with Compassion Fatigue
Groups or Individual Sessions
Nurturing Mom
Being a mother is one of the greatest joys one can have over the course of a lifetime. It can also present with the greatest challenges. Depending on a lot of things, the joy can slowly erode as the demands keep getting more and more stressful. Life seems to be overwhelming and it's common to lose touch with your own identity and essence.
In my work with mothers and primary caretakers, we not only express our stressors and concerns, but we identify the areas where some adjustments can be made to improve the quality of life. We encourage boundaries, goals, strategies, coping skills, unburdoning, communication, self-care, self-permission and fun. Once balance starts to be restored, the mom/caregiver starts to remember their true essence, and learns to nurture and protect that part of themselves as they would for their own child. A healthier and happier mom/caregiver makes a huge difference in the family.
Self-Compassion for the Caregiver
Help bring back the balance in your life if you are overwhelmed with your personal/professional caretaking responsibilities. Compassion Fatigue, or Caregiver Burnout, is a slow downward spiral of chronic stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and ultimately burn-out. Compassion Fatigue negatively impacts your quality of work and the quality of your life. Caregivers often can be so compassionate and empathetic, that their own boundaries and self-care go onto the back burner. They continue to give long after their internal emotional and physical resources have run dry. Caregivers can reach a rock-bottom, where they finally realize that their quality of work is in jeopardy, and self-care is imperative for self-preservation. Providing a space where caregivers can express & process their own personal life, their work life, their stress, and learn self-soothing techniques that refill their spirit is a lifeline for their health and sanity. Self-Compassion can reverse the spiral that caregivers often find themselves experiencing, bringing them back to their center, grounded and energized.
Consults:
I am available for clinical consult and to present to professional groups in my areas of competency.