Making Meaning Through Creative Expression
How exactly does creativity transform therapy? Creativity takes courage, and using art in therapy is one way to experiment and practice different ways of being—in a space that is safe. With or without art, I am always honored to walk with clients as they express their authentic selves to make life meaningful.
I enjoy working with older teenagers and adults, and one of the methods I use to help clients express their inner experience—if they are willing—is through artmaking. Using tangible, tactile materials can be a concrete way to make visible your experiences and feelings that seem invisible. When you can create something and see it in front of you, you can get a little distance and perspective to self-reflect. Clients do not to be "artists" to benefit from art therapy, and for those averse to art, I am also trained in talk therapy in the ways listed below.
As humans, I believe we make sense—even if, initially, it doesn't appear this way. I hope we can understand how your current thoughts and behaviors, which once helped you live or survive in your relationships/environment, are now getting in the way of the meaningful life you want. Together, we’ll experiment with ways of thinking and behaving that are more effective in pursuing that life.
One of my favorite ways to understand why we engage in self-destructive behaviors is through the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS), which views the individual human being like a family system, with parts that take on certain roles—all with the intention of protecting our younger, sensitive parts that have been wounded. In addition, I have worked in treatment facilities and have attended several continuing education workshops where Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) was utilized, and have found it to contain a helpful philosophy for individuals struggling with eating or self-harm behaviors.
I gravitate toward the theories of depth and existential psychology as a way of understanding and creating meaning in our lives. I have am in the process of completing level three of the Neuro-Affective Relational Model (NARM) training, which is an advanced therapeutic model that addresses complex, developmental, and relational trauma. I also integrate more practical information from a 60-hour training on responding to sexual assault and domestic violence.
-Kahlil Gibran
Creativity Transforms Therapy
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