Written by Tanya Vallianos, MA, LPC, ATR

Click here to contact Tanya and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a modality in the psychology field that’s focus is on the transformative power of nonverbal language. Because art therapy brings together the fields of art and psychology, it integrates visual arts, human development, behavior, mental health, creative process, imagination and personality. It is based on the belief that the act of art making can help us understand more of who we are, enhance lives, and lead us towards personal growth through self-expression.

Although art therapy as a modern profession is quite new, creative expression through visual art is one of the oldest forms of healing in history. This is the way that mankind began expressing itself as a means of communication on cave walls, through hieroglyphics and within sand paintings. Art has always been a way to express the deepest of sorrow as well as the most joyous of moments. The expression of these many varied emotions has brought catharsis and self-awareness to many an accomplished artist and non-artist.

How Can Art Be Healing?

Art therapy enables people to express themselves in areas that are impossible to express in words. Since art expression does not occur, as a linear process as is found in spoken language, there is the ability to allow ambiguous, confusing and contradictory elements to show up in the art. This ability of art to contain paradoxical elements helps people more easily integrate and synthesize conflicting feelings and experiences… Read the rest of this entry

Written by by Debra L. Kaplan, MA, LAC, LISAC

Click here to contact Debra and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

From birth onward we begin the enduring act of maturing and experientially processing interaction. At birth our emotions are open and vulnerable but most importantly we are present and living in the moment. A baby instinctively cries without delay when sensing hunger, dampness from a dirty bottom, or generalized pain and discomfort.

As we mature our emotions are woven into our personal filters that evolve from our internal and external exchanges that take place in our lives. This offers much in the way of an explanation as to how our filters develop and how our internal emotions are harnessed in an effort to welcome life or yoked to keep them at arms length. Early on, if we learn trust and consistency our fragile, developing egos are comforted and eased by knowing that our needs will be met. The silent message delivered is safety and trust. In the absence of such nurturance we may learn to distrust or expect disappointment. Hence our core emotion of fear becomes ever present and accounted for by expected let-downs or anticipated wrongs to be brought against us…. Read the rest of this entry

Dear GoodTherapy.org Members,

GoodTherapy.org is once again in the process of updating our list of psychotherapy models. We want to share with you the update and ask for your help.

Below you’ll find 4 lists of therapy approaches: Those which have been added to our list; those already listed, those we need more information about before making a decision, and those which we have not included. Please note: you will not find the complete list of models listed in this post. For the complete list of therapy approaches click here: http://www.goodtherapy.org/1657.html and see the “Type of therapy you want” drop down list. We would be grateful for any information or opinions you have about the approaches below which we need more info about. Whether your can provide a quick yea or a nay, a link to a website with more info, or even a dissertation on why we should add or exclude an approach :), we’d love to hear it. Our team will research these approaches on our own, but we know there are many talented and knowledgeable therapists listed in Goodtherapy.org who can give us a running start. Please feel free to reply to this post (scroll down to the end of post to do so) and add any info you may have about any of the models. Thanks for your help! Here’s the list: Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2007 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Los Angeles Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

Dear GoodTherapy.org Members,

GoodTherapy.org has just finished updating our list of concerns. We want to thank everyone for many excellent suggestions. Over a dozen concerns have been added. Below you will find the Updated list of Concerns as well as a list of every suggestion we received along with our team’s response.

Updated List of Concerns Addressed:

Abuse Survivor Issues
Abandonment and/or Fear of
Abortion / Post Abortion Issues
Academic Concerns
Addictions (Drug & Alcohol)
Addictions (Other)
Adjusting to Change / Life Transitions
Adoption / Reunion Issues
Aggression
Agoraphobia
Anger
Anxiety
Attachment Issues
Batterer Intervention
Bereavement
Bipolar
Blended Family Issues
Career Choice
Caregiver Issues/Stress
Child and/or Adolescent Issues
Chronic Pain
Codependency / Dependency
Communication Problems
Compulsions
Control Issues
Creative Blocks
Depression
Developmental Disorders (Autism, Aspergers, etc.)
Dissociation
Divorce / Divorce Adjustment
Domestic Violence
Eating & Food Issues
Emptiness
Emotional Abuse
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Overwhelm
End-of-life Adjustment
Family Problems
Family of Origin Issues
Fertility Issues
Forgiveness
Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, & Transgender Issues
Geriatric Issues
Grief & Loss
Habits
Hyperactivity
Identity Issues
Impulsivity
Inadequacy
Inattention
Infidelity / Affair Recovery
Irritability
Isolation (Emotional & Social)
Learning Difficulties
Life Purpose/Meaning/Inner-Guidance
Men’s Issues
Midlife Transition
Mood Disturbance
Mood Swings
Multicultural Concerns
Obsessions
Oppositional & Defiant Behavior
Panic
Parenting
Phobias / Fears
Physical Abuse
Physical or Terminal Illness
Post Partum Depression
Post Traumatic Stress
Prejudice / Discrimination
Relationships & Marriage
Reproduction, Pregnancy, & Birthing
Religion
Self-Care
Self-Confidence
Self-Criticism
Self-Doubt
Self-Esteem
Self-Harm (Cutting, etc.)
Self-Love
Sensitivity to Criticism
Sex / Sexuality Issues
Sexual Abuse
Shame
Social Phobia/Anxiety
Spirituality
Stress
Suicidal (Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors)
Suspiciousness
Trauma
Trust Issues
Values Clarification
Violence
Women’s Issues
Workplace Issues
Worry
Worthlessness
Other – not listed here

List of most recent suggestions made to the GoodTherapy.org List of Concerns Addressed: Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2007 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Portland Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

Written by Rod Louden, M.A., MFT

With every emotional and/or physical painful experience in life, you have the opportunity to write and store knowledge about pain. You add new volumes every year. Moments of unhappiness, confusion, failure, depression, and the act of making the same mistakes over and over, all present the opportunity for you to write and store productive knowledge about pain. The problem is that most people, who continuously struggle in relationships and life, create volumes of false and misleading information about emotional pain.

Documenting knowledge about pain began from the moment you were forced out into this world from your mother’s womb and felt that sharp slap across your bottom. With this slap, you were introduced to a harsh reality of our world: it is full of painful experiences.

If you’re like most people, the word pain is viewed in negative light. It has several friends that hang around with it: hurt, ache, suffering, and agony to name a few. The origin for pains “reputation” comes from our early learning experiences with physical pain… Read the rest of this entry

Written by Irene Oudyk-Suk, MSW, RSW

Click here to contact Irene and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

Jason hasn’t said much for the last few days. Sally, his wife, has talked quite a bit. Sally processes life by commenting on it verbally as it passes her by. Jason does his reflecting internally. He shares when asked, although sometimes Sally has to drag it out of him. Such is the normal ebb and flow of Jason and Sally’s marriage. It works quite well. Mostly.

This pattern gets Sally and Jason into trouble when they deal with conflict. Sally expresses a concern and Jason makes a gesture or verbal remark that says, “Do we have to talk about this?” Sally feels misunderstood and tries harder to get her point across. Jason, dismayed that the hoped for return-to-harmony has gone up in smoke, tries to ease the mounting tension with a face that looks to Sally like a stone wall. Sally feels ignored and slighted and so she takes up the chase again. Now Jason feels under attack. He’s thinking, “Can’t we just be warm and comfortable with each other?” Sally is stewing. “He doesn’t care what I say!” Sally says something critical. Jason withdraws further. It’s a pursue-distance dynamic that soon has Jason accusing Sally “nagging” and Sally pleading with Jason to “just listen to me.”

Thankfully Sally and Jason are able to speak together about how they alienate each other at times. Sally expresses an irrational fear that “chasing” Jason could drive him out of their marriage. Jason reassures Sally. Jason shares with Sally, not for the first time, how he learned to shut down long ago in order to deflect his father’s never-ending criticism. Recognizing the pursue-distance dynamic of their relationship helps Sally and Jason reconnect before the withdrawal and nagging spiral out of control… Read the rest of this entry

Written by Jeanette Raymond, Ph.D.

Click here to contact Jeanette and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

A few months ago Gillian felt lifeless, dead inside and uninterested in anything. Everything was an effort. She just wanted to sleep. She suffered bouts of constipation. She didn’t want to meet anyone, prepare food for herself or take care of her dog. She couldn’t go to work. Her words came out slow and with long pauses in between. The words were flat, without expression – just like she felt. She couldn’t even cry. Nothing touched her and she moved like a robot from her bed to the shower to a chair and back to bed again. She didn’t care about anything or anyone. This was not the Gillian she knew or wanted to be. She had always been driven to work hard, please those around her and then earn her rest. She had been very sociable and knew how to have a good time.

Now Gillian is very angry and tearful. She cries easily when memories of past hurtful relationships invade her as if from nowhere. She complains of being exhausted and resents having to go to work. She is impatient with herself and others when problems don’t get sorted out quickly. Anything in her immediate environment that has a glitch feels like another burden on her shoulders. Nothing feels right and that makes her furious. She has enough of her own stuff to deal with. When the world outside also has ‘problems’ it makes Gillian want to give up bothering to face the day at all… Read the rest of this entry

Written by Dennis P. Buttimer, M.Ed., CEAP

Click here to contact Dennis and/or see his GoodTherapy.org Profile

“Selfish. Lazy. Mean. Incompetent. Not good enough.” Do any of these words cause you to cringe? What other words cause you to recoil? Through shadow work, we learn to release the power these descriptors may have over us. We often resist internal exploration for fear of finding out the worst, that we are unlovable or unworthy or not good enough. In truth, we find liberation and peace when we galvanize the courage to “jouney” within. We hope this article will encourage you to explore your shadow and reap the many benefits!

In traditional weather lore, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If the groundhog sees its shadow because the weather is bright and clear, it will be frightened and run back into its hole, and the winter will continue for six more weeks.

So often when we see our own shadow we retreat. It’s scary and uncomfortable. The shadow symbolizes the parts of ourselves, albeit wounded, that we most dislike. We’d prefer not to think about them. Like the groundhog, our shadow side frightens us; it represents our vulnerability, our negative tendencies we’d rather people (and ourselves) not know about us. Like our fellow creature, the groundhog, we have our own hideouts where we recoil.

And do you remember the movie “Groundhog Day?” The main character, played by Bill Murray, was forced to live the same day over and over (i.e.patterns) until he came to accept it. Our shadow represents those hidden parts that we believe to be unacceptable. Embracing all of who we are, including our “dark side,” allows concealed gifts to emerge. Here are some transformational ideas for accessing and healing our “shadow side”:

1. Darkness does not respond to anger or hatred. It simply responds to the presence of light. Self-acceptance is key to liberation. You can’t hate something enough to make it go it away. Clear seeing + Compassion = Self-acceptance.

2.The more the shadow is ignored, the stronger it seems to get! Avoidance and denial block our growth.Acknowledgement facilitates a weakening of the shadow’s grip on our psyche.

3. The shadow has an opposite to consider. If you embrace your “dark side,” you permit its contrary characteristic (gift) to emerge. e.g. embracing rage and impulsive anger lends the way to tenderness and peace.

Good Therapy, with an unconditionally loving therapist can provide wonderful healing results in facing and managing our shadow.

©Copyright 2007 Dennis P. Buttimer, M.Ed., CEAP
All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org. The following article was solely written and edited by the author named above. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the following article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment to this blog entry. Click here to contact Dennis and/or see his GoodTherapy.org Profile

Written by Irene Oudyk-Suk, MSW, RSW

Click here to contact Irene and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

My husband sent me a text message recently. It read, “237 glubs for you.” I have no idea what a glub is. But I smiled anyway! I sent him a message back: “237 x 4.5 glubs back to you.” We’ve been sending each other silly glub messages ever since.

My husband’s glub message was a bid for connection. I could have ignored his message, or been less positive in my response. I confess that often I do ignore or lightly pass over my husband’s connection bids. After all I’m a busy person.

Ignoring a connection bid or responding to a connection bid by changing the subject isn’t always intentional. Given the demands of work, family, exercise goals, commutes, community activities, church involvement and kids games, a positive response to a partner’s glub is understandably overlooked.

Marital researcher John Gottman has found that the masters of marriage don’t ignore bids for connection. Marriage masters frequently turn to their partners with a bid for connection and their partners respond positively to those connection bids.

Another possible response to a bid for connection is a hostile response. Naturally a plethora of hostile responses to connection bids are poison for a relationship.

But the most surprising finding in Dr. Gottman’s research is the effect of neutral responses to connection bids. A pattern of consistently bland or neutral responses to connection bids pointed to a marriage disaster in the making.

So the next time your partner sends a glub your way don’t respond by asking about the laundry. Send a glub back. Better yet, send a glub x 4.5 back.

©Copyright 2007 Irene Oudyk-Suk, MSW, RSW
All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org. The following article was solely written and edited by the author named above. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the following article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment to this blog entry. Click here to contact Irene and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

Written by Rod Louden, LMFT

Millions of singles across the world are looking to create relationship bliss. It takes time. It requires energy. It mandates desire. A lot of people have all that. What they don’t have is a valid and reliable Roadmap to Relationship Success. Whether they’re accessing Yahoo Maps or their personal database—if the information used to create a Roadmap is faulty, they’ll end up lost. If you’re single and feeling lost, here are five easy steps that you can take toward creating your dream relationship… Read the rest of this entry