Category: Art Therapy
The Good Therapy Blog
January 12th, 2011 |
Our brains are complicated, amazing machines. While neuroscience alone can’t resolve the psychological conflict and emotional pain that are addressed by trained therapists and counselors, it can provide fascinating insight into how we respond to our experiences. Recently, neuroscience has showed us more about how the brain perceives art and music. Art activates the brain’s “reward” centers, providing the same stimulation we can get from taking drugs or gambling. Similarly, music... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Long Beach Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
January 7th, 2011 |
One way to combat January’s cabin fever for those living in the northern states and the shorter daylight hours for those across the northern hemisphere is to turn to the creative processes. During one of the worst blizzards in New York history, at the end of 2010, many people bundled up and went outdoors with their cell phones or digital cameras to capture the beauty of the pristine snow against the textured backdrop of the urban environment. Some captured the absurdity of humans struggling against Mother Nature in their fight to dig out and return to ‘normal’ as soon as possible. Contrast... Read More
December 20th, 2010 |
Indigenous peoples for thousands of years have considered dreams to be guides to their lives helping them in decision-making especially in regards to significant life events. Jung believed that dreams promote growth and individuation and that dreams are sources of informative and creative power. He believed that each person is able to explore their dreams by keeping track of them, meditating on their meaning, and examining them in detail. A series of dreams can bring clarity as important images recur allowing for a deepening of understanding of what these dreams are conveying to the dreamer.Sharing... Read More
December 6th, 2010 |
Santa Claus lived long ago in a far away land, far from the United States, in the hills of Bavaria before Thomas Nast drew the first caricature of a rollie-pollie man who evolved into the one depicted in advertisements today. Santa was an original Bohemian, you might say. He was well known in his community as a toy designer and artist who crafted a variety of toys including wooden horses, paper kites, ceramic dolls, stuffed animals and one of-a-kind puppets. In his studio, located on a mountainside, he used his imagination to create characters that portrayed personality aspects belonging to... Read More
November 5th, 2010 |
When November arrives, depression is not far behind. Something about the turn of the season, less daylight, less outdoor activities, the holiday bustle nudging its way back into consciousness can make some people turn inward and find deep dissatisfaction in their lives. Deep dissatisfaction can show up as a persistent weight pulling you down. Sometimes it is hard to get out of bed, to do anything. Most people are able to cope with these feelings by ‘pushing through’ or ‘acting as if’ they are feeling alright. Enrolling in new classes, filling calendars with arts, sports, theater, shopping... Read More
October 6th, 2010 |
The news media is filled with negative stories depicting despicable people who were put into powerful positions either by election (politicians) or by talent (sports/entertainment). Newspapers often read like cheap tabloids. We’re bombarded by images online of politicians who are bilking taxpayers of billions of dollars and sports/entertainment heroes whose lives are out-of-control. We are lured to click onto seductive headlines by wiggling bodies vying for our attention. Crime on the streets and in neighborhoods is rising at alarming rates. Promises of health care reform have not trickled down... Read More
June 7th, 2010 |
Christa, 35, initially presented to therapy because she wanted a place where her ten year old daughter, Nina, could share her feelings about Christa’s breast cancer.
Christa’s prognosis was good, but she was having a number of residual side effects from her chemotherapy, i.e., debilitating fatigue, achiness and difficulty getting moving in the morning. Christa felt Nina wasn’t very supportive of her and what she was going through. Christa was also concerned for Nina because she and Nina’s father were divorced, and he wasn’t very involved in Nina’s life.
Nina was a precocious girl... Read More
December 6th, 2009 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
In a time when most tales from the world of mental health are focused on the inadequacy of care and the difficulty that many have in accessing professional help, the observation of those programs and initiatives that are actually experiencing success and bringing a greater quality of life to clients can be a considerable lift. One such program in New York City, entitled... Read More
© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Houston Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
September 22nd, 2009 |
When thinking about hospitals, most people aren't too likely to call to mind anything about artwork, but the image of an austere or harsh-looking environment may come to the fore. In an effort to combat boring hospital artwork, a hospital art consulting firm along with university professors recently conducted a study on the effects of artwork on hospital clients. The study found that definite and engaging, rather than abstract pieces of artwork, produced happier reactions in clients... Read More
© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Louisville Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
September 14th, 2008 |
A recent study by the Center for Disease Control, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, is being touted as evidence that some very common treatments for trauma lack empirical evidence of success in helping children and adolescents. The study, which reviewed a small percentage of the available literature, found evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral treatment,... Read More
August 27th, 2007 |
In 1992 after Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida on August 24, 1992 I contributed to an article a list of art activities that children could do at home to help them process their thoughts and feelings after their hurricane experience that year. The activities are still relevant today, but not only as a way to process a hurricane experience but to prepare for one by taking a more proactive approach. The activities in the original article were listed and categorized under the following headings. Read More
