Artful Healing


Book Description

Transforming Grief into a Masterpiece: A Journey Through Art Embark on a Journey of Healing and Creativity Have you experienced the indescribable bond of being a twin, only to be torn apart by loss? This book offers a poignant, deeply empathetic guide tailored specifically for those navigating the unique pain of twin bereavement. Dive into the powerful narrative of "Artful Healing: Navigating Twin Loss Through Creative Expression" to discover solace and inspiration. Discover the Depth of Twin Dynamics and Loss Begin by understanding the intricate and profound connection shared by twins in Chapter 1. You'll gain insight into the depth of this unique grief, revealing why it can be so challenging. As you explore the initial waves of sorrow in Chapter 2, you'll find practical steps for immediate support and recognize various grief responses, helping you to feel less alone in your experience. Unleashing the Healing Power of Artistic Expression In the heart of this book, spanning Chapters 3 to 8, lies a treasure trove of creative outlets. Learn how painting, writing, music, and even digital art can become your sanctuary and voice. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned artist, each chapter offers simple techniques and profound methods to help channel your pain into something beautiful and meaningful. Connecting with Others and Honoring Memories Chapter 10 delves into the significance of community and connection. Engage with art groups, share your journey, and find solidarity with others who have walked a similar path. Furthermore, Chapters 11 and 12 guide you in creating lasting memorials and sustaining long-term healing practices that honor your twin's memory and celebrate their enduring spirit. This book is not just a resource; it's a companion. Let it guide you through the maze of grief and creativity, helping you transform pain into a poignant masterpiece that heals your soul.




Artful Grief


Book Description

Artful Grief is a decade long study of loss by an art therapist, in the aftermath of her daughters suicide. On October 11, 2001, Sharon received a phone call in the middle of the night from the New York City Police Department telling her that her seventeen year old daughter Kristin, had fallen from the roof of her college dormitory. So began her journey into the labyrinth of unspeakable grief. As the ?rst year drew to a close she found no comfort in traditional therapy, and no solace in spoken or written words. In surrender to her inner art therapists guidance, she began to create collages. She cut and tore images out of magazines and glued them on various size paper. The paper was a safe and sacred container, receptive to the fullness of emotion, story and paradox. Over time there was transformation and healing. Artful Grief A creative roadmap through violent dying and grief. A dose of soul medicine for survivors. A way to retrieve the pieces of a shattered life, with paper, scissors and glue. A resourceful tool for those suffering with complicated grief and/or PTSD. A place for the unspeakable to be seen and heard. A process to quiet the mind and open the heart. A visual experience of trauma images as illustrations of hope. A sample of prophetic dreams and meditations that are illuminating. A heartfelt sharing of intimate secrets for understanding and compassion. A surprising grief gift that is inspiring.




Healing the Split


Book Description

The links between madness, creative genius, and spiritual experiences have tantalized philosophers and scientists for centuries. In Healing the Split, John Nelson brings the lofty ideas of transpersonal psychology down to earth so they can be applied in a practical way to explain the bizarre effects of insanity on the human mind. Drawing on a vast knowledge of Eastern philosophy and mainstream neuropsychiatry, he heals the split between orthodox and alternative views with a comprehensive approach that goes beyond both. Starting where R. D. Laing and Thomas Szasz left off, Nelson revises and expands their radical views in light of modern brain science. He then turns to ancient tantric yoga for a synthesis that weaves brain, psyche, and spirit into a compelling new conception of mental illness. For professionals who seek to meet the needs of their patients more creatively, this book offers a unique synthesis. For people in emotional crisis, it clarifies the distinctions among intractable psychosis, temporary breakdowns in the service of healing (spiritual emergencies), and psychic breakthroughs (spiritual emergence). And for anyone interested in the seemingly inexplicable workings of the human mind gone mad, this fascinating exploration of psychotic states of consciousness will be exciting reading.




Museum-based Art Therapy


Book Description

This practical and inspirational resource offers a wide range of information about museum-based art therapy and wellness programming in various museums. Featuring contributions from art therapists and access professionals from various museum-based wellness programs, the book describes museum-based art therapy, education, access, and inclusion to enlarge the scope of professional development and higher education training in art therapy and its relation to museum studies. Chapter examples of successful museum art therapy and wellness initiatives increase awareness about the role of art therapy in museums and the role of museums in building healthy societies and improving lives. The text also contributes to the field of art therapy by deconstructing traditional narratives about therapy being conceived only as a clinical treatment, and by introducing arts-based approaches and strategies in museums as expanding territories for being proactive in community health and wellness. Museum-based Art Therapy is a valuable guide for art students who are interested in working in museum education, access and disabilities, or museum studies, and graduates and professionals working across the disciplines of museums, art therapy, and disability studies.




Artful Therapy


Book Description

Use the therapeutic potential of art to make progress in your practice Artful Therapy shows you how to use art to make a difference in therapy. Using visual imagery and art creation, you can help people with medical problems understand how they feel about their illness; victims of abuse "tell without talking"; and substance abuse and eating disorder clients tap into unresolved issues. These are just a few examples of how the power of art can improve your practice. Ideal for mental health professionals and allied workers with little or no art background, this accessible and proven guide takes you through the techniques of using art and visual imagery, and shows you how they can benefit clients of varying ages and abilities. With the art therapy tools provided, you can open potentially groundbreaking new dialogues with your clients. Author Judith Aron Rubin draws on more than forty years experience as an art therapist to help you maximize the value of art as a therapeutic tool, in both the mental health disciplines, such as psychology and social work, and related specialties. An accompanying DVD contains models for practitioners, showing art therapy being used in actual clinical practice. The DVD clearly models: * Initiating the art-making process * Using art in assessment * Using mental imagery, with or without art * Implementing other art forms--such as drama and music--in therapy * Using art with a variety of client types, including children, families, and groups * Assigning art as "homework" Whether or not you have used art therapy with your clients or are thinking about integrating art therapy in your practice, making the most of art in the clinical setting begins with Artful Therapy.




The Art of Play


Book Description

At forty-two, Joan Stanford—a busy mother, innkeeper—discovered, to her surprise and delight, a creative process for insight and healing that allowed even her, a self-proclaimed “non-artist,” to start making art. In The Art of Play, Stanford shares her journey through art and poetry as an example of how taking—or, more appropriately, making—time to pay attention to the imagery our daily lives presents to us can expand our awareness and joy, and she offers readers suggestions for how to do this for themselves, inviting them to embark on their own journey.




Heal With Art Therapy


Book Description

Pablo Picasso once suggested that everyone begins life with an inherent artist's spirit. The challenge lies in preserving this creative essence as we transition into adulthood. Reflecting on the past, it is evident how deeply intertwined creativity was in everyday life. Women were the master creators, knitting intricate sweaters, tailoring clothes, jewelry pieces, and decoration items, and crafting homemade edibles like pickles, chutneys, chips, nachos, and jams. Their hands breathed life into their creations, and their pride echoed in words, "I have made them." Similarly, men would mold wheels for carts, among other things, beaming with the same sense of accomplishment. These everyday acts of creation brought them closer to their souls and ignited a distinct joy. Fast-forward to the present and this pleasure of creation seems to be dwindling. The influx of ready-made solutions has made human hands idle. Our connection with the pure joy of creating something and its unique satisfaction is vanishing swiftly in this era of convenience. However, there is an urgent need for us to rekindle our bond with creativity. Creativity mustn't be pursued as a profession but be embraced as a conduit for pure pleasure and self-expression. Engaging in activities that reconnect us with our core is essential, allowing our souls to come alive. Remarkably, a flourishing creative spirit manifests a quiet mind, and anger seems to recede. It can be interpreted that anger is often an indication of unchanneled creative energy. Let's remember the therapeutic power of creativity, too. Art Therapy has shown promising effects in alleviating symptoms related to pain and anxiety. It's time we valued creativity as a hobby, a therapeutic practice, and a soulful journey that enriches our lives. Let's keep the artist within us alive and thrive in the beautiful chaos of creation.




Healthcare Community Synergism between Patients, Practitioners, and Researchers


Book Description

Proper health education is a vital component to ensuring patients’ satisfaction, safety, and well-being. To achieve this goal, interdisciplinary collaboration has emerged as an innovative method for promoting healthy living. Healthcare Community Synergism between Patients, Practitioners, and Researchers is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on the various collaborative efforts to improve the current state of health systems and patient education. Highlighting research methodologies aimed to enrich the quality of available information in healthcare environments, this book is ideally designed for medical professionals, educators, and researchers.




Narrating Medicine in Middle English Poetry


Book Description

Exploring medical writing in England in the 100+ years after the advent of the “Great Mortality”, this book examines the storytelling practices of poets, patients, and physicians in the midst of a medieval public health crisis and demonstrates how literary narratives enable us to see a kinship between poetry and the healing arts. Looking at how we can learn to diagnose a text as if we were diagnosing a body, Salisbury provides new insights into how we can recuperate the voices of those afflicted by illness in medieval texts when we have no direct testimony. She considers how we interpret stories told by patients in narratives mediated by others, ways that women factor into the shaping of a medical canon, how medical writing intersects with religious belief and memorial practices governed by the Church, and ways that regimens of health benefit a population in the throes of an epidemic.




Artful Truths


Book Description

"From social media to the return of the personal essay to the rise of "autofiction," it seems we inhabit an era of unprecedented self-display. But self-display in its literary form, the memoir, has been around for ages, always freighted with formal and philosophical complexity from Augustine's Confessions on. In this book, philosopher Helena de Bres tackles the philosophy of memoir. What is memoir? Is all memoir really fiction? Should memoirists aim to tell the truth? What do memoirists owe the people they write about? And finally: Why write a memoir at all?"--