ArtReach Project America
Thank you (again) to Sara Windrem for sending me this info!
Check out ArtReach Project America, based out of Atlanta, GA, which offers various forms of creative arts therapies groups for veterans. They’re up to some interesting projects, seminars and research, so be sure to check them out!
“The ArtReach Model™(Model) is a therapeutic approach that includes the integration of the creative arts used within a group setting that promotes a safe space.
This Model carefully fuses visual art, drama, music, movement and writing within the group dynamics. These components are seen as functions of the imagination. Each of these components makes its particular contribution to the overall efficacy of the Model.”
Art Therapy Infiltrates the Department of Defense…
…using comic books!
“Art therapy and narrative are both useful techniques for helping individuals traumatized by life experiences process memories and channel emotions through a healthy outlet,”
Living With No Fear…
…can lead to new understanding and treatments of PTSD.
Really—would you have been scared in the haunted house? Spiders, snakes and knife wielding strangers definitely. But not of a man in a Michael Myers costume!
Combat Paper Project (revisited)
Hat tip: Janie P for the link to this video:
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/04/27/natpkg.combat.paper.project.cnn?iref=allsearch
Abuse Survivor Blogs
As a therapist, I think it’s important to stay connected with the struggle our clients face when coming forward about past abuse, learning ways to manage symptoms and then maintaining the ability to cope in a healthier way. Here are 3 blogs written by survivors that I find candid, honest and insightful:
Trauma Healing and the Arts
Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, CA hosted a conference last weekend entitled Trauma, Healing and the Arts. The keynote speaker was Linda Gantt PhD, ATR-BC, who also presented a half day workshop on The Graphic Narrative, an art therapy technique for processing trauma.
I attended both Linda Gantt’s workshop and Linda Chapman’s workshop entitled “The Right Hemisphere: Trauma and Art Therapy” (the Bay Area Linda Chapman, not the Toronto based one ;). Both workshops were informative and enlightening in their own way.
Gantt’s Graphic Narrative essentially breaks down the body’s natural trauma response, and uses art therapy to explore not only the step by step external happenings of the traumatic event, but the internal/non-verbal aspects as well.
Chapman discussed the Right Hemisphere of the brain and its role in childhood development, non-verbal experiences and how trauma is stored in the brain. Her work is mainly an integration of cutting edge neuroscience and art therapy theory, helping to demonstrate the role of art therapy and its usefulness in processing traumatic memories. She is in the process of writing a journal article for one of the art therapy journals…so be on the lookout for it, because it’s not only interesting – its groundbreaking work.
One of the best parts of the conference for me, was completely unplanned. Chapman blasted through her presentation, and had about 40 minutes to kill. After a thorough question and answer period, and still having time left over, an audience member asked her to talk about her experience with Vicarious Traumatization. Several other presenters talked about this topic, but since I chose other workshops to attend, this was the first I heard anyone speak of this subject in a public forum. Linda’s story was both touching and shocking. She discussed how after 10 years of working in a highly traumatic work environment (hospital setting), she herself developed PTSD symptoms: nightmares, difficulty sleeping, hyper vigilance, isolation, etc… In her experience, even after leaving her job 8 years ago and living a much more balanced life, she continues to experience symptoms. She made a very strong case for self care, knowing your limits and participating in 1:1 therapy (even if it’s on an as needed basis) to process everything that one maybe carrying around from the workplace.
Here is a link on Vicarious Traumatization or Secondary Traumatization that explains what it is and how to help prevent it.
Dissociative Identity Disorder
While doing some wordpress searching for new and interesting blogs, I came across a wonderful blog by Secret Shadows who explores her life as an individual with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Her blog includes thoughts, songs, poetry, letters to her therapist as well as artwork created during art therapy sessions. She also has a list of relaxing things to do on the internet, many of which include art making techniques.
I find that being reminded of what it’s like to be on the other side of the couch, or paintbrush, is a powerful and useful tool for therapists. Also, as a person who would like to learn as much as possible about trauma, its effects and techniques for enabling the healing process, this blog is invaluable. Thank you for allowing us a window into your inner life, Secret Shadows.
Bad Memories, Anxiety- A thing of the past?
Could popping a pill get rid of a phobia or help reduce PTSD reactions? Maybe one day.
A new drug that may reduce the anxiety associated with bad memories was tested on undergraduate students in Holland with some preliminary success. The drug seems to undo the effects of a Pavlovian learned response, where pictures of spiders were linked to an electrical shock. The article was published in the Feb. 15 advance online issue of Nature Neuroscience, and a summary can be viewed here.
The way I understand this, the drug helps your neurons make new associations with a stimuli or a memory that already has emotions attached to it, and that you would need to be thinking, talking or drawing about the memory/stimuli in order to access it to change it.
According to Dr. Bruce Perry, unlearning something that has been wired into our neuro-circuitry takes thousands of novel experiences to counteract the original association (unlearning). This is a difficult if not impossible undertaking- think of trying to unlearn how to ride a bike- which is why therapists try to help people learn new associations to challenge and hopefully override the old ones within the safety of the therapeutic relationship. In addition, Dr. Perry talks about how one may grow new neurons that tend to be used over the old ones, but that under times of stress it’s that older neurons that are usually accessed. This implies that when we’re stressed we’re more likely to regress and go back to a past behavior, emotional reaction, etc.
The idea of a drug that would help old neurons associated with a memory and an emotion be reorganizable could have profound effects on efficacy of treatment and overall quality of life. I also wonder if there would be negative effects that could not be anticipated. It’ll be interesting to see if this drug or similar ones are developed any further, since this research is preliminary.
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