11 minute read
HEALTHY KIDS | 30 WISE WORDS
The Colors of Healing
ART THERAPY FOR KIDS
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by Marlaina Donato
Opening a brand-new box of crayons or making a happy mess with homemade salt dough can provide hours of fun for most kids, but art therapy—based in a clinical setting—can help children achieve emotional equilibrium, cultivate social skills and increase their capacity for learning. Dipping a brush into bright colors or creating a collage under the guidance of a qualified therapist can help a child express what is beyond spoken language: unprocessed trauma, emotional and physical pain or the multilevel challenges of autism spectrum disorder. “Art therapy is completely different from arts and crafts, or even teaching a child how to do art. The idea behind art therapy is that not everyone attending therapy is able to talk about what is going on inside of them,” says Robyn Spodek-Schindler, owner of Paint the Stars Art Therapy, in Manalapan, New Jersey.
ART AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
According to 2018 research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology & Behavioral Science, painting-based art therapy has been effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in preschool-aged children. Dipping into the unconscious wellspring of creative impulse through doodling and drawing, finger painting or
taking a photograph can help kids bounce back more easily from bullying or family conflicts, including divorce. Splashing color on a canvas or throwing pottery has been shown to enhance fine motor skills, increase attention spans and instill a sense of accomplishment. For those that are not neurotypical, engaging in guided artistic expression can foster sensory integration and promote positive social interaction. “I have worked with children who have lost a parent, experienced abuse, abandonment, consequences of addiction in the family, COVID [-19] anxiety and autism spectrum disorders,” says Andrea Davis, founder and CEO of Dallas Art Therapy, in Richardson, Texas. “Many times, the body is expressing the trauma in the form of sleep disturbance, eating changes, anxiety, depression and panic attacks, to name a few. Art-making bypasses the brain’s trauma response. The art therapist is trained to support the person in the process of creation and allows the person to utilize their other senses to express themselves.” Celeste Wade, an art psychotherapist at the Child and Family Art Therapy Center, in Haverford, Pennsylvania, emphasizes that emotional processing cannot occur when an individual is on the alert for potential danger, a physiological response from an overstimulated amygdala. “Trauma needs to be processed for the client to gain mastery and function in a calm state versus fight, flight or freeze. Art making can also activate this area of the brain and have calming effects to counteract trauma responses,” she says.
WILLINGNESS, NOT TALENT
The art therapist provides a nourishing presence without art instruction or critiquing, and sessions can be private, in a group setting or include family members. Conversation, combined with art making, is typical in any art therapy session. Schindler stresses that creating pretty images is not the goal of an art therapy session and dispels the common assumption that “the person attending art therapy needs to have either a talent in art or an interest in art. They just need the willingness to participate in a session.” Some children see immediate benefits, while others realize emotional progress after several sessions. Art therapy, sometimes in conjunction with other modalities, not only gives children a voice, but provides them with an opportunity to stretch their wings. Group therapy, says Davis, “can look like working together to create a collaborative mural. In the process, taking turns, hearing one another’s ideas, sharing materials, respecting boundaries and each other’s art becomes an important part of meeting goals.” During an initial art therapy assessment, Wade might ask a client to draw a family of animals, which creates an opportunity “for the client to share about their own family dynamics in a safe way. If the client has experienced any type of familial trauma and I were to present the same directive as, ‘draw you and your family doing something,’ the child may be more hesitant or may shut down.” In a world that can be overwhelming, self-expression through art can give a young person a safe harbor. Schindler accentuates human rapport in the clinical setting, saying, “Art, much like play, is a universal communication tool for children. Sometimes you just feel better when creating and sharing with a trusted person.”
Marlaina Donato is an author, painter and composer. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.
The Thing About Jersey Traffic
by Matt Preston
There are a variety of ways to engage mental health in a motivated and positive way. Just the same, there are any number of ways one’s mental health can suffer, especially on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes the examples are even mundane, but something everyone can relate to, like getting stuck in traffic. It’s just how we deal with it that makes all the difference. In recently running errands with two family members, Passenger 1 (P1) and Passenger 2 (P2), we found ourselves caught in an unexpected and weird traffic jam in the area. Now had I been alone, I would have thought, “Yeah, this sucks, what’s on XTU?” and sung along, offkey, until traffic moved along again. Now I’m hardly a fan of traffic—and who really is—but you can either let something like this ruin your energy and day … or not. However, my other two passengers found that their entire existence became this traffic jam. When one minute became two, and then more, the topic was still the standstill … and by topic, I mean the vulgar and negative griping about said traffic. It’s all they could talk about, and consumed them and their entire beings. And I found this was one of those times you don’t want to live in the moment, especially when consumed by the negative. Then I found myself a bit surprised as P2 actually got out of the car, thinking to myself, “Yep, this is new, and probably not going to lead to good things.” Now he wasn’t losing his mind exactly, but to actually get out of a car in a sea of stopped vehicles thinking that would make them go somehow, well that’s when I check out. He didn’t go much beyond the door, but that he was going even that far was a sign of how frustrated he was, when it just wasn’t necessary. Now yes, it’s one of those things you had to be there to understand … And if you’re from a low traffic and or sparsely populated area, good for you, trust me. But because of the volume and people trying to make the light, when the light did turn some were stuck in the intersection, and we still couldn’t move for a while. So, it’s not exactly one person’s fault, and even if it is; again, it’s not the end of the world. Eventually P2 got back in the car; P1 and me just shook our heads while I felt compelled to break his stones a little bit—if nothing else to get that upset over something you can’t really control, definitely helps illuminate the better path to choose … and if you can’t engage the positive, then don’t completely cede your energy to the opposite. So, the complaining continued until I made the threat for them to just take the keys and I’d walk the rest of the way to our destination. I was serious, they weren’t that worried, but either way I love cardio and didn’t want to hear them complaining for much longer. Thankfully, that helped take things down a notch for the rest of the time.
And that’s why I know it’s not an exaggeration to say it was the entirety of their existence. During that time, they were wading through frustration and anger, physically uncomfortable and stressed out, and energetically at an extremely low vibe. But wouldn’t you know it, the traffic eventually dissipated and that was that … until the next time, because we do live in Jersey after all, and aside from diners and superfund sites, we’re also known for having a bit of a traffic problem here and there.
Matt Preston is a creative and professional writer from Gloucester Township in South Jersey. Writing is one of his passions; body, mind and soul wellness one of his goals; and belief in destiny his continual motivation. His website and podcast can be found @TheApatheticVegan.com.
Radical Acceptance
by Natalie Gervasio
When we think of acceptance, we tend to think that we need to be okay with whatever is happening. We think that accepting means we should just let whatever is being done happen. Then our ego mind gets in to the “this shouldn’t be happening” mode and this isn’t the way life should be” mode. This state of mind of what should be happening is really denying the truth of the reality of the situation. This denial of the reality of the situation adds a whole other layer of “suffering” to the situation. Not only are we dealing with a challenging or frustrating situation, now we are dealing with the resistance of the situation on top of the reality that we are faced with. The opposite of resistance is acceptance. Radical Acceptance is the key to not banging our head against the wall in situations; to not resist the truth of your current reality. A very simple, easy, everyday example of this would be sitting in traffic on our way to somewhere that we need to be. We are driving in our car on the way to work and are faced with a traffic jam which is now going to make us late to work. This angers and frustrates us. Our feelings are valid, but may not be helpful. We are now all tense, perhaps yelling at the traffic. Unfortunately, our reaction to this situation does not help move the traffic along. What our mind is saying is “this shouldn’t be happening, I don’t have time for this, this isn’t fair.” So here we sit feeling helpless, a victim of our circumstance. What we don’t realize is that we have a choice in this situation. No, we cannot control the traffic situation, but what we can control is our reaction or better yet, your response to the situation. We can choose to sit feeling frustrated, angry and helpless, or we can choose to respond in a different way. We can catch up on some phone calls that we have not had time for or we can put on our favorite music which will help your current mood. We may not have a choice of what we are faced with, but we always have a choice of our response to the reality of the situation. Accepting what we are faced with does not mean we agree with it or are saying it is okay. Once we radically accept our current reality, then we no longer feel helpless. We can make a conscious decision of how to respond which leads to empowerment.
Natalie Gervasio is a Certified Spiritual and Mindfulness Life Coach with The Journey Within, based in New Jersey. For more information, call 856-259-3779, email Natalie@JourneyWithinMe.com or visit JourneyWithinMe.com.
I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.
~Will Arnett
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