Advice on how to wind down after intense therapy sessions

 Here is an article that might be helpful for those who have an intense therapy session. Interestingly enough, I first read it as what a therapist could do after an intense session with a client, though it was actually intended for the client audience.  However, I think this advice can go for both therapists and clients when sessions or days are intense.  It's good to make sure we take care of ourselves in this hard work that we do.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/28/how-to-unwind-after-an-intense-therapy-session.html

7 Ways to unwind after an intense therapy session, from a licensed clinical social worker

Published on Wednesday, December 28, 2022

11:00 AM EST

Renee Onque

Color Me Calm #13 on UCreative's Top Trending Coloring Books

I am still surprised when I find places where any of my books have been highlighted, even if it was a few years ago when the coloring trend was high.  I found "Color Me Calm" was listed as the #13 Top Trending Coloring Books listed by UCreative.  Thanks for the honor!

https://www.ucreative.com/articles/21-trending-coloring-books-you-should-buy-before-the-fad-ends/

Research Shows Brain Changes in White Matter with ADHD Remission

This is a fascinating study that looked at improvements in people who had ADHD and what made it go into remission into adulthood. What is also interesting is that ADHD does not go into remission for all people.  

https://www.psypost.org/2022/10/study-finds-brain-changes-associated-with-adhd-remission-64139

Study finds brain changes associated with ADHD remission

by Laura Staloch October 24, 2022 in Mental Health, Neuroimaging

A recent study published in NeuroImage: Clinical used state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques to determine what brain changes may cause childhood ADHD to go into remission. Christienne Damatac and colleagues looked at brain changes in those diagnosed with ADHD over 16 years. Their findings suggest that improved hyperactivity and inattentiveness symptoms result from increased white matter density in the brain region known as the left corticospinal tract. Additionally, reduced ADHD symptoms were associated with more neural connections in the same region.

ADHD is a common childhood diagnosis. However, some are fortunate enough to grow out of the challenging symptoms by adulthood, and others never do. Understanding why this is so may lead to important innovations in treating the disorder. One hypothesis is that the malfunctioning parts of the brain that result in ADHD symptoms are never able to repair themselves. Instead, for some, as the brain develops, other regions take over the responsibilities of the damaged areas. Damatac and colleagues were curious if this was so and if these changes would persist over time.

Fifty-five individuals with an ADHD diagnosis in the experimental condition were examined four times over 16 years. The neuroimaging techniques used are known as diffusion tensor imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, and fixel-based analysis. At the time of the first scans, participants were between 6 and 18 years old.

The research team found that as their subjects aged, those that went into ADHD remission experienced changes in white matter that were not seen in those who did not go into remission and the healthy non-ADHD controls. Moreover, these brain differences persisted well into adulthood.

Brain changes like those found here are assumed to result from experience. For example, if an individual becomes blind and then learns to read braille, the brain will change in response to this new and necessary skill. In addition, areas of the brain once responsible for processing sight may take up other jobs to help the blind person navigate the world. These findings of this study indicate that as the brains of those with ADHD mature, some individuals may repetitively engage in strategies that compensate for symptoms. These repetitive behaviors may result in the brain changes seen in those who went into remission.

For children with ADHD, this research implies that remission may be possible if strategies that help to compensate for deficits are frequently practiced. Further, it suggests that investing in support in the school setting and educating parents on strategies could help pave the way to long-term remission.

Damatac and team acknowledges that their imaging techniques changed over time, which may have had unknown consequences for the data. Second, some of the original participants dropped out, and those left may not be as representative as the original sample. Finally, the sample size was too small to claim cause and effect; there may be other factors that led to persistent ADHD.

These limitations aside, this research provides neurological evidence that consistent use of strategies to cope with ADHD symptoms may be a way out. Findings like this are sure to be used to support better funding and education for those helping children with ADHD.

The study, “Longitudinal changes of ADHD symptoms in association with white matter microstructure: A tract-specific fixel-based analysis“, was authored by Christienne Damatac, Sourena Soheili-Nezhad, Guilherme Blazquez Freches, Marcel Zwiers, Sanne de Bruijn, Seyma Ikde, Christel M. Portengen, Amy Abelmann, Janneke Dammers, Daan van Rooij, Sophie Akkermans, Jilly Naaijen, Barbara Franke, Jan Buitelaa, Christian Beckmann, and Emma Sprooten.

Any Art Supply Addicts Here?

Anyone else have this problem? 🎨🖌🖍✂️✒️

The Four "Fs" of Trauma Response...Fight, Flight, Freeze, Feign

We have likely heard of "fight" or "flight" as a typical response to being in danger or a stressful situation, and in recent years, many have included the "freeze" response.  However, there is a fourth term that has been included in the stress response, which is usually referred to as "fawn." However, I like the term "feign" that Dr. Cathy Malchiodi puts forth as another way people manage their way through precarious situations.  Read her article further and think about what you might incorporate into your terminology and treatment approach.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/arts-and-health/202106/understanding-fight-flight-freeze-and-the-feign-response

TRAUMA

Understanding Fight, Flight, Freeze, and the Feign Response

“Fawn” is a disempowering term when it comes to trauma.

Posted June 13, 2021 |  Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

© 2020 Courtesy of Cathy Malchiodi, PhD

"Self-Preservation," collage from the visual journals of Cathy Malchiodi, PhD 

Responses to danger are physiological reactions traditionally known as fight, flight and freeze (sometimes called collapse) (Cannon, 1932). Trauma specialists define these reactions as neurobiological responses to threat. One widely accepted concept is that the thinking brain (neo-cortex) is often automatically dominated by the mid-brain (in particular, the amygdala) during moments of fear. This means that the mid-brain goes on high alert and signals the sympathetic nervous system to release chemicals to prepare the body for fight or flight. If it is not possible to escape or fight, the limbic system then engages the parasympathetic nervous system to initiate a freeze or collapse response in the body, resulting in immobilization, restricted breathing, and decreased metabolism. In humans, freeze reactions may include psychological dissociation. Threat and danger signals may include real threats such as possible assault or physical harm, but they can also be as simple as humming fluorescent lights, the whir of a fan, or the popping sound coming from a car engine, causing individuals to automatically feel unsafe.

The Fawn Response

In 2000 (Taylor et al), “tend-and-befriend” was proposed as a stress response in females. Researchers proposed that “tending” related to nurturing designed to protect the self and offspring and befriending involved the establishment and maintenance of social networks. The assumption was that females have a greater role as caregivers and use tend-and-befriend to create safety and reduce stress. For various reasons, the researchers found that the flight response to stress may be inhibited in females and that other responses related to caregiving and social survival are used for under conditions of stress.

A few years later, a fourth possible response emerged in trauma discussions: the fawn response. This terminology is often credited to Walker (2003) who attributed it to “codependent defense” and followed a tradition in English-speaking trauma terminology of using a word starting with the letter “f.” Walker described fawn types as those seeking safety by merging their needs, wishes, and demands with others. These individuals respond to distress by forfeiting rights and boundaries, becoming compliant and helpful, somewhat like the children described by Alice Miller’s The Drama of the Gifted Child (1979). According to Walker this response may become part of other trauma reactions, combining with fight, flight, or freeze depending on what is encountered.

Fawn ubiquitously appears without question in just about every current meme, chart, or infographic defining core trauma responses. But it is now time to take a step back and revisit this descriptor and the connotations that accompany it. It certainly is no longer defined as a "defensive" strategy as originally described by Walker. In particular, the use of this term subjectively feels directed at women, perhaps because of its original definition as a female “tend-and-befriend” response more than 20 years ago. To fawn is also described as having a lack of identity and boundaries and a general sense of being so overwhelmed one cannot act in one’s behalf. Used to describe “people-pleasing” or “passivity” when confronted by possible assault, terror, or atrocity, the negative connotations of “fawning” are depreciative, pejorative, shame-based, and perhaps, culturally or gender-biased.

A Reframe of Fawn to Feign

In working with individuals with traumatic stress for several decades, I have listened to many stories explaining impressive adaptive coping skills when faced with threat or danger. These often include complex strategies like negotiation and improvisation to consciously protect themselves from harm. Children and adults have reported that they “faked” responses to those who intended assault to stay safe in the moment. For example, one survivor of a hostage situation clearly conveyed to me the value of consciously fooling her kidnapper. She knew she could not “fight or flee,” and instead developed a relationship with her captor over time, using very convincing appeasement as a strategy. As it turned out, it was successful in preventing physical assault until she could actually escape her imprisonment (Malchiodi, 2020).

In decades of work with survivors of assault and terror, I have used what I believe is a less shame-based term—to feign, a purposeful action taken in order to escape danger and defuse threat. By definition, feign implies a more artful invention than just mere pretending. As a trauma response, an individual may simulate befriending, deferring, negotiating, and/or bargaining in service of self-preservation or saving another. Feigning may also be part of the other three trauma responses (fight, flight, freeze). For example, some individuals report consciously pretending to be immobile, as animals automatically do to distract predators. In these cases, it is not just the body’s dissociative response; for these individuals, it is a deliberate and decisive action when in danger.

Feigning is an assertive action that supports survival in the moment. However, one outcome of repeated feign responses is that these actions may become a natural part of how we interact with others and the environment when stressed. So yes, when people-pleasing, bargaining, deferring, or other befriending behaviors in service of survival are repeated over time they may become a dominant and problematic narrative. Eventually one may come to value others over self, find it difficult to describe feelings or communicate, fear abandonment, or sense an exaggerated responsibility for other individuals. It then becomes important to recognize how these adaptive responses helped in the moment for survival, but may no longer be helping in the long term, impacting mental health and quality of life. This recognition is particularly important in eliminating the shame that many survivors experience, blaming themselves for not fighting or fleeing an assaultive, abusive, or terrorizing situation.

Broadening the Discussion

In trauma-informed practice, I believe there is a more empowering way to frame these responses that may not necessarily be solely the domain of co-dependency or instinctual responses to please others. Reframing fawn as feign is just one more way of broadening this discussion and refining our language and definitions

“To fawn” continues normalized as a valid trauma response in literature and social media. I am simply advocating for a lane change to a different descriptor that acknowledges the action-oriented, self-preservation-based capacity of individuals to survive. Using the word “feign” will not magically erase the shame or guilt one may feel when forced to pretend, ingratiate, or bargain with a perpetrator, even when it is to save one’s own life or the life of another. But it does respect that the individual was able to defuse threat through personal adaptive survival skills and acknowledges the context of danger that existed in the moment. As trauma specialists know, healing comes not only from acknowledging what happened to us, but also that what we did what was right in the moment to survive and ultimately thrive.

References

Cannon, Walter (1932). Wisdom of the body. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Malchiodi, C. A. (2020). Trauma and expressive arts therapy: Brain, body, and imagination in the healing process. New York: Guilford Publications.

Miller, A. (1979). The drama of the gifted child. New York: Basic Books.

Taylor, S. E., Klein, L. C., Lewis, B. P., Gruenewald, T. L., Gurung, R. A. R., & Updegraff, J. A. (2000). Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: Tend-and-befriend, not fight-or-flight. Psychological Review, 107(3), 411–429. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.107.3.411 

Walker, (2003). The 4Fs: A trauma typology in complex PTSD. Retrieved at http://www.pete-walker.com/fourFs_TraumaTypologyComplexPTSD.htm.

Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., is a psychologist, expressive arts therapist, trauma specialist, and author of 20 books, including Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body, and Imagination in the Healing Process.

Online:

 Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Positive Psychology names "Color Me Calm" in Top 45 Meditation Books

I'm honored to discover that "Color Me Calm" was listed among Positive Psychology's Top 45 Meditation Books of All Time, making the list of their Top 5 Meditation Coloring Books. Thank you for the distinction!

First Day of School!

It's been a long time since I've done this. Now I can post my "first day of school" pictures! Looking forward to the adventures ahead!

#FirstYearPhDStudent Saybrook University

The Smithsonian Magazine Features Art Therapy and How It Improves Mental Health

It's great to see art therapy gaining more recognition and how it is tremendously helpful for mental health improvement.  It is a pleasure seeing it featured in the Smithsonian Magazine!

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-art-therapy-help-patients-deal-with-mental-health-struggles-during-the-pandemic-180980310/

How Making Art Helps Improve Mental Health

With depression and anxiety on the rise during the pandemic, 

more professionals may adopt art therapy as a treatment

Patients who are struggling with everything from ADHD to eating disorders have turned to art therapy for help. 

Illustration by Emily Lankiewicz

Sarah Kuta

Daily Correspondent

July 11, 2022

Like many, Andrea Cooper felt increasingly isolated and lonely during the coronavirus pandemic. Cooper, a retired graphic designer and amateur folk musician who leads a grant-funded art program for cancer patients at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center, is a highly social person. So when the pandemic led to the cancellation of many of her activities and events, and caused others to be switched to Zoom, she missed her usual face-to-face connections with others.

As the pandemic dragged on, her mental health began to suffer even more. Eventually, Cooper’s depression got so bad that she had to be hospitalized. As part of her recovery, she participated in a ten-day inpatient program and began working with an art therapist.

Even though she’s an artist herself, Cooper was at first skeptical of the therapist’s prompts, which were meant to inspire Cooper and other patients to draw and paint as a means of working through their pain. But as Cooper spent more time thinking about her mental health, she began to deeply contemplate the therapist’s questions, including one about growth. “I thought about it and knew I was going to have to make some hard decisions in order to grow, that if I kept on the same track, things were not going to get any better,” says Cooper, who is 66.

In the end, she drew pair of pruning sheers cutting one of the stems of a rose bush. On her drawing, she wrote: “Sometimes you have to prune the flower to encourage growth.”

Cooper is one of the many individuals who have experienced the benefits of art therapy, an integrative treatment that uses artistic self-expression as a means of improving mental health and well-being. And as individuals continue to work through the mental health challenges brought on by the pandemic—which triggered a 25 percent increase in depression and anxiety around the globe, according to the World Health Organization—this niche therapy is poised to become even more popular. The pandemic brought up many difficult-to-define feelings and emotions, and making art in the presence of a licensed therapist can be a mindful, low-tech way to work through them.

Making art as a form of mental health treatment dates back to the mid-20th century, when soldiers returning from the battlefields of World War II were left with a condition that was known as “shell shock,” but is now called post-traumatic stress disorder. Veterans painted, drew, sculpted and made other forms of art to help process what they’d witnessed and experienced at war. “They struggled with traditional forms of medical and therapeutical intervention,” says Girija Kaimal, an art therapist at Drexel University and the president of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA). “Experiences like trauma are very difficult to articulate into words, so therapies that can support and connect patients with nonverbal expression are really the foundation of the creative arts therapies.”

The practice has been growing ever since. Today, around 5,000 art therapists practice in the United States, plus more around the world. They use the treatment to help patients in myriad situations. Children in schools have worked with art therapists to deal with social and emotional difficulties, behavioral disorders, ADHD, low self-esteem and other issues. Adults who have experienced some kind of trauma have tried it as well. Therapists have brought art to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, teens facing mental health issues, veterans, aging seniors, patients with eating disorders, prisoners and many other groups experiencing physical and mental health challenges.

Therapists offer treatment in groups or in one-on-one settings, and the therapy itself can take on many forms—from unstructured doodling to more specific prompts and activities designed to help patients make sense of their emotions. Patients can initially be reluctant to engage—often because they don’t consider themselves to be artistic or they haven’t made art since childhood—so therapists sometimes have to get creative. “I might ask them to make a gesture or even try to make a sound like a sigh, and then use colors, shapes and lines to show me what that looks like,” Cathy Malchiodi, an art therapist and the director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, told Art in America magazine’s Jacoba Urist in October 2021.

Of course, humans—and our prehistoric ancestors—have been making art since long before art therapy became an established field. Though archaeologists disagree about exactly what constitutes art, they believe the practice dates back to at least the Paleolithic, tens of thousands of years ago. And though no one knows exactly why prehistoric individuals felt compelled to paint on and carve up the walls of caves, based on the amount and geographic reach of prehistoric art, they likely got some enjoyment out of this artistic expression. “Art-making for health and well-being is as old as the hills—it’s not anything new,” says Kaimal. “Every community has creative practices that we’ve engaged in for as long as we’ve been around.”

But why art? When patients have a hard time putting feelings into words, drawing, painting, sculpting, making collages, creating personalized papier-maché masks and engaging in other practices can help them unlock their emotions and translate them into something real. In the process, they’re able to share a bit of what they’re going through with the folks around them. Like other forms of therapy, art is also a safer, healthier way to channel stress and other negative emotions into action compared to destructive or harmful choices, says Kaimal. “Engaging in the artistic practice helps concretize and externalize these difficult inner experiences,” she says. “When we limit ourselves to just words, we’re losing a significant part of our lived experiences. Some people can put their feelings into words beautifully, but most of us cannot. To have additional expressive forms is really just allowing the whole person to present themselves.”

Research has found that making art can activate reward pathways in the brain, reduce stress, lower anxiety levels and improve mood. Various studies have also looked at its benefits among specific populations: It’s been linked with reduced post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among Syrian refugee children and lower levels of anxiety, PTSD and dissociation among children who were victims of sexual abuse, for example. Art therapy can help reduce pain and improve patients’ sense of control over their lives.

Because art therapy can be particularly helpful when folks don’t have the words to describe their experience or challenges, it’s ideally suited for improving mental health and well-being in the wake of the pandemic, which gave rise to abstract emotions like languishing and burnout. In AATA’s May 2020 coronavirus impact report, therapists pointed out that individuals are simply tired of talking about the pandemic and such feelings—and, because of all-day meetings on Zoom, talking in general. During art therapy, they don’t have to say a word if they don’t want to—but they can still work through their emotions. As one therapist noted in the survey, many clients “welcome expressing themselves using art materials, giving their brains a new task and their mouths a break.”

Making art is a hands-on process that requires total focus, which means it also offers a break from screentime, which surged during the pandemic. As Mallory Braus and Brenda Morton wrote in the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy in 2020, “In art therapy, mindfulness is what allows an individual to receive the therapeutic benefit of ‘tuning out’ the daily stress and anxiety and to focus on a single task while also focusing on the materials employed for self-expression.”

Art therapy isn’t a cure-all and it may not be the right approach for everyone—it often works well as a complement to other traditional therapies, Kaimal says—but it can have definite benefits. Still, researchers need to do more to fully understand how, why and when art therapy works. Much of the research draws on the anecdotal experiences of clinicians and patients, and many studies have had small sample sizes, Kaimal notes. Experts need to conduct more randomized control trials and larger-scale quantitative studies to help sway health insurance companies to recognize art therapy as a form of treatment—and pay for it. The field could also benefit from additional evidence around how art therapy affects different populations. “Compared to other mental health professions, we have a long way to go,” she says.

Sarah Kuta - Sarah is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics, and other topics.

How Does Art Therapy Help Those Dealing with Cancer?

It's been a special privilege to work with cancer patients with Kits to Heart during the art therapy wellness groups. I have already heard a number of testimonials how art therapy has met their needs in a way no other treatment or group they have experienced has thus far.  Here is an article that highlights why art therapy helps people dealing with cancer.

https://waroncancer.com/news/why-art-therapy-can-help-when-going-through-cancer/

Why Art Therapy Can Help 

When Going Through Cancer

At War On Cancer we are all too familiar with the impact going through cancer can have on the mental health of those who have been diagnosed and their loved ones. Cancer is something that’s treated physically and therefore, the psychological impact often gets forgotten.

What else can be done to help those experiencing cancer look after their mental health during a time of great change and uncertainty? For this article we’ve teamed up with The Art Therapy Project, a US based, nonprofit, mental health organisation that provides art therapy to adults and young people affected by trauma to share the ways in which art therapy can help. 

What is art therapy? 

According to the American Art Therapy Association, Art Therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches lives through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. 

Professional art therapists facilitate art therapy, supporting personal and relation treatment goals. It’s often used to improve a whole range of things including self-esteem, self-awareness, cognitive and sensory-motor function and emotional resilience. It’s also used to build social skills, promote insight, resolve distress and help people cope with change. 

Art therapists are master-level clinicians who work with people of all ages across a broad spectrum of practice. Guided by ethical standards and scope of practice, their education and supervised training prepares them for culturally proficient work with diverse populations in a variety of settings. Honouring individuals’ values and beliefs, art therapists work with people who are challenged with medical and mental health problems, as well as individuals seeking emotional, creative, and spiritual growth. 

Mental Health Benefits

Creating art alone, in any way you enjoy, is therapeutic in and of itself. Spending time creating helps to reduce stress, increase positive emotions and can be an outlet for anything we have been building up inside. Art Therapy simply takes this and pairs it with a trained clinician who can help you delve deeper and guide you in using the art to explore your feelings, things you have previously found or are finding difficult and work out your current strengths and needs.

We don’t give ourselves enough time or space to truly sit with and explore how we’re feeling, which often has a negative effect on our mental health. Art therapy gives people a chance to be their authentic, emotional selves, with the support required to explore and understand themselves. 

Going through having cancer – from diagnosis to treatment to its impact on life and relationships – can be very hard on people mentally. Feeling the need to stay strong, while facing a number of challenges, is incredibly draining and it can become difficult to acknowledge how we’re actually feeling – the good, the bad and the ugly. 

Art therapy gives people a safe space to process all the different emotions that come with going through cancer, without the need to ‘put on a brave face’. It can be an incredible support tool for anyone with and after cancer. 

But, do I need to know how to paint or draw?

Absolutely not! Art therapy is for anyone, no matter your skill set! Art Therapy is about the creative process and using it to get clear on your emotions, not about producing the next Louvre-worthy masterpiece.

To get the benefits of art therapy, all you really need is an open mind to allow yourself to try new things and accept the outcome artistically. It’s also important to remember that Art Therapists are trained clinicians and are skilled in using all different types of media, so they will work with you to find the right fit. 

Getting started

You can find accredited art therapists in the US here and in the UK here. 

“The goal of art therapy is to safely approach a traumatic event or experience and express it by putting it into imagery or language. This puts the trauma into a context and articulates its boundaries. Then, there is more of a sense of a continuous, consistent self and an instance of trauma, not the other way around.” – Val Koutmina, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT – The Art Therapy Project Art Therapist

Learn more about The Art Therapy Project via their website.

Relaxation Albums are Best-Sellers for Guided Imagery and Insomnia

I was very excited to discover that on Bandcamp, "Lavender Dreams" is a "Best-Selling Album" for Guided Imagery and "Lavender Destinations" is one of the "All-Time Best-Selling albums" for Insomnia! I am honored!

Art Helps Ukrainian Artists Express Themselves During War

Art is something that can express things beyond words and process traumatic experiences like war.  Ukrainian artists share some of their artwork made while their country is under attack to express themselves through creativity.

https://birdinflight.com/plitka/20220311-hudozhniki-zobrazhuyut-vijnu.html

Drawing is My Only Language: Ukrainian Artists Portraying the War

Ira Gryshchenko

March, 12 2022

While the war is still raging, there is hardly any time for reflection. But for many artists, creativity became their only way to speak out, even under these gruesome circumstances. Bird in Flight reached out to Ukrainian artists, asking them to show their works about war and tell their stories.

Kinder Album, artist

There will be a painting that shows our victory, for sure.

Drawing is my way to live through this reality together with all my people. It helps me to control my anxiety and panic, keeps me focused and channels my thoughts in a constructive direction. It’s my contribution to our common fight.

As for now, I have illustrated my experience of sitting in a shelter with young kids, elderly people, and pets. I have painted women, who stop armored vehicles with their bare hands, crowds of refugees on railway stations, burning houses — all the things that break our hearts. I’m planning to carry on with this series, and I’m sure that there will be a painting that shows our victory.

Vlada Ralko, artist

Drawing is not a weapon for me, it’s what keeps me alive.

I felt numb in the first week of war. I still have no words, except for a plea to close our sky and help us with weapons’ supplies. The whole world clearly sees what’s happening now. They see it in every detail. How many more murdered kids and mass graves in Mariupol do they need? How many Ukrainian cities have to be ruined for the world to join this unprecedented violence against our country with real actions, not just words?

Drawing is my only language now. This is how I’m saying what I want to say. It’s not my weapon, it’s what keeps me alive.

Anatolii Belov, artist

I have neither time, nor materials to create “works”. All I have is my sketchbook.

These sketches show my immediate reaction to the war. I draw them in my sketchbook, which I carry around and use it to put in my thoughts and to-do lists. I took this sketchbook with me, alongside other first-necessity things, when I fled Kyiv to a safer place. It contains all important addresses and phone numbers, so it’s a big help.

Now I have neither time, nor materials to create “works”. All I have is my sketchbook. One of the drafts is dedicated to Putin and all Russian people. I put an equation mark between them. I think that the war in Ukraine should be blamed not only on Putin, but on all the Russians, who let him rule their country. “It’s not Russia, it’s Putin who did it”. That was Kateryna Dyogot’s, a well-known Russian critic and art manager, comment on the shelling of the Holocaust Memorial Babyn Yar. Such a reaction of detachment and not understanding their own responsibility for the war in Ukraine says a lot. And I made a sketch of this episode, which shows Putin’s head growing bigger and bigger with rage and wickedness.

The second drawing is my curse for a Russian monster-soldier and his whole family. He stormed into a free country that didn’t call for him. My fury is encapsulated in this sketch. I don’t like to be furious, but that’s what I’m feeling right now and I have every right to feel this way.

Danylo Movchan, artist

I can’t say anything. I can only draw one watercolor a day. I have no words.

"52-Week Intention Journal" Brings Improvement Through Intentional Living

I got the hard copy of my friend Lauren Blanchard Zalewski's new book "52-Week Intention Journal" in the mail!  I was thrilled to write an endorsement for this wonderful book and was touched that she quoted me in one of her weekly intentions for Creativity.  Thank you so much!

This is a wonderful journal!  Please order your copy here:

https://www.amazon.com/52-Week-Intention-Journal-Reflection-Meaningful/dp/1638078866/ref=asc_df_1638078866/

Study Finds Doctors Seeking Mental Health Support During Pandemic

It's encouraging to know that doctors have sought mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Being on the front lines has its own challenges, and it's good that they are taking the time to care for themselves as well.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/anxietystress/96805

More Docs Turn to Mental Health Support During COVID

— Sharp uptick in outpatient mental health and substance use visits, Canadian study finds

by Kristen Monaco, Staff Writer, MedPage Today January 21, 2022

A "substantial increase" in physicians in Canada sought mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study reported.

Looking at nearly 35,000 practicing physicians in Ontario, the overall annual number of outpatient mental health and substance use visits increased by 27% per 1,000 physicians -- from 816.8 pre-pandemic to 1,037.5 during the pandemic -- reported Daniel T. Myran, MD, MPH, of Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and colleagues.

This equated to a 13% increase in the rate of mental health and substance use visits per physician during the pandemic (adjusted incident rate ratio [aIRR] 1.13, 95% CI 1.07-1.19), an increase that appeared driven by those who had no prior mental health or substance use history (aIRR 1.72, 95% CI 1.60-1.85), the group wrote in JAMA Network Open.

Overall, the absolute proportion of physicians with one or more mental health and substance use visits within a year increased from 12.3% before to 13.4% during the pandemic (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.08, 95% CI 1.03-1.14).

Increases in mental health visits seemed to be across the board, and didn't differ by sex/gender, age, or urbanicity, the researchers said. Regarding specific types of physicians, psychiatrists saw the highest rate of annual mental health and substance use visits during the pandemic (3,441.5 per 1,000 physicians), whereas surgeons had the lowest rates (370.9 visits per 1,000 physicians).

The author of an accompanying commentary, however, said that despite this sharp uptick in COVID-related mental health visits for physicians, the findings should actually be "somewhat encouraging," since they show that physicians are actively seeking help, support, and the treatment they need.

"Creating additional avenues or opportunities for health care professionals to obtain mental health services will be paramount, while cognizant of the unique challenge surrounding reticence in seeking care within the profession," wrote Bernard P. Chang, MD, PhD, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York.The findings also aren't much of a surprise, since it is known that the pandemic took a heavy toll on the mental health of healthcare workers, Chang added. He also pointed to the benefits of telehealth resources in particular, saying that these discrete and flexible platforms are ideally suited for practicing physicians.

Myran and co-authors agreed, noting that their findings "may also be explained by reduced barriers to access for health care and mental health services among physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic," and that "in response to the pandemic there was a large expansion of virtual care options in Ontario."

"It is possible that physicians with both physical and mental health concerns that predated the pandemic increased their health services use owing to this change (e.g., appointments are easier to schedule and less visible and thus less stigmatized)," the researchers wrote.

The population-based cohort study included 26,266 individual counts of outpatient mental health and substance-use related codes prior to the pandemic, which were compared with 31,936 codes during the first 12 months of the pandemic. This equated to a 22.6% change in codes. The biggest uptick in code type was for adjustment reaction, followed by the cluster code for "anxiety, somatoform, dysthymia, dissociative, or psychosomatic," the researchers reported.

"Future research should focus on longer term outcomes associated with the pandemic and explore associated risk and protective factors for physicians' mental health to better target interventions," the group concluded.

Have You Experienced an Art Attack?

Anyone else relate?

Hello, fellow creatives! 👋

Are you a Creative? Guest Blog from a Creativity Coach and Counselor

Recently, I had the privilege to meet a fellow therapist working in the same town where I have private practice. She has a unique approach and helps creative people with therapy and coaching that is tailored for *them.*  Cindy has been kind enough to write a guest post for "Adventures in Art Therapy" so you know there are those out there who can relate with you and help as a fellow creative.

A Letter to Creative People

Dear Artist Drawing in the Margins of your Papers,

Dear College Student at your Easel Late at Night in an Empty Studio,

Dear Musician Rehearsing the Same Two Measures and Stumbling for the Thousandth Time,

I see you.

Dear Little Heart Wearing all the Colors to School because they are in your Soul,

Dear Parents Believing in the Little Hearts and Quietly Worrying if Others Will See the Beauty or Try to Tear them Down,

I see you.

Dear High Schooler Feeling Feelings so Big You Might Burst while Trying to Express yourself through Poetry and Feeling Overwhelmed by What Comes out,

I see you.

Dear High Achieving Adults with High Achieving Jobs with the Weight of the World on your Shoulders but Creativity in your Heart,

Dear Adults who Wonder if it is “Too Late” if you are “Enough” and have Spent your Lives Prioritizing the Needs of others before Yourselves,

I see you.

Dear Parents who Struggled for Acceptance as you Fought for Authenticity in the World and now Ache Watching your Children doing the Same,

I see you.

Dear Creative Professionals Struggling to Break the Surface and Tread Water of Financial Sustainability in Shark Infested Waters for the Sake of your Passions,

I see you.

Dear Writer Staring at a Blinking Cursor as Time Ticks by with a Book in your Heart but no Words in your Mind,

Dear Performer Sitting at Another Casting Call Full of Talent Hoping this is Finally the Time you Stand Out,

I see you.

Dear Painter Scrolling through Hundreds of Accomplished Artists Online while your Canvas Sits Empty or Unfinished Beside You,

Dear Adult who is too Burnt Out by Their Day Job to Make Art but that is all you Really Want to be Doing as the Years Continue to Go By,

I see you.

I see and know your struggles. I know that the world is failing you, overwhelming you and leaving you behind in their efforts to help. I know that your experiences and needs are unique and special.

My experiences were like this, too.  I felt the loneliness and helplessness that come with Creativity. But- I believed in the importance of my creativity.  Just like I believe in the importance of yours.  You have the potential to change the future for the better.  Your future.  The future for all of us. 

Your creativity is everything you need. I have dedicated my career to understanding this to be true. To understanding your needs as a Creative Person, and the inner workings of your Creative Personality. I have built a philosophy to support you in your life. I know you can experience ease and success in your life with the creative gifts you were born with.

The application and work of my philosophy is found in Creativity Counseling and Creativity Coaching.  And I developed it just for Creative People.  Like you.

Creativity Counseling is founded upon your natural strengths as a Creative Person. When you understand your strengths, and harness them in healthy and productive ways, you will live a life filled with ease. 

Your natural creative strengths, when they serve you, are so powerful that as surely as when they are aimless they are destructive, when they are focused in healthy and productive ways, are massively life changing.  

In Creativity Counseling, you become intimately acquainted with and empowered by your Creative Personality.  You learn how powerful emotions, drive towards meaning making and authenticity, and more, are important and stabilizing forces.  You learn practical, real-life tools to embrace, not suppress, how you experience the world. You understand that your key to happiness is true authenticity with yourself and the world around you.

Creativity Coaching is the gift creative flow that comes when you embrace your creative identity fully.  Does your soul demand that you write? Make music? Paint? Dance?  Unlock your true potential by claiming yourself fully as a writer, musician, artist, or dancer.

No more “when’s” or “if’s” or other rules- if your soul demands a creative expression- embrace it with a passion! Experience clarity and ease when you give yourself permission to actualize what your creative soul desires of you. 

This permission is your first step to finding the  “North Star” you will use for making daily decisions in your life. Creative flow comes from the purposefulness in knowing where you are going. It allows you to make aligned decisions that serve your greater purpose, and live a life filled with meaning.  Creative flow builds from regular creative practice as you continue to making meaning from your life experiences with your art.  These are some of the most important aspects of Creativity Coaching!

Dear Creative Looking for Help because you are Hurting,

Dear Creative Looking for Help from Someone who Knows how to help you with your Creativity but also accepts your Creativity Might always be a Struggle that No-one Understands,

I see you.

Sometimes your hurt and struggle are your heart and soul showing up for what truly matters to you in your life.  I believe your creativity truly matters, and is your most important healing and stabilizing force. 

I have experienced this to be true in my own life, in my research, in my education, and with hundreds of Creative People I have listened to and worked with. 

I am passionate about the future of the world as only you, Dear Creative, can dream it.

I know you feel deeply. I dare you not to stop.  It is my passion to help and support you. If you believe I can help, I would love to talk to you about what I can offer. 

Love,

Cindy

(c) 2021 Creatively, LLC, Cindy Cisneros, LCPC-S, LPC, Creativity Coach

www.creativelyllc.com

Cindy Cisneros is a Creativity Coach and Creativity Counselor and Professional Artist in Sykesville, Maryland.  She provides Online Creativity Counseling in Maryland and Virginia, and Online Creativity Coaching throughout the USA, Canada and the UK.