Month: May 2017

Listening to your body

I am one of these people whose emotions manifest somewhere in their bodies, almost instantaneously! Particularly anxiety or worry will be felt in my stomach usually as a swirling emotion and sadness/grief in my chest or head area.

I am one of these people whose emotions manifest somewhere in their bodies, almost instantaneously! Particularly anxiety or worry will be felt in my stomach usually as a swirling emotion and sadness/grief in my chest or head area. The other part of my body that carries my emotions is my lower back- not all of my back pain is emotionally connected, but when I am feeling down or having relationship issues, my lower back will often hurt.

I have learned to use this as a guidance system to what is going on inside of me and to bring things into awareness that I was out of touch about and then take care of the emotions in some way. For me taking care of worry or anxiety is doing soothing self talk and exercise. I am amazed that even a 5 minute walk with almost always reduce any anxiety I feel. When I am sad or feeling down, what helps me is to journal and to connect with others, and then I usually feel the physical sensations subside.

With the individuals I have seen in therapy, I have had a front row seat in seeing how our emotions manifest in our bodies from fainting, vomiting, heart palpitations, tingly sensations, headaches, movement problems to high blood pressure influenced by stress.

I do believe in a balanced approach to physical pain/problems that may have an emotional component. First and foremost, any medical causes have to be ruled out/ruled in! Then we can look at the mind/body connection and how our emotions may be influencing the physical.
A quick way to see if your bodily sensations are emotionally connected is to:

  • Scan your body in your mind. This can be quick, but notice what sensations are at each part, if any.
  • Describe the sensation, what does it feel like.
  • Ask yourself if this sensation is connected to anything in your life.
  • If an emotion/situation does get identified in this process, take some steps to listen to it and address it (talking, exercising, journaling, positive self talk, etc).

What is Art Therapy

Perhaps Wisconsin native artist Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) said it best while describing her own creative process, “I found that I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”

Angela Waldoch on Art Therapy:

Art Therapy 101

Perhaps Wisconsin native artist Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) said it best while describing her own creative process, “I found that I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” This is the very core and beauty of art therapy.

So what is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is using art as a means of expression to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages, abilities, and from all walks of life. Research indicates the inherent powers of art making can help people resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight (AATA, 2011)

How is Art Therapy Powerful?

Art is the universal language. It is cross-cultural; it knows no age, gender, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. In fact, human beings have been expressing themselves through imagery since the beginning of time. Whether you define yourself as an artist or not, creating art is a natural, innate gift we all posses.

The creative art process allows the client to experience freedom of spontaneity, choice, and control. Art making operates on a meta-verbal and often subconscious level; it can offer a different perspective and insight for a client, especially the resistive client who does not want to talk. You will be surprised how quickly someone will open up if given the opportunity to create art. Suddenly, the art becomes the thing to talk about, and this also allows for separation from the client’s situation, in a safe and non-threatening way. The art then becomes the problem, not the person and situation.

Who Can Do Art Therapy?

Art therapists are trained mental health professionals well versed in both the areas of art application and professional counseling. However, art as a form of therapy can be used by any mental health professional. I recommend having at least these basic materials readily available in your office: white paper, markers, colored pencils, and crayons, just incase you encounter a client who cannot find the words to express what is happening right now.