Art Therapy- how to thrive, not just survive following physical trauma
Life-altering experiences which require rehabilitation, such as stroke, brain injury, acute or chronic illness, motor vehicle accidents, surgery and ageing affect not only the people directly involved but also their family, friends and carers. Art Therapy is a counselling service designed to complement the rehabilitation services people receive and to offer support to the significant others in their lives.
In a confidential and relaxed atmosphere Eileen Jenkins, a transpersonal art therapist, will give you the space and resources to help you express yourself and explore your life situation. Through conversation and looking into the images and symbols emerging from creative exercises, Eileen will help you gain clarity around immediate concerns, and insight into dealing with them. You may also wish to revisit your past and appreciate what has been, or perhaps to alter your perspective on it. Another activity well suited to art therapy is to anticipate the future in a life-affirming way.
Through a combination of art therapy, life experience and community work Eileen has been instrumental in helping people dealing with such issues as: cancer, AIDS, brain injury, addiction, depression, anxiety, and grief of varying kinds. Her ‘transpersonal’ approach means she is trained in seeing each person as a whole: body, mind and spirit: and considering a person’s experience of the world, and their place in it, as of paramount importance to their wellbeing. Thus she supports and encourages people to explore and appreciate their unique approach to life.
Eileen helps people go beyond their usual way of seeing and thinking to discover new perspectives that can enrich their life, and the lives of those around them. For example, seeing yourself as ‘living with’ an illness can be much healthier than ‘suffering from’ that illness. It made a huge difference to people in the 1990’s when ‘AIDS patients’ identified instead as ‘people living with AIDS’. Moving to a more life-affirming perspective can reanimate you, changing the way you perceive yourself, and the way you are perceived by those around you.
The creative exercises Eileen employs are suitable for people who do not consider themselves artistic or are limited in what they are able to do physically. The element of non-verbal communication involved in this therapy can allow much to be conveyed with few words being spoken i.e. “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Also, clients are free to simply express themselves verbally without necessarily engaging in artwork.
So to thrive, rather than simply survive contact the clinic for further information- Art Therapy can help to guide you and your loved ones towards emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
Categories: Feature Article