Expressive Arts Therapy

A few months ago I was asked to host a panel to discuss the role of art-making in relation to mental health issues for the traveling exhibition, Mindful: Exploring Mental Health Through Art at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA.  I had a great time with Michelle Napoli , from William James University, and Lauren Leone , an adjunct at Lesley University, discussing the role of art and crafts in therapy and in healing. We spoke about the arts as and in therapy and we discussed the power of arts in community.  We then did a wonderful workshop where we invited participants to create containers of self-compassion or compassion for their communities. Today I went back to the Fuller to see their exhibition on quilting in response to Trumps's administration and policies, entitled Threads of Resistance . I absolutely loved the exhibition and the idea of creating works of art through craft that advocate for resistance and change!  Lastly, the museum is hosting an exhibitio...

This week's post highlights the work of my colleague, dance/movement therapist, Nancy Beardall .  I'm always excited about opportunities to showcase ways our work in the Expressive Therapies division can support acts of social justice. Today as women are marching all over the world in support of the Time's Up campaign against sexual harassment, Nancy's work on break-up violence seems particularly timely! See the recent article about Lesley's day-long training for faculty and staff on addressing sexual violence on a cultural level .  But don't miss out on seeing Nancy's work on the project entitled " Could this be you? " Along with Lesley faculty Cariona Baker , Nancy has been working on a project to raise awareness regarding break-up violence for several years now. I was particularly excited to see the movement choir work showcased on the Could this be you website.  Nancy's "Just Moves" work is inspiring and beautiful! 

So last week I posted my first blog post in a long time!  I'm really hoping to post weekly - and I'm excited to start by sharing the work of my colleagues at Lesley University's Expressive Arts Therapy MA program.  Last week I shared the work of my colleague Mitchell Kossak , and this week I'd like to share with you the work of my colleague Angelica Pinna-Perez . Angelica has been heading up a project called Create on the 8 for several years now. And I'm so excited to share with you her digital arts-based scholarship!   Her project involves a virtual space that is both a "collaborative arts based research initiative" that represents "arts based explorations on anti-oppressive and critical understandings of diverse and inclusive meaning making in the Expressive Arts" and a forum where she shares her own ideas about where the work of Expressive Arts Therapy can go!  This past week on her blog, Angelica posed the question, Can Expressive Art...

Hi everyone, One of my resolutions this year is to post a weekly post to this website and renew my commitment to spreading the word about Expressive Arts Therapy at Lesley University.  As a result, I've given the blog a facelift, and am working to see what the new look and the new year will bring. I'll use this first post in the new year to celebrate our faculty member, Mitchell Kossak, who received the Shining Star award from the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association at their annual conference in Winnipeg, Canada this past October. Read about the award and Mitchell at: http://www.lesley.edu/news/mitchell-kossak-receives-shining-star-award I'm looking forward to all the posts we have ahead of us this year!! Karen

--> Check out our January and Spring elective offerings in Expressive Therapy. Lesley University is offering several courses this January and Spring that can add revitalization to your practice.   Tell everyone about them (supervisors, friends, colleagues), and register on-line - registration opens October 27. Help us fill these classes so they are not canceled. Please consider coming back and taking an elective!!! Sign up today. And tell all your colleagues about our great offerings! For more info go to: http://www.lesley.edu/lois/searching-current-course-information/ and follow instructions. Click on the "Current Course Information" link, search Spring 2016 and Expressive therapies and Graduate. Thanks, Karen GEXTH-5010             Principles & Practices of Expressive Arts Therapy .J1         1/4-1/8         Mon-Fri 09:00AM - ...

Hi everyone, First off, let me say thank you again for all you do to help us make our specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy a wonderful opportunity for learning. For those of you who have taught during the past year - thank you! For those of you who have supervised during the past year - thank you! and for those of you who have been students in the program during the past year - thank you! We have the privilege of bringing ourselves, our creativity, and our love for the arts into relationship with others and there is so much need in the world for the work of relationship and Poiesis ! As many of you know I will be on sabbatical during the 2014-2015 academic year doing research on professional identity for Expressive Arts Therapists (today was my last day, and I return July 1, 2015). While I am out Angelica Pinna-Perez will be stepping in to coordinate the Expressive Arts Therapy specialization. Angelica has been a wonderful addition to the Expressiv...

This past weekend we celebrated the research work of our Expressive Therapy students here at Lesley University and wow, were we proud! Check out this list of titles. 2014 Expressive Therapies Theses & Research Ashoff, C. (2014). The practice of self-care with caregivers to prevent job-related burnout and stress. (Thesis)   Bolton, D. (2014). A survey of perceptions of music therapy among clinical staff at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. (Thesis) Booth, D. (2014). The awareness of c ountertr ansference among trainees: A comparison s tudy . (Thesis) Brett, L. (2014). What are the observed effects of using mirroring in dance/movement therapy with survivors of traumatic brain injuries? (Thesis). Bryson, L. R. (2014). The effectiveness of dance/movement therapy with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A meta-ethnographic analysis. (Thesis) Chen, J. (2014). Musical theme as a dream - From the Fort-Da game: Discussion of the...