Q: Can you tell us a little about your background?
A: I moved to Chicago a little over a year ago from Eretz Yisroel. While living there I had the incredible opportunity to run groups together with an art therapist for women and for teens. Our groups focused on different themes such as self-esteem, goals, friendship, strengths as well as more focused themes such as grief, fears etc. While I am not a certified art therapist, I use expressive arts techniques in my individual and group work.
Q: How do you run your expressive arts group?
A: Each group has a theme and each week has a sub-theme. We generally have a group discussion about the topic and then an art directive where the participants are encouraged to explore the theme through some mean of art such as drawing, painting, sculpting clay, and collaging to name a few.
Q: Do you analyze the participants’ artwork?
A: This is a common misconception about art therapy. Although there are therapists who use this approach, the only person analyzing the art in the groups will be the participants themselves of their own art work. I may ask questions too.
Q: Do I need to know how to draw?
A: All you need is a willingness to try something new! My favorite rule in art therapy is “there is no right or wrong way to express yourself in art.” Using art to explore an idea that is personal to you uses different parts of your brain than you normally do and gives new insights and clarity. It’s also a lot of fun and very relaxing!
Q: What are the goals of a group for teens?
A: When teens get together in a non-judgemental atmosphere to explore ideas that are important to all girls but not talked about, it provides them with a fun and safe way to explore topics that may be confusing or troubling and gain so much from sharing their art and hearing from other girls in similar situations as they are in.
To hear more info about the art therapy groups starting at Madraigos, please contact Madraigos Midwest at: 773-478-6000 or email: [email protected]
