Summer 2014 Psychosis and Resistance by Monica Ventura, 2Nd Year
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George Washington University Art Therapy Program DRAWN from the Circle Alexandria Center on Carlyle Circle Issue 37 Summer 2014 Psychosis and Resistance by Monica Ventura, 2nd year hile interning at Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute W (NVMHI), I realized that my favorite group was the admissions unit group. I noticed something that was different about these patients was their lack of resistance toward art therapy. These are individuals experiencing severe psychopathology who are in the process of becoming stabilized with medication. After a year of working at a substance abuse rehabilitation center, I expected to answer defensive initial questions about the value of art therapy. Interestingly, the patients from the ad- missions unit seemed naturally drawn to the creative process. They came Artwork created by an individual at NVMHI, into the studio and engaged in art making immediately, without hesita- diagnosed with Psychosis NOS and recreated tion. The resistance I encountered was of a different nature; sometimes the by Ventura. clients left unexpectedly, or did not follow the directive. Nonetheless, the majority of patients were actively engaged in the artistic process. These experiences made me wonder about the efficacy of art therapy addressing the loss of ego boundaries inherent in psychosis. It is possible that through the creative process, the creator is essentially affirming their sense of self. “Engaging in art not only allows Inside this Issue the psychotic individual to express his own emotions to others, but the canvas (whether a poem, song or literal canvas) can reflect back to him his internal state. This dialogue be- Alumni Party 1-2 tween the artist and his work serves an important therapeutic function,” (Olson, 2013, para.10). In other words, the reflection of the client’s inner state via art could help define Book Signing 2 those boundaries through self-assertion. Director’s Cut: 3 Returning to Lebanon AATA Conference & Alumni Event Cross-Modal Therapy 4 San Antonio, Texas Focus on the Small First Year Reflections 5 Art of Communication 6 Blind Contour Study 7 GW Research 8-9 Spirit Animals 9 (left) Director Bardot and Process Painting 10 current students at the American Art Therapy Remembering Edith 10- Annual Conference Kramer & Lou Tinnin 11 (above) alumnae Megan Robb and Gussie Klorer at the alum- ni party sponsored by CCAS GW Gallery: Rawley Silver 12 and GW Alumni Association PAGE 2 DRAWN FROM THE CIRCLE ISSUE 36 GW Alumni and Faculty Book Signing Event n February 21st, (left) Jennie Cristal and GW Art Therapy O Sangeeta Prasad hosted a book signing (right) Current for alumnae Sangeeta students attend Prasad (Prasad Family the book signing Foundation) and Paula Howie (current faculty member) and co-editor (left) Faculty, Jennie Kristal for their Audrey Di Maria book, Using Art Thera- Nankervis, Cheryl py with Diverse Popula- Doby Copeland, tions.” The book includes chapters by 15 faculty and and Charlotte alumni from GW Art Therapy Program. Authors include: Boston, sign books Kate Baasch, Heidi Bardot, Donna Betts, Deni for attendees Brancheau, Charlotte Boston, Tracy Councill, Audrey Di Maria Nankervis, Cheryl Doby-Copeland, Linda Gantt, Lisa Raye Garlock, Emmy Lou Glassman, Paula Howie, Sangeeta Prasad, Barbara Sobol, and Louis Tinnin. Pictures from Alumni AATA Party (Above) Amy Tatsumi, Monica Dreyer, Donna Betts, Deborah Bunkley, Kate Martin, Kim Ottinger (Above) Katerina Evans, Roz Vanderpool, Monica Salinas, Heather Weyers (research partner, Kinection), Sue Ann Hastings Psychosis, continued from page 1 which is accrued from the environment than less creative people. This is consistent with oberved deficits in terms Furthermore, the creative process (imagination) requires of frontal lobe activity in schizophrenics. It may be valid a psychotic-related thought process. Is it conceivable that to view creativity as based upon organizing a greater psychosis makes the individual let go of their defenses amount of miscellaneous details, aspects of the world and and dive into the unconscious, creative expression? the self that may be raw material for formulating new “Gromish (2010) asserts that creative people who are di- ideas,” (Olson, 2014, para. 11). It seems that the diver- vergent thinkers filter out less information than that gent thinking process of psychosis lends itself naturally to the art making process. In other words, creativity may References: be a correlate of psychosis. Olson, A. (2014) Beautiful Myths and the Minds of Schizophrenics How In conclusion, the lack of resistance that I encountered at divergent thinking may elicit poetry and nonsense. Psychology NVMHI may be attributed to the relationship between Today. Retrieved April 11, 2014. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-and- psychosis and creativity as mental processes, and to self- psychopathology/201402/beautiful-myths-and-the-minds- assertion through symbol formation. The more I think schizophrenics about my experience, the more curious I am to learn Olson, A. (2013) Emotional Intelligence, Art Therapy, and Psychosis: Im- more. proving Emotional Intelligence of Psychotic Individuals through Art Therapy. Psychology Today. Retrieved April 11, 2014. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-and- psychopathology/201312/emotional-intelligence-art-therapy-and- psychosis ISSUE 36 DRAWN FROM THE CIRCLE PAGE 3 Director’s Cut: Return to Lebanon by Heidi Bardot; Director, GW Art Therapy Program n November 2013, I returned to to house 3000 in- I Beirut, Lebanon, where I grew up. mates, it currently As part of a grant from a local dra- has 5000+). I ma therapy organization, Catharsis, worked with 20 I presented a week long introduc- men in the mental tion in art therapy techniques to 38 health ward; all drama therapists, counselors, and had committed a educators (picture right). The stu- murder due to dents were inquisitive, explorative, their illnesses. and fascinated with art therapy. Their ages ranged Having taught similar courses be- from young 20s to mid-80s, many strung over the whole building, fore, I recognized that dependent of whom have lived there 30+ with towels and blankets, and upon the cultural needs I might years as their families refused to clothes hung out every window and need to adjust the format and struc- take them back after they had crevice drying. The ground was ture of the course. What I didn't served their sentence. Our focus strewn with trash. Out of every realize was how much I had to was on strength building, though it window there were arms and change. A small example of this is difficult to discuss hope when hands reaching and banging. The occurred during the first evening their only activities for the week men were pounding the walls, when I asked them to choose a were the art therapy sessions and stomping the floors, and yell- small image in order to introduce smoking. One gentleman who ing/screaming—the bars on the themselves. What generally takes a spoke English fluently, commented windows were actually shaking. minute or two in most groups, took that “God is in every living crea- The image is intense in my mind. 5-10 minutes per person in this ture—but He is not here.” Cathar- Throughout my stay we never group. Each person spoke with such sis continues to work with these made it into this ward as the riots lyrical beauty about the shapes, men, the founder of which, Zeina continued. colors, content, and how it connect- Daccache, is an advocate for im- ed to their own life—a lovely cultur- proved prison conditions and In February 2014, I returned to al piece that I wanted to honor. rights. She has created award win- meet with local refugee relief or- Therefore, the next day the intro- ning documentaries, 12 Angry Leb- ganizations, War Child, Sawa, and duction ritual was done in smaller anese and Scheherazade’s Diary, World Vision as well as the Ameri- groups where each person could focused on these issues. can University and Lebanese share deeply without using all the American University to discuss training time. Flexibility and We then went to the Life Sentence future collaborations with art ther- awareness is key in working in an- ward and were turned away as a apy work, trainings, and research. other culture. riot was currently in process. The Having previously worked in Pales- overpopulation and horrible living tinian refugee camps, Lebanon now Part of the grant included me conditions cause many disputes. has a whole new generation of ref- providing art therapy groups in a Having worked in many facilities ugees from the Syrian conflict. We mountain prison on the mentally ill in different countries, nothing discussed the value of art therapy and life sentence wards. Rouimeh much shocks me anymore; howev- in trauma work and in creating a Prison is notorious for prison riots er, I actually lost my breath when program that is culturally respon- and overcrowding (originally set up I saw the facility. Barbed wire was sive and sustainable. Cameras are not allowed on prison grounds. These photos are taken from The Daily Star online news- paper (left) The Life Sentence Ward (right) Mental Health Ward PAGE 4 DRAWN FROM THE CIRCLE ISSUE 36 Cross-Modal Therapy Focusing by Trevina Joseph, 1st year on the y first year of the future. For example, the first Small M graduate school session, “My first steps,” describes was a whirlwind of a client’s childhood. The second experiences. I interned session, “When I tripped,” distin- Things at an adult forensic guishes a time when they made a by Anna Hicken, 1st year psychiatric hospital in mistake or used poor judgment. DC where I worked The series is concluded with “My intern at an acute psychiatric with individuals experiencing schiz- future steps,” to help clients visu- I unit in southeast DC. When I ophrenia, bipolar, depression, gen- alize future goals and process past tell most people this, their reac- eralized anxiety disorder, anti- experiences.