Mindfulness Based Art

This ground-breaking book explores the theoretical, clinical and training application of integrating mindfulness with all of the arts therapies, and includes cutting-edge contributions from neuroscience. Written by pioneers and leaders in the arts therapies and psychology fields, the book includes 6 sections that examine mindfulness and the arts therapies from different perspectives: 1) the history and roots of mindfulness in relation to spirituality, psychotherapy and the arts therapies; 2) the role of the expressive arts in cultivating mindful awareness; 3) innovative approaches that add mindfulness to the arts therapies; 4) arts therapies approaches that are inherently mindfulness-based; 5) mindfulness in the training and education of arts therapists; and 6) the neuroscience underlying mindfulness and the arts therapies. Contributors describe their pioneering work with diverse applications: people with cancer, trauma, chronic pain, substance abuse, severe mental illness, clients in private practice, adolescents at camp, training dance and art therapists, and more. This rich resource will inspire and rejuvenate all clinicians and educators.

Understand DBT-informed art therapy, and how to apply it to your practice. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) treats problems with emotion regulation, and is especially effective in treating chronic self-harming and suicidal behaviors associated with Borderline Personality Disorder. Combining the structure and skill development of DBT with the creativity and non-verbal communication of art therapy can be a significant advantage in treating patients who are resistant to talking therapy. This book gives a comprehensive overview of the growing literature and research on DBT-informed art therapy, drawing upon the work of pioneers in the field to explain different types of DBT-informed art therapy and the 'Three Ms' at its core: Mindfulness, Metaphor and Mastery. It also includes creative visual exercises and activities for developing the skills of core mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and non-judgemental acceptance among clients.

This step-by-step manual was created using empirically supported treatment methods, combined in a unique way and laid out in an easy-to-use fashion. Each three-hour session includes a mindfulness meditation, accompanying art activity, and sample discussion questions, which can be conducted individually, in a group, or in research settings.

The mindful art therapy presented in this book places inner contemplation, openness and visual language at its centre, showing how traditional Eastern wisdom can be integrated into modern psychotherapeutic practice for mind-body wellness. This book introduces a foundation for mindful art therapy practice by providing a coherent framework that bridges paradigms between eastern and western traditions. The author clarifies different approaches from mindfulness traditions to guide students and practitioners in determining the most suitable and personalised method for practice, research and professional development. The book features case studies and artworks from the treatment of common clinical presentations such as anxiety and depression and includes a guided meditation script and audio file. This book is an essential text for art therapy and psychology students, academics and allied health professionals who seek to integrate mindful art therapy into research and practice.

Written especially for the teacher or camp director who wants to bring mindfulness, social and emotional learning (SEL), and the arts into their busy day through storytelling and fun games, this book offers a complete course that helps kids identify and talk about their feelings, self-regulate and self-soothe when stressed, and learn from easy mindfulness practices. Educator and theater director Andrew Nance is the author of the popular children's book Puppy Mind, which brought a new dimension of cuteness to the practice of mindfulness in the form of a rambunctious, playful puppy. In this book, Nance brings the puppy and a host of other friendly characters into the classroom to animate a 21-lesson curriculum centered around lively stories and easy-to-lead exercises for young students from kindergarten to third grade. Nance offers a teacher's guide to arts-based mindfulness exercises utilizing story-telling, theater games, and drawing to spark students' self-expression, self-awareness, and social and emotional well-being.

A Mind-Body Approach to Healing If you have received a cancer diagnosis, you know that the hundreds of questions and concerns you have about what's to come can be as stressful as the cancer treatment itself. But research shows that if you mentally prepare yourself to handle cancer treatment by getting stress and anxiety under control, you can improve your quality of life and become an active participant in your own recovery. Created by leading psychologists specializing in oncology, the Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery program is based on mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a therapeutic combination of mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga now offered to cancer survivors and their loved ones in hundreds of medical centers, hospitals, and clinics worldwide. Let this book be your guide as you let go of fear and focus on getting well. With this eight-week program, you'll learn to: • Use proven MBSR skills during your treatment and recovery • Boost your immune function through meditation and healing yoga • Calm feelings of fear, uncertainty, and lack of control • Mindfully manage difficult symptoms and side effects • Discover your own capacity for healing and thriving after adversity

In Mindfulness-Based Art: The SPARKS Guide for Educators and Counselors, art therapist Margaret Jones Callahan offers step-by-step instructions on bringing Mindfulness into the art studio, counselor’s office, or classroom. Here, you discover the basic principles of Mindfulness and find lesson plans for seven art projects, with guidelines for creating a safe class culture and scripts for teaching Mindfulness. Through drawing, painting, expressive calligraphy, clay sculpture, photography, and more, students learn to be in the present moment, quiet their inner critics, and express themselves authentically. Whether you’re a teacher, an art therapist, a coach, a counselor, or simply someone who wants to use art for personal growth and spiritual development, SPARKS shows you how student-artists of any age can increase their confidence and learn to trust their expressive minds. “It’s interesting to do my art this way. I feel real and I like what I’ve done.” — Grade 11 student Expresssive Art project “The mindfulness really makes me slow down and be really thorough with how I see.” — Grade 10 student mindful drawing “These are my dark thoughts. I can see them here. I’m going to cover this part and do something new over here.” — Grade 12 Student Luggage project “The art room is the only place in the school where I really relax. I can be myself here and say what I want to say.” — Grade 12 photography student “She shows us how to do it and then helps us do it our way. I don’t get in trouble for not doing it her way.” — Grade 8 student coping with learning challenges speaking about her art teacher http://www.mindfulnessbasedart.com

Reflecting the increasing recognition of the importance of the spiritual in healing, Spirituality and Art Therapy is an exciting exploration of the different ways in which the spiritual forms an essential, life-enhancing component of a well-rounded therapeutic approach. The contributors are leading art therapists who write from diverse perspectives, including Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and shamanic. They explain how their own spiritual and creative influences interact, finding expression in the use of art as a healing agent with specific populations, such as bereaved children, emotionally disturbed adolescents, and the homeless. The relationships between spirituality and visual art, art therapy and transpersonal psychology are examined. Story and image are interwoven in the spiritual journeys of therapists and clients, and suggested creative exercises make this an accessible, practical resource for those who desire to understand and execute an holistic method of therapy. Arguing that art therapists can mediate between the sacred and the mundane, this pioneering book is an affirmation of the transformative power of art therapy.