One of the reasons l use Art with my counselling.

One of the reasons l use Art in my counselling work, is because of the way it seems to unlock people's fear of being scared of their "issues". By that l mean, for example if a person is a self harmer, making Art will let them say things they can't express or are too scared to admit to themselves or family members. Making Art for therapy reasons, remember you don't need to be good at atr or be an artist , it is the doing that is important NOT the end product. The image below, is of a client making felt..not necessarily to make anything! Just the process can be fun and calming, and that, sometimes is all that it produces on the day but will help later on in the day when they are alone or maybe another session all together!

Often by the time, say an anorexia client finds me, he/she is fed up of talking and being controlled by doctors, therapists and family members. I find that if l give them no time limits to complete the "art "and say they can choice what ever medium they wish...you can see them visibly relax and will sstart to make Art. I realised early on, that time restritcions often made them panic and so trying to let them think, they controlled their time and space (although in theory l do!), they actually started to open up and make Art.  They could make a journal or maybe a timetable that THEY would like to keep to, rather than been told to keep to.

One client, drew, painted and made clay images of clocks, one after the other for weeks until she felt she had gain control of her time again.
Journals are an amazing way to help you each day, to sort out your problems, thoughts, ask yourself questions and so on. They do not have to be pretty, neat or organised..they are for you. Yes, there is a journalling network out there and on the net, that makes beautiful journals and they are great but not necessarily right for what my clients need them for.
The image below, is one l took, to try and explain what a patient was feeling but couldn't explain, as she stuttered all the time and gave up before she could say what it was she felt . As soon as she saw it.."that's it..l feel as though l am not seeing the world as everyone else. I feel as if there is something between us, and l am not seening or being seen properly"!

Below, is an image one of my clients took with my camera, to help her to give up smoking. She had a copy in her hangbag, her purse, in the bathroom, in fact any where she had smoked in the past. She said this image reminded her, of the 3 packs a days, she used to smoke! and the money she had wasted!

I admit, Art isn't always the answer but it can be a great ice breaker. Adults often say they can't make Art and l find the reason they feel like that, was because of something they wdere told as children!  Maybe a primary teacher or later an Art teacher told them they would NEVER be any good at Art and more than likely in front of the whole class and/or on their school report! I know l was told the same and it really can stay with you for life. Anyone can make Art..there is no right or wrong way, it is a personal thing, no-one else needs to see it, if you don't want them to. You can destroy it as soon as you have finished it or you could keep it for a while or give it to your therapist for safe keeping. Making Art often enables you to see things more clearly or maybe is just away for you to start to relax and then be able to start to talk.
The image below is a piece of silkpainting, which is a medium a lot of my clients find, very calming and often do some just before a "talking" session.

At this moment, maybe l need to say what "Making" Art means. A few marks on a page, one colour drawn all over a page, moulding clay into a ball or even just cutting up a piece of paper and arranging on a page..is makingArt.

Another Art activity l sometimes use is called "An Image Board". There are several ways to use this board, one way is to put images on it of what you want from life, ( which is the usual way it is used), I also use it for my clients to see, what their issues actually are or what is stopping them from moving on. It  does NOT have to be tidy or cut or arranged perfectly. It is just another aid to helping you see your issues more clearly. Below is an example of one, which was made to remind the client, of what they would like to achieve in this life. I encourage my clients to spend maxium 15 mins at home or at my rooms, for collecting their images and then, when with me, spend max of 20 mins making this board. The reason being. l don't want the client to spend excessive time on it, because then they over think it and it doesn't work.

My Art Activities are nothing serious or difficult...just fun, as well as hopefully helping you to sort out some issues. For example, making a mask is easy and fun but can change how a person reacts to you and to themselves.

Adults, once they realise that it doesn't matter if they feel they are making a fool of themselves, soon relax and forget they are playing with sand or making models with clay. Sometimes, l discover they were never allowed to play as children and so as soon as they realise they are in a "safe" place, they relax and have fun, drawing, getting messy with paint, squeezing playdough or just doodling with wax crayons.
Children are totally different to work with as far as making Art is concerned. I remember once hearing this story. A child was staying with her grandmother for the afternoon and asked why she was staying there? Granny told her that her mother had gone to an Art Lesson. The child looked surprised and relied, "Why? has she forgotten how to draw then"? Children can not understand that you have to learn how to draw, they just 'draw"! Great isn't it?!

Children tell you a lot about how they feel by their paintings. But you have to remember sometimes they just "draw"! I learnt this very early on, in my long career of working with children. Once l was working as a Nursery Nurse, in a family centre and was asked to pay special attention to a 5yr old boy, who was having trouble with divorcing parents and there was a suspicion he may also be, being abused. So l was looking at the painting he was painting, a large house, then quickly he painted it over with black panit. "Oh! Peter (not his real name) are you feeling sad?".."No, it is night time and l turned all the lights out"! Taught me a very good lesson....never to assume anything!Ha!

The after effects of a serious illness...in this case..a suspected heart attack!

Hi...it has been ages since l wrote this blog. There was a big reason....my husband's  heart attack and       all that involved!. If someone had told me how knocked for six l would be over it, l don't think l would have believed them. Now don't get me wrong..l was scared, frighten, worried and that was how l expected to feel, it was the reactions later on that surprised me. I have decided to write this very personal piece because l hope it may help others.

I was scared to let him out of my sight, followed him around the flat, lay awake at night making sure he was asleep and not dead! I put my life on hold and waited..for what? I was scared he would die and then what would l do? and how would l manage? I was worried he might have a stroke like his dad had and how would l cope? Overnight my happy, lovely, fun-loving man had become old! I didn't know how to react. You feel you can't talk too much to your grown up children, because they have their lives and you don't a) want to worry them too much; and b) you don't want to sound like a moaning minnie! I don't have many close friends really, as l have moved around all my life, and so l often found myself talking to complete strangers about my worries!!!! It is normally me that listens to other people's troubles.
I found the simplest thing difficult to do, l couldn't concentrate on anything. I have depression, which l mostly keep under control but that went haywire too.
Sleep..not good at the best of times..very difficult! I wanted to be strong for Tony and the children but didn't know how to be..very strange situation for me, to find myself in. Tony slept a lot and when he was awake, was often bad tempered and frustrated. He had retired a few weeks before and this was NOT what he had expected.
Also, to make matters worse, we had problems with the NHS. We had to go to PALS (patients help line really l suppose) in the end to get to see anyone about presribed, remedial treatment for Tony. All VERY taxing and totally unacceptable in my view. To put so much stress on a Heart patient is just so wrong, in fact any seriously ill patient and their family!
Eventually things were sorted out and Tony started back on the road to recovery..there lies another problem for me! He wanted to ride his bike...NO WAY! How would l know where he was, if he need help? I seemed to have forgotten the use of the mobile phone etc! I wouldn't go out shopping in case he had an attack while l was out..wouldn't go and see people for coffee or start work again..in case he needed me!!!
I had to find a way round my fears and start to let Tony live and restart my life! Not easy. We are managing it now. We know that the sleeps Tony has every afternoon will not be forever and as he gets stronger through biking and walking, his moods will improve. The important thing l, as the viewer, have to learn is this. Tony is now funtioning well and he has to exercise...moderately...to get fit again. The problem is what does moderately mean to a man, who, was taught in the Army to work till you drop and then push through it? We are getting there but it is not easy fot the partner, wife, parent or children of someone who is very ill. You are not ill but their illness affects you greatly and in some ways more than the person who is ill!
The image below is Tony now..in the pub garden, enjoying a pint (shandy), rather than red wine, as it was so hot..and, as usual, on his iPhone!!

 lynda x