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Using Creativity to Effectively Manage a Crisis
by Katie K. May
 “We are all broken and wounded in this world. Some choose to grow strong at the broken places.â€
~Harold J. Duarte-Bernhardt
Everyone has a creative side and you don’t need to be a skilled artist to engage in the arts. There are many ways to be creative including drawing, writing, playing an instrument, dancing, designing fashion, woodworking, knitting, cooking, coloring and painting. Using art as an outlet helps you to put your emotional energy into creativity rather than getting stuck in difficult emotions.
In Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), “Creative Outlet†is a skill that is taught to help participants manage a difficult situation or intense feeling. . . . DBT is about being mindful of the balance between extremes. In the case of using Creative Outlet, this is a crisis survival skill meant to be planned and temporary. This means it is important to mindfully take a break from the situation that is triggering extreme emotions and use your creative outlet to cope with distress and express difficult feelings in a healthy way. . .
» Read more
The Creative Outlet skill is part of the Distress Tolerance module in DBT. DBT includes four different modules including Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Beginning this September, Licensed Therapist, Katie K. May will offer a DBT Skills Group for High School Teens and a DBT Skills Group for young adults, ages 18 through 24.
» See more details
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Creative Ways to Play with Movement: Creating Your Own Movement Gallery
By Brittiney George, BS, CRS, CEIM
 A fun way to explore movement is to create your own Grab bag of Movement. Start by creating a list of all of the movements or activities that you enjoy doing, add in a few activities you would like to try, and maybe even some movements you have to do but tend to avoid (I put yardwork or cleaning in this category). Think of this list as your grab bag of activities, a way to playfully move every day. Once you have your list, now it is time to let your creative energy flow. It can be as simple as cutting up your lists into individual slips of paper, popping them in a bag, and choosing a new slip of paper/activity each day to try.
Another option is using paint pens or markers to put your activity names on glass beads, stones, wood, whatever object you would like and choose one daily. If you are drawn to images and color adding both to your activity ideas can help to bring energy and life to what might feel like routine movement. You can add color, fancy fonts, or doodles around the words on your list before you cut them up or pick images you love and paste them to cardboard and make movement card decks. Use any medium you want that makes it fun for you.
Below is an example by Brittiney George that uses mini canvases, modgepodge and printed images to create little pieces of movement art for each day. The options are endless. Think of what inspires you, and use that energy to create your own personal Grab Bag of Movement. Enjoy!
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Creating a Vision – and a Vision Board – for Your Life
by Elizabeth Venart
 As children, we naturally express ourselves through art, stories, and building imaginary worlds. We enjoy the process of creating. We are all born creative beings and our lives are outward manifestations of that innate creativity. We create our lives one moment, one decision, one day at a time. When we desire change, we are acknowledging our creative potential, our power to envision and move towards a new reality. Rather than write down a checklist of tasks we think will bring about the change, why not play our way there? Through visualization, we can access our deepest desires and dreams for the future.
A Vision Board makes the dreams more concrete, engages our playful spirit, and is usually a lot more fun than a list of “to do†items, “shouldsâ€, or “should nots.†A vision board is a collection of pictures, words, and images representing all that you desire in your ideal future—from specific things like a car, vacation, and massage to symbolic images like a calm lake for serenity and a picture of two people laughing for a healthy relationship. To create your vision board, gather old magazines, scissors, posterboard, and glue—then rip out words, pictures, and images that appeal to you.
The focus of your board can be very specific (my ideal relationship or my dream job) or more general (my ideal life in five years). As you place your words and images on the board, be sure to include a photo of yourself. Then, write the statement, “I deserve all this and better,†and sign and date this fabulous blueprint for your future. Hang it at eye level where you will see it daily, and you will find that your life begins to move closer to the vision you have created. To track all the miracles as they unfold, you may want to keep a journal or write positive observations and dates on the back of the board itself.
With a clear, creative vision in front of you, it is much easier to recognize evidence of the positive changes unfolding. Dream big, have fun, embrace your creative potential!
Learn More
Read this article that explains the reason vision boards really do work and provides more details for how to create one.
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Featured Program on Creativity
Teen Creative Fitness Boot Camp
Wednesday 8/12, 1 - 2 PM
You don’t have to be an artist to be creative! This teens-only fitness class will include creative movement exercises and team building activities to improve your physical and mental wellbeing. Teens of all fitness levels are welcome to join this motivating and fun workshop!
Please contact Katie K. May at 610-813-2575 or Katie@creativehealingphilly.com to register.
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Announcement
Stacey M. Vinci Joins The Resiliency Center!
 We are pleased to welcome Stacey M. Vinci, M.A., LMFT, to the community of practitioners at The Resiliency Center. Stacey is a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist who provides individual, family, and couples therapy to those struggling with mental health concerns and/or experiencing dissatisfaction with personal relationships, work, or school environments. Stacey specializes in working with adolescents and young adults and has a special interest in working with individuals struggling with issues related to sexuality and gender identity. She enjoys working with couples on resolving conflicts related to trust, communication and intimacy in their relationship.
She is eclectic in her use of techniques and interventions and integrates her background in family therapy with the use of Art, Narrative, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques. Additionally she has advanced training in Trauma Art Narrative Therapy and Trauma Focused-CBT. Her approach helps clients to identify strengths, practice positive thinking strategies, develop healthy coping skills and boundaries, and create a confident self-image. Focusing on the importance of both a healthy mind and body, she often engages clients in mindfulness exercises and relaxation skills. She works collaboratively with clients to develop meaningful goals for therapy and provides validation, support and encouragement throughout the therapeutic process.
Contact Stacey at 267-989-9113 or staceymvinci@gmail.com to learn more and schedule a free phone consultation.
» Read Stacey's Bio
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