Art Therapy

Art allows us to contact the unknown - helping us develop strengths and resources that may be out of reach otherwise. Art-based interventions are utilized to support accessing emotional states in healthy ways, assessing what may be a beneficial direction to head in therapy, and to provide a concrete image of the “felt sense” of a problem or a conflict. The arts can have the ability to move us deeply and engage our senses, acting as a vessel for insight, inspiration and change. The images that emerge from the art therapy process are not created with the intention of being aesthetically pleasing - rather, the goal of art making to access one’s inner world and emotions. Sometimes words are unable to service as an adequate way of processing our emotions, and that is where colors, shapes and lines can be beneficial in taking us deeper into our lived experiences. For more information on art therapy, feel free to check out the The American Art Therapy Association and/or the New Jersey Art Therapy Association.

Mindfulness-based Somatic Therapy

Mindfulness is the practice of bringing all of our awareness to the present moment. It heightens our awareness of our emotional, cognitive and physical experiences. When we practice mindfulness, we focus our attention on emotions, thoughts, sensations and the surrounding environment in an accepting and non-judgemental way. Somatic mindfulness creates mind-body integration. Mindfulness-based somatic therapy uses the felt-sense of the body to guide the counseling experience.

What is Somatic Experiencing?

Somatic Experiencing is a therapy that was developed by Peter Levine. He integrated principles derived from the understanding of our complex nervous system, mindfulness, and movement. The therapy offers a road map to understand how one gets caught in fight, flight, freeze or a collapse reaction and offers clinical tools to resolve these psychological states. Through this therapeutic process clients experience more embodied, developing more self-regulation, and more easily able to resource and find support, develop a flexible nervous system, and stop experiences of overwhelm. Over time, clients will experience a heightened sense of empowerment and increased capacity to be present and connect easily with others. You can learn more about Somatic Experience at The Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute.