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Dissociative Identity Disorder

While doing some wordpress searching for new and interesting blogs, I came across a wonderful blog by Secret Shadows who explores her life as an individual with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Her blog includes thoughts, songs, poetry, letters to her therapist as well as artwork created during art therapy sessions. She also has a list of relaxing things to do on the internet, many of which include art making techniques.

I find that being reminded of what it’s like to be on the other side of the couch, or paintbrush, is a powerful and useful tool for therapists. Also, as a person who would like to learn as much as possible about trauma, its effects and techniques for enabling the healing process, this blog is invaluable. Thank you for allowing us a window into your inner life, Secret Shadows.

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Bad Memories, Anxiety- A thing of the past?

Could popping a pill get rid of a phobia or help reduce PTSD reactions? Maybe one day.

A new drug that may reduce the anxiety associated with bad memories was tested on undergraduate students in Holland with some preliminary success. The drug seems to undo the effects of a Pavlovian learned response, where pictures of spiders were linked to an electrical shock. The article was published in the Feb. 15 advance online issue of Nature Neuroscience, and a summary can be viewed here.

The way I understand this, the drug helps your neurons make new associations with a stimuli or a memory that already has emotions attached to it, and that you would need to be thinking, talking or drawing about the memory/stimuli in order to access it to change it.

According to Dr. Bruce Perry, unlearning something that has been wired into our neuro-circuitry takes thousands of novel experiences to counteract the original association (unlearning). This is a difficult if not impossible undertaking- think of trying to unlearn how to ride a bike- which is why therapists try to help people learn new associations to challenge and hopefully override the old ones within the safety of the therapeutic relationship. In addition, Dr. Perry talks about how one may grow new neurons that tend to be used over the old ones, but that under times of stress it’s that older neurons that are usually accessed. This implies that when we’re stressed we’re more likely to regress and go back to a past behavior, emotional reaction, etc.

The idea of a drug that would help old neurons associated with a memory and an emotion be reorganizable could have profound effects on efficacy of treatment and overall quality of life. I also wonder if there would be negative effects that could not be anticipated. It’ll be interesting to see if this drug or similar ones are developed any further, since this research is preliminary.

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Laser Tag

Using your computer, Laser Tag 2.0 software, a projector, a laser pointer and a web cam you can tag or draw on your walls impermanently (i.e. in your home or office).

Graffiti Research Lab discovered this, and developed the project so that using more complex tools you can actually temporarily draw on large outdoor structures, such as high rise buildings. With the software available through Graffiti Research Lab, you can create variations in color and also the way the “paint” reacts, such as, how much it will drip.

Check out the video posted bellow for an example. Also, here’s a link explaining how to pull off the large scale building painting project.

I was thinking, how much fun would it be to incorporate this within an art therapy group or individual session? Its similar to a Buddha Board but on a larger scale, and perhaps more palatable for contemporary urban youth clientele.

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Graffiti Art Therapy

What does tagging, bombing and writing have to do with art therapy? A whole lot, according to Abdallah Ezekiel Rothman LPC, ATR…especially if you work with adolescents.

In 2004, Ezekiel wrote his thesis on the topic of Graffiti Art Therapy while studying at Antioch University in Seattle. His thesis includes two parts- a written research portion and a 20 minute documentary, which can be seen in full at http://www.graffitiverite.com/graffitiartTherapy.htm. Ezekiel also has his own website where his research is posted, although only a clip of the documentary is available here. I find Ezekiel’s website an easier read than the graffitiverite site due to the way the website was formatted and designed.

If this all seems familiar, it may be because Ezekiel presented his video at the 2008 AATA conference in Cleveland. He also is an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Art Therapy program and will be teaching a class titled “Graffiti Art Therapy” this summer.

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It got me again.

I’m freshly out of the hospital from a brief surgery stint, due to an abscess/fistula combo that came about from Crohn’s disease. I’m doing well, thank you for asking and I should be back to work in no time.

Its been almost 8 years since I needed to be hospitalized, and I was surprised by how the memories of past hospitalizations (which were traumatic for various reasons) came back to me…with a vengeance. It made me realize- I mean, really realize…not in the way you would take in information from reading and think about it, but from actual experience- how traumatic memories can be triggered, and how they can become bothersome once again if a similar situation arises later in one’s life. This is probably something that happens to many people with chronic illnesses, but I don’t know for sure since I tend to avoid any research on the subject…it just hits too close to home.

Although I was not feeling up to creating artwork during this incident, I did notice there were some symbols that popped into my head, that I’ll probably make artwork about in the future. A recurring fantasy is that somehow my muscles will give way, causing everything to spill out, and I’d be left a lump on the floor. Also, being cut and sewn up from surgery causes me to feel sort of Frankenstein-ish, and some of my past artwork reflects that.

When the new pieces come, I will be sure to put them up on the artwork page.

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LPC + California = Long Overdue!

My new years resolution is to do everything I can to help promote the legislative issues surrounding the LPC and its passing in the State Senate. This is extremely important to me because I was not educated in California, and therefore do not have the required degree to become licensed in this state. Currently, Social Workers, Associate Clinical Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists are able to be licensed in California. California is the last state not to have the LPC license.

The purpose of having an LPC license is not to take away jobs from the LCSWs or the MFTs, but to protect the rights of clients and regulate counselors that are not currently licensed by the state. The LPC license would help monitor and standardize the ethics, quality of care and level of expertise of the mental health professionals in the State of California. The LPC standards set up by the California Coalition for Councelor Licensure parallel the LCSW and MFT license requirements in the state of California.

For various reasons, I cannot simply take the few extra courses that it would take for me to parallel my MA degree in Creative Arts in Therapy from Drexel University with the technical requirements for a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy or Social Work. If the LPC does not pass I will have no choice but to go back to school, which is both an expensive and frustrating prospect- especially because the courses that I already completed with my current MA may not be recognized by other Universities. Higher educational institutions are notorious for forcing students to retake classes they’ve already taken…anyone who has tried to transfer credits from one school to another knows this all too well.

So…what to do? Check out the NorCATA website, specifically the legislative issues page. Here, you will find information about what happened last year to the LPC bill and who to contact/how to help this year. I know last year I received many emails asking me to print out and fax letters to my congressman/woman to support the bill. With the renewal of my NorCATA membership this year I also provided a donation to the cause.

Every little bit helps…even words of support by art therapists in other states who are not facing this issue.

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Thinking of becoming an Art Therapist?

With the new year comes resolutions…and maybe your resolution is to go back to school. Perhaps you are in the middle of your studies and are trying to figure out the career path for you.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has an extensive overview of the art therapy profession, along with some of the educational requirements for practicing, salary expectation, as well as an interview with Megan Robb ATR-BC, LPC, who works for the NIH.

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Board Exams

I’m beginning to think about the art therapy board exams. I’m probably about a year away from being eligible to take them, and I’m beginning to wonder about what I need to do to prepare myself. When I checked on the Art Therapy Credentials Board website, they have a list of suggested reading and a few example questions, but that’s about all the advise/guidance I was able to find on preparation for the exam.

I will certainly be discussing this in supervision with the ATR-BC that I work with, but I was wondering dear readers, if anyone has advice, suggestions or words of wisdom for me? This would be greatly appreciated!