Author Archives: Priya Senroy

When Arts, CBT and Trauma Decided to Form a Partnership

Posted by: Priya Senroy on July 16, 2015 11:52 am

Summer is fireading-767919_640nally here and I am excited about connecting my neurotransmitters with different evidence based practices so that I can inject different creative ideas combined with psychotherapeutic models.

So it’s time to go back to the virtual library and read voraciously. I came across these narrations: ” Jogging the Cogs: Trauma-Focused Art Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Sexually Abused Children” by Pifalo, T. (2007), and “Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association”, 24(4), 170-75; .

What I found interesting was the partnership of using creative art, trauma work and CBT. Even through it’s for a specific population, I am sure that it can be easily translated with any group as long as we understand the dynamic of the partnership. As I expand my tool box of activities and facilitation repertoire, I have come to realize that the modality of creative arts is flexible enough to absorb, modify and then deliver itself in a variety of ways using theories from different psychotherapeutic modalities. In my work using CBT, I often use worksheets as homework journaling thoughts and have found that words can sometimes be cumbersome and overwhelming for some. And I have been thinking on how to make it more accessible and interactive so that clients are not perturbed by the wordiness of the intervention. And that’s where creative arts come in as a value-added aspect of creative self-expression. When I use movement or a poetry or a piece of art or doodle as a way to record and translate the words into personal narratives, it seems to offer a channel for expression of experiences, and also supports the sensory-based understanding of how both the mind and body respond to anxiety and stress. And doodlefrom the book, I have gathered that art plus CBT plus trauma work have potential for bridging the gaps between the conscious and the unconscious. Pifalo who has conducted a number of research studies on trauma, using CBT and art therapy concludes the following:

“The visual nature of traumatic memory, the concrete graphic approach of art therapy, and the underlying structure of the cognitive behavioral approach create a powerful, efficient treatment model within which to achieve the goals of trauma focused therapy” (p.175).

By: Priya Senroy




*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Looking Inside My Cultural Fabric

Posted by: Priya Senroy on June 15, 2015 8:17 am
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I consider myself to be a global citizen…meaning plant me anywhere, I will assimilate and survive, I will grow my own roots, embrace the culture and thrive as a counsellor….I thought that all clients will seek my professional services and no one will discriminate me because of my accent, my skin color, my ethnicity , my age or how I dress myself in ethic wear…Well….on the contrary, I find myself targeted….by clients who want to come and see me only just because we look the same, we speak the same language and we know where we are coming from. It does not matter to them globe-673005_640that I am not an expert in what they are looking for….it’s my accent that comforts them, that assures them that they will be heard and not be marginalized. It’s a sense of belonging which is creating therapeutic space, a therapeutic relationship and ultimately helping the clients to deal with their concerns. So many times I am hearing in a diverse work culture, that what matters is your competency but that’s not the case, it’s about the cultural competence, it’s the connection. Even I see when I burst into the common mother tongue and explain the confidentiality or complex process. It s such an interesting time in my head, when I have to think in English and translate the essence in another language. For me being culturally diverse in my practice is more than just understanding the commonality, it’s about conveying the appropriate message within the context – sometimes translating emotional languages and words which do not exist in my clients. It’s also about recognizing and embracing my own (and sometimes inviting clients) into my cultural diaspora to make that connection.




*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Let’s Give Creativity a Break

Posted by: Priya Senroy on June 1, 2015 2:26 pm
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So it’s now June and half of the year is gone and I can feel that creative burnout smell and I better do something about it, or else, I will be spooning my whole summer with the crash and burn aftereffects. I am being more aware that I need to take care of myself so that I can take care of my practice and also encourage the importance of self care in my clients. As a creative arts therapist and counsellor I have decided to take myself out of feeling the need to be creative 100% and have decided to take a break from the traditional meaning of creativity, in different ways.

So here is one main tip that I have started to implement as I am beginning to prevent the dreaded emotional drain of batteries. ‘Take a break’ is my latest mantra and I have been sharing ideas with my colleagues, at workshops and with my clients and it’s amazing how many conversations are being generated around self care and self advocacy. A study by the University of Illinois has shown that the brain’s resources drop after a long period of focus, which hinders overall performance. Even a brief time away can restore the brain’s ability to think creatively.

So, here are 50 ways to take a break:

  1. Take a bath
  2. Listen to music
  3. Take a nap
  4. Go to a body of water
  5. Watch the clouds
  6. Watch the stars

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  7. Fly a kite
  8. Let out a sigh
  9. Rest your legs up on a wall
  10. Light a candle Continue reading →



*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Use of Creative Therapies in Treating Depression

Posted by: Priya Senroy on May 5, 2015 8:54 am
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As front-line counsellors, we spend a lot of our expertise with our clients and I think it’s important to share the successes with other practitioners too. Not only contributing via articles, journals and chapters adds to the CEC piece but it also helps to stay abreast of the current trends, researchers and best practices in our fields.

This spring has been a exciting time for me as a counsellor from a professional development point of view. I have been working on 2 chapters for some time and it’s exciting to see they have been published. Use of Creative Therapies in Treating Depression, edited by Stephanie Brooke and Charles Myers is a comprehensive work that examines the use of art, play, music, dance/movement, drama, and animals as creative approaches to treating depression.lg9780398081485

The book can be viewed at http://www.ccthomas.com/details.cfm?P_ISBN13=9780398081485

The editors’ primary purpose is to examine treatment approaches, which cover the broad spectrum of the creative art therapies and the reader is provided with a snapshot of how these various creative art therapies are used to treat children and adults diagnosed with depression.  The book is extremely resourceful, insightful and draws from evidence based practice and research.  I had the honor of sharing my work in the form of a case study using masks and the sesame approach of drama therapy with South Asian women recovering from depression.

So my encouragement to my fellow counsellors would be to please share your work with a broader audience and take up writing and contributing. The labor is worth it when you see your work being published and used as references. It is also worth it to know that the work, the client groups and the career we have chosen are validated.




*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Tribute to Creative Art Practitioners Around the World

Posted by: Priya Senroy on May 1, 2015 8:47 am
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I am very optimistic that I will soon see a plethora of greenery outside my window even though Spring has been illusive in my garden. The buds, the birds and the weeds are finally getting out of their hibernation and my energy is getting renewed as I am planning my next steps in my work.

This month has been catastrophic in many parts of the worlds, especially in Nepal and it has resonated deeply as it’s a place that I have visited many times and when the tremors were felt as far as in India, it struck more as that’s where home is.

A part of me wants to jump on the next flight and join many organizations including Art therapy Without Borders to be part of the humanitarian work and use my skills for a cause which is beyond words for many.

I have done work with some PTSD but not directly been involved as other practitioners have during the deadly hurricanes, tsunamis or like the recent earthquake. When we talk about using creative arts or even counselling in such a broad spectrum, it’s important I think to remember the ways art can be used when words are not enough. It can be used as a compliment to assessment, to recovery, to healing. This is the time when creative arts can be transcultural, transformative and transnational, something that is advocated by Art Therapy Without Borders. Since I started practicing as a creative arts therapist in 1995, I have always been amazed by the flexibility, the adaptability, the ability to connect and the diversity of this field. Not only is the cultural and diverse fabric of the field is enriched by those who practice it , it’s the client group, it’s the techniques and it’s the materials which are constantly changing and adding to this melting pot of creativity.

This blog is a salute, a tribute and a standing ovation to the field, to the practitioners and to the world out there who believe in the power of creative art.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Diversity

Posted by: Priya Senroy on March 31, 2015 9:12 am
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When we talk about diversity in our counseling practice, I think it’s not just working with diverse culture or diverse population but it’s also having an understanding of the cultural diversity of the materials we choose to use. Whether it’s a piece of fabric, a story or even an activity, each has its own unique characteristic; its unique symbolism and its unique healing purpose. latin americaDiversity is also found in some of the cultural rituals that we celebrate. I find that spring is one of the times when there are many such rituals take place. For me, spring is one of the strangest season and time of the year. While it is a time for birthdays, celebrating cultural New Year, anticipation of what am I going to plan in my vegetable patch, it is also a time to mark anniversaries of heartbreaks. It is during this time that I also get to go back to reading one of my favorite books by Clarissa Pinkola Este: “Women Who Run with the Wolves”. In one of her chapters, she mentions a grief exercise called “Descansos”,  which is basically markers of the changes, the turning points, the deaths (literal and figurative) in one’s life.  She says, “Descansos are symbols that mark a death. Right there, right on that spot, someone’s journey in life halted unexpectedly. There has been a car accident, or someone was walking along the road and died of heat exhaustion, or a fight took place there. Something happened there that altered that person’s life and the lives of other persons forever.”

I have been creating my own Descansos at various life transition events as they can also be seen, metaphorically, as crossroads where choices need to be made.

My background is not from Latin America where Descanos are the roadside shrines that mark the memory where an accident claimed a life. I can, however, relate to the archetypical images and the symbols and what Jung shares as a part of the collective unconscious. For me working with images from diverse cultures helps me to feel connected not only to the materials but also to the psyche of the experiencing the knowledge of the client and the community.




*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Community Art Therapy

Posted by: Priya Senroy on March 27, 2015 12:00 pm
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day-of-the-dead-568012_640Happy Spring everyone!!!

I can smell, it, see it, touch it…but I can’t feel it in the recent chill spell….yet I am optimistic that “it” is just round the corner…. And the only place where I can see the effects of seasonal changes are in my backyard. The white is getting replaced by brown and yellow shades, the dark browns are slowly turning color and the dead are rising again. Very metaphoric especially with Easter round the corner.

Speaking of death, I saw an interesting show on the television about a well known Mexican holiday called Los Dias de los Muertos. It is held on November 1st and November 2nd. The displays and the showcasing that were shown were seriously a sensory overload. Men and women decorate breads, paper cutouts, dancing skeletons, and sugar skull candies. Artistically crafted caskets and altars are usually displayed in the community to honor the dead.

Continue reading →




*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Rejection Risk Awareness

Posted by: Priya Senroy on March 12, 2015 12:16 pm
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February 2015 is a month of many celebration-cultural, mythical and social. I attended an event organized by a local youth group on deconstructing February and demystifying valentine day. I found the concept fascinating and learned that certain days in February are surrounded by folklore, such as the 16th, which supposedly is the day of the Devil’s Dance. On this day, a sorcerer of Tibet was called upon to exorcise demons and evil spirits from the local population. Those Aquarius’s born on this day are said to posses great courage as a result. On the 12th of the month, Diana, the Roman goddess of hunt, was said to spread her protection from the forests near Aricia (her shrine) to all over the world. The event which was held the week prior to Valentine’s Day is called “National Dump Your Significant Jerk Week”, so that one may get rid of their own bad relationship and have a new Valentine. February 7 – 14 is “Rejection Risk Awareness Week”, to raise awareness of social rejection through dating. Apparently this event was founded by syndicated advice columnist Harlen Cohen, to help people know that they are not alone when being rejected for love. R.A.W. is not about getting rejected. It’s about overcoming the fear of rejection and taking the risk that leads to love.

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I have used this concept of Rejection Risk Awareness with my youth group from various diverse backgrounds and cultural groups and find that no matter what the language of love is in no matter how many languages, effects of rejection can be spoken under one universal language and when this rejection is addressed as a group and proceed as a group, the healing is more powerful than celebrating love. So as we celebrate February as a month of mystery, mythology, and romance, lets get our fill of all three before its short span is over with.




*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Happy February!!!

Posted by: Priya Senroy on March 11, 2015 2:05 pm
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Canada has been frigid, its cities and towns had to be dug out couple of times and no one cares what the ground hog thinks!!!!! Nothing seems to warm the cockles of the heart- except perhaps the love and the despairs which might have poured in and around Valentine ’s Day. I seem to see an upsurge of clients reaching out to remember their broken hearts than to celebrate them. I am nota bird-638112_640grief therapist but have enough life experience to be able to share the broken heart dialogue and like many of my client ,from time to time  also have delved into some deep soul searching reflections as they dig up lost loves and bury them at the same time. Like any other physical ailment which might require a specialist, when one faces loss of any complexity from minor to profound, one needs a skilled counsellor to help navigate the way through, and eventually out of, the deep abyss that is left in the path of most critical of all wounds….that of a broken heart. I read somewhere that the application of Creative Arts Therapy is as broad as is human suffering. The creative gift is a healing gift – a natural and gentle way of restoring broken hearts. Our confidence in this medium is based on its universality and creativity.. The arts form an essential element of our experience. People all over the world tell stories, dance and act, sing and draw. This medium combines the innate capacity for creative expression with a variety of psychological theoretical models from around the world. So true and as I continue to use this medium to self heal and self counsel, I find its reach having profound effects on my clients, so yes the heart is broken but from the fire rises the phoenix and from the broken heart , the despair and the pain rises the transformation and the choice to change things for good.




*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Setting Goals

Posted by: Priya Senroy on January 19, 2015 11:27 am
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We all set goals and if nothing else make resolutions every year and there were many ideas and reflections I have come across in these past few weeks. My resolution is to be more of myself and be less of what others want me to be and my goals are to explore myself….. One of the areas I feel I want to be more of myself is in the department of creative-not only for my clients but for me-I just want to do something, make something, create something which will lead me to explore myself more and while doing so, I want my C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E. goals to be  Challenging  Recorded Explicit Affirmative Time-based Inspiring Valuable & Enjoyable! I came across this concept in a blog (http://mikemonday.com/become-excited-by-your-creative-goals-html/)

I have started using this with my clients and have found that this to be an alternate to S.M.A.R.T this also helps with making a personal vision board for someone starting fresh.

I am also finding myself shepparding my clients into areas of the art world, to incorporate more of the art and culture vocabulary in their goals setting repertoire. I am also encouraging them to set goals using the creative medium so either sing it, or draw it or write it in a poem format, blog, instagram or even pinterest them.

So as I am on the journey to explore more of me I think I need to explore the whole rainbow instead of using the monochromatic lens to set my goals.

Happy Goal Setting everyone!!!!




*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA