Pamela G. Malkoff Hayes – Art Therapy Interventions for Anxiety, Chronic Pain and Addictions

Art Therapy Interventions for Anxiety, Chronic Pain and Addictions – Pamela G. Malkoff Hayes

Are you looking for new ways to help your clients combat negative self-talk to push through fears and anxiety, and turn away from self-destructive isolating behaviors?

Watch Pamela Malkoff Hayes, MFT, ART-BC, in this experiential course to fill up your therapeutic toolbox with new and unique art interventions that will stop catastrophizing thoughts and negative self- talk. Experience how evidence-based treatments will help your clients learn to tolerate frustration, and sit with uncomfortable feelings, without the immediate need to self-medicate.

Discover how combining art therapy with CBT, positive psychology and mindfulness helps to delay immediate gratification, look at the world differently, process fears, accept imperfection and let go of past anger and hurt.

Case studies, art experientials, demonstrations and interactive discussions will be utilized in this cutting-edge course to:

• Encourage thinking outside the box using materials in a new way
• Help clients look at how external influences affect them
• Set aside ego-based reactions and replace those with thoughtful responses

The powerful art interventions taught in this recording will help your clients transform their emotional response to past trauma, problem solve, change their perspective, and move toward a place of acceptance and gratitude.

1. Implement more than 3 dozen specific art techniques that will enhance the treatment of people suffering from anxiety, depression, chronic pain and addictions.
2. Acquire skills and understanding of how to effectively combine art and traditional talk therapy in both group and individual counseling sessions.
3. Examine how the art techniques can help our clients learn to tolerate frustration, sit with uncomfortable feelings, and stop those catastrophizing thoughts.
4. Experience, first hand, how art can provide a sense of calm, mindfulness, and gratitude for life.
5. Building new skills through the art process to combat negative self talk to push through fears and anxiety, instead of turning to other self-destructive behavior (IE: drugs, food, sex or isolation)
6. Combine art interventions with classic CBT skills and change the thought process to transform the lives of our clients.
7. Connect the science behind the changes that occur in our brains when engaged in creative activities.

ART THERAPY – WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN’T

• History of Art Therapy and the Multiple Ways it is Applied
• Engaging in art changes our emotional response to memories of trauma
• Case studies including: Female understands herself and her relationship more clearly after completing and talking about a drawing
• Art participation: bypass fears of perfectionism and the “I can’t draw” voice

ART THERAPY FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Create new neural pathways for trauma related anxiety, PTSD and/or depression

• CBT, Positive Psychology Separating physiological sensations from fears that cause panic attacks
• Externalize and contain fears
• Stopping the automatic negative thoughts (ANTs)
• Art techniques to practice mindfulness and focus
• Challenge and change catastrophizing thoughts
• Case studies including: College student struggling with generalized anxiety
• Art Participation: Technique to express, face and destroy fears

ART THERAPY FOR CHRONIC PAIN

Create a sense of mindfulness, distraction and integration for physical and emotional pain

• Address chronic pain with understanding and provide hope
• Listening to the pain without it defining you
• Case studies including: An adult male with severe back pain
• Art experiential: Opportunity to express and release pain, and build something new out of it

ART THERAPY WITH ADDICTIONS

Techniques to tolerate frustration and uncomfortable feelings

• Examples of self-destructive behaviors in addictions
• Dangers of automatic negative thought processing Interrupt and discourage avoidance and escape
• Case studies including: Groups in drug treatment center
• Art participation: Address fear of making mistakes and allow for trying new things – encourages individual creativity within a safe structure

CHANGE PERSPECTIVES AND MOVE TOWARD OVERALL MENTAL WELLNESS

• Rebuild a new belief system combining CBT, Positive Psychology, Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness, Meditation and Art Therapy
• Recognize holding onto past hurt and anger and learning to let go
• Examples of living a life of gratitude
• Case studies including: Clients learning to release and transform fears into hope
• Art Participation: create a gratitude tree
• Practice mindfulness, acceptance, and letting go of unrealistic expectations
• Art Therapy techniques to help set aside ego fueled thoughts and behaviors and increase a connection to others
• Current research and limitations reviewed