Category Archives: creative process

Healing Though Expressive Arts

Healing through Expressive Arts By Sarah Engelskirchen-Bugler, MA, LMHC “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” This quote by Thomas Merton illustrates that art is a powerful tool not only for self-discovery but also for developing a profound sense of wonder, imagination, and creativity. For as long as humans […]

Soul Collage® for Therapists: A Powerful Method for Supervision

SoulCollage® is a creative and transformative process, in which you create your own personal deck of collaged cards, using your intuition and imagination. Seena Frost, a Marriage and Family Therapist in Watsonville, CA developed it by uniting her passions for spirituality, psychotherapy, and creativity. You can learn more about SoulCollage® at http://www.soulcollage.com. If you are already familiar with […]

Walking the Talk: An Interview with Training Program Alumna, Jessica Johnson

It was a joy to get to know clinical social worker and training program alumna, Jessica Johnson. She shared how she has been applying her learning experiences in the Professional Expressive Arts Therapy Training Program in her work as a therapist, and in her own life. Suzan: So when did you graduate from the training […]

The Journey to Becoming an Expressive Arts Therapist: An Interview with Cleopatra Bertelsen

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Cleopatra Bertelsen as my first of a series of interviews with current cohorts, or graduates of the NW Creative & Expressive Arts Professional Training Program. Here is what I learned from this vibrant, compassionate force in the field. By Suzan Alparslan Suzan:  First I’d like to just get […]

Musings on Neuroaesthetics, Creativity, and the Poetry of Being

By, Suzan Alparslan, MFA  Poetry is: words that are empowered to make your hair stand on end, that you realize instantly as being some form of subjective truth that has an objective reality to it, because somebody has realized it. Then you call it poetry later. ~ Allen Ginsberg It has been long established by […]

Reflections from a Graduate of Our Training Program

“As we tap into the deep sources of bodily wisdom through creative art expression, we dance the renewal, recreation, and healing of ourselves and our world.” This quote by Anna Halprin illustrates how creative expression not only helps to strengthen the body-mind connection but also aids in the process of our healing as individuals andas […]

Local Artist Spotlight: Rae Akino

Local Artist Spotlight: Rae Akino Our intern, Sophia Maggio, recently interviewed local Seattle Artist, Rae Akino, who tells stories through her art, and has found healing along the way.  SM: What brought you to art? RA: As a child I displayed interest as talent in drawing and crafts but was told that could never be […]

To Make Art is Human, To Create Divine.

I am privileged to work with so many wonderful people who come to the institute for workshops and trainings. They come because they are drawn to the concept and practice of using the expressive arts for healing, but not everyone starts out being comfortable engaging in the arts experiences. Offering a safe space to explore […]