Coloring Mandalas for Meditation

In the Coloring Mandalas for Meditation group, during the first session, I had all the group members make a list of positive feelings. I then had one member choose a feeling from all the lists, and then each member chose a Mandala to color based on that feeling. It was interesting because one sex offender had a hard time even identifying any positive feelings. One felt that his list of 7 feelings was complete even though I said they could continue adding to their list. Eventually, I hope the group members will be able to talk more about their feelings and how they can experience more positive feelings in their lives. In the meantime, maybe just meditating on a positive feeling for the duration of the group will be helpful.

Good Lives Model

The facility where I work is transitioning to start using the Good Lives Model in our sex offender treatment. In a few weeks, I'm bringing back a group we used to run called Coloring Mandalas for Meditation. This will fit with one of the goods referred to as Peace of Mind or Inner Peace. Coloring mandalas can be focusing and calming. In addition, creating mandalas can help relieve stress and reduce pain. Hopefully, the group members can use this activity as a healthy coping skill, and improve the quality of their lives.

Scribble Drawing

During a recent Supervision, I had everyone do a scribble drawing and then find an image in the scribble. This is a good exercise to bring up unconscious feelings. One Art Therapist saw a particularly trying patient. Another saw a chaos spewing dragon, and another saw herself being overwhelmed by chaos. It was a good opportunity to vent about the week and get support from peers.

Two Hands Directive

During supervision, one Art Therapist had a good directive. She had everyone trace their hands, and then on one hand write all the negative things that happened during the week. On the other hand, everyone wrote positive things that happened during the week. This was a good way to have some balance, and vent as well as appreciate some good things. This is also a good directive to use in groups.

Valentine

For Valentine's Day, I made my husband a coupon book using art journaling techniques. I used an old note pad, and created various images on each page using collage images, glitter, and other craft items. It was a nice way to be creative and make a meaningful Valentine.

Artist Trading Cards

I was reading an article in a kids' crafts magazine about Artist Trading Cards. For a recent Art Therapy supervision, I had everyone make a card based on how they were feeling at the time or what was going on at the time with them. I think this could be used as a directive in Art Therapy groups, especially with kids or teens. The two rules for Artist Trading Cards are that they must be 2.5" x 3.5" and they can only be traded, not sold. I made my own blank cards using bristol board. You can buy baseball card sleeves to hold them. Check out the website www.atcsforall.com for more info.

Paint Chip Directive

This directive can be used in groups, supervision, or your own altered art/journal. I used it during Art Therapy supervision, and asked everyone to choose a color from one of the paint chips that I had gotten from the hardware store. You can choose based on the color or the name of the color, depending how you feel at the moment. Then, everyone created an image based on the color they chose. Some were abstract, others were more literal. This can be a creative way to express current feelings or past memories.