Story is our way home

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Story is our way home (Brené Brown)

The shame box

Across time and contexts shaming and humiliation have been used to break people’s will, gain power over them, render them more obedient, silence them, define who they become and so on. Shame and fear are inextricably linked and are both deeply connected to trauma. However, shame does not only reside in people who have experienced big T traumas, it is a universal emotion or experience; everyone has it or has some. Everyone has been shamed or has been made to feel inadequate, and everyone is probably familiar with the debilitating thoughts and physical sensations that are part of the packet of shame.  Read more

Boundaries

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In the absence of healthy boundaries there is bound to be suffering and loss……

You may like to watch Brené Brown’s short film Boundaries at http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/boundaries

Shame resides in a cave….

Another interesting video by Brené Brown on shame, guilt, humiliation and embarrassment is also available at https://catalog.pesi.com/sq/rh_001195_brenebrown_email-15324?utm_medium….

In this video she discerns between the four, discusses various aspects of shame and our strategies to defend from shame, how shame is not discussed in our culture, as well as, how debilitating it can be, how often those closest to us, like our siblings for instance, may be the ones who can shame or humiliate us the most, etc.

Lost in translation

In the last few posts I have referred to recurring themes in trauma survivors’ experience, such as the numerous health issues or auto immune conditions many suffer from; however, another common experience that runs like a thread through their lives is the difficulty of setting healthy boundaries and saying ‘No’.

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The art therapist’s third hand….

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Scan512The art process, the products and stories

‘Edith Kramer believed that ultimately “art tells the truth” and it is a truth worth exploring in every waking moment of one’s life’ (Cathy Malchiodi, 2014, psychologytoday.com)

‘Art-making is a psychomotor experience, involving vision, touch and movement. It is a hands-on-activity, which may include activities like drawing, painting, touching, arranging or sticking material and images, sculpting, building and mounting, and it generates tangible products. These products can be reflected upon, stored as a document, admired or discarded and apart from the therapeutic potential of the process of making art, in and of itself, the products themselves become containers of memories or emotional experience and play a significant role in helping one achieve deeper understanding, discern recurring themes and patterns, and connect events, and ultimately, transform the trauma or experience and create new meaning. The products can additionally be used to share experience or communicate information to others’ (Tonya Alexandri, 2013).

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Also, enjoy a snippet of Brené Brown’s work in the short film STORY IS LOVE at http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/story-is-love