Sometimes it takes a blow torch to fix what's broken.
During the Women's Circle of Creativity, Healing and Art Therapy it could take putting a paint brush to canvass, a hack saw to a super hero doll or a blow torch to pretty much anything else to get to where a woman needs to be in her healing process.
The eight-week program of self-care, learning, sharing and ARTifying started Sunday at the University of Northern B.C. This will be the sixth session offered in partnership with the Northern Women's Centre.
There's no art background needed, just a willingness to explore a variety of art forms during the quest to heal the soul, purge the pain, and renew the spirit under the guidance of facilitator Si Transken, who has taught social work and gender studies for 16 years at UNBC, is a registered social worker and is now completing her training as an art therapist at the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute.
"One of the core things in social work is to never do harm," said Transken. "Never lead people anywhere they didn't want to go. So when people get to a certain point in art therapy it's not my burden to tell them where to go, it's my burden to ask them where they want to go - does it feel like red paint? Green paint? Do you want a hack saw? I have a torch. It's organic and I facilitate and nudge and encourage with what they've already said is their best direction. So I never, ever have to fear that someone is going to leave here feeling overwhelmed or over wrought."
Shelly LeBreton, a new social worker who works with the Northern Women's Centre, has taken the art therapy session with Transken twice so far.
"Your life changes with education and the power around it and understanding that the stuff that's out of your control - the system stuff that you don't have as much influence over - and putting your feelings about it there (on the canvass) really helped me step back from some of the agony I was in and during the whole art therapy process I didn't even know what I was creating in the moment I was creating it," said LeBreton. "In social work we always talk about having faith in the process because the end result will be true."
LeBreton said she has had great results from the art therapy.
"I have had therapeutic results, I have had self-care results and I have had just-playing-with-glitter results, too," said LeBreton, who is a victim of sexual violence. "I have walked in being a total mess and after the three hours walked away from it being OK. The freedom that comes at the end of it is amazing."
LeBreton said she learns from the other participants, too.
"I like hearing other people's stories because it normalizes mine," said LeBreton. "I also see how they cope and then I get to add to my tool kit of coping skills. The first time I experienced the art therapy one of the littlest things that made me feel the best was that I didn't have to set it up, tear it down or clean it up. I do all of that in so many other areas of my life it was just nice to come here relax and purge and when I left I just felt all that energy that you can take into your next place - sometimes that will last a few hours, sometimes that can last the whole week."
The session starts with participants coming together for an hour-long talk about how the week was, sharing goals, and what some of the past and present aspects are that need to be processed, changed or healed. This is done in a circle of chairs and blankets, cuddly stuffed animals and art on the walls.
"So it's very snuggly," said Transken. "Then after about an hour we go to the art room and make art and then we reconvene to talk for another half hour or an hour again."
Some issues that come up during the group sessions include things like loss and grief, marital issues, and trauma due to sexual violence.
During the sessions, participants are not asked for details when they share.
"So people will say 'I had a bad thing happen' and we discuss how they feel about the bad thing," said Transken. "'I feel sad, I feel lonely, I feel misunderstood and I feel lost,' is a response we get but they don't even have to ever say what it was or when it happened and if they choose not to say anything specific no one will know. So you can be in the circle and feel really safe."
But at the same time, it's a safe place to share it all, too, said Sarah Boyd of the Northern Women's Centre.
"If people do share that's OK, too," said Boyd, who has participated in the art therapy sessions. "It's all confidential and there's that space to bare our souls if we need it."
Nothing is ever the wrong thing to do during the sessions.
"Some people like to come here to play with glitter and sparkles and get away from their kids on a Sunday," said LeBreton. "Some people come for the therapeutic piece. I have engaged in all levels. I have found the therapy has been really great, you can purge, you can let go. Even start a piece and get half way through it and you realize you don't have to think about this no more and go and start another one. And in terms of the therapy, networking with a doctor - it doesn't get a lot better than that."
To make the Women's Circle of Creativity, Healing and Art Therapy accessible to everyone there are options for payment of the $200 fee. People who can pay the fee are welcome to do so to ensure the self-sustaining program continues. If a participant does not have the money there is an opportunity to volunteer at the Northern Women's Centre for 10 hours, doing tasks they are comfortable doing.
The Northern Women's Centre is always looking for donations of supplies, including traditional art supplies, broken toys, broken jewelry, broken mirrors, broken dishes, wall paper, old books, magazines, cards, small trinket boxes, shells, yarn, masks, dowling, wrapping paper, and anything else people would like to donate that can contribute to making unique art.
For further information call Boyd at 250-960-5632 or e-mail her at [email protected].
