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RichardbBrunner

~ creative arts therapist

RichardbBrunner

Category Archives: groups

Positive Traits Handout

23 Wednesday Nov 2022

Posted by RichardB in Addiction, Creative Therapy Tools, groups, Handout, positive

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handout, positive traits, Self Esteem

This handout is a quick way to start the conversation in groups. I have folks circle the 10 traits that they (think/feel) have. Than I ask them to put them in a numbered order (1 to 10), best to worst. One day someone suggested that they had way more negative traits so…. I started asking folks (after they shared the positive traits) to write their negative traits on the back and share.

Most of the people that I worked with for the last 10 years were men between 20 and 35. Most had started using intoxicants as teens with cannabis and moved onto oxie and later stronger opioids and/or fentanyl. Most had felony possession charges and/or were on probation.

I kept a lose record of what people chose as their top 3 positive traits: 1. Hardworking, 2. Reliable, 3. Strong. One last thing, I usually asked folks at the end of group would their loved ones and/or family (however they chose to define that) agree with their list of positive traits. Most said (hell) no.

Emotional Intelligence

03 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by RichardB in Awareness, creative, Emotional Intelligence, groups

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creative

I often work with groups using lists. In movement therapy as well as psychotherapy, educational and process oriented groups lists are a great structure for groups to explore thoughts, and/or feelings. Here is a list that often comes up in groups ten suggestions about feelings.

 

1. Become emotionally literate. Label your feelings, rather than labeling people or situations.

Use three word sentences beginning with “I feel”.

Start labeling feelings; stop labeling people & situations

“I feel impatient.” vs “This is ridiculous.” I feel hurt and bitter”. vs. “You are an insensitive jerk.”

“I feel afraid.” vs. “You are driving like an idiot.”

2. Distinguish between thoughts and feelings.

Thoughts: I feel like…& I feel as if…. & I feel that

Feelings: I feel: (feeling word)

3. Take more responsibility for your feelings.

“I feel jealous.” vs. “You are making me jealous.”

Analyze your own feelings rather than the action or motives of other people. msclip-210Let your feelings help you identify your unmet emotional needs.

4. Use your feelings to help make decisions

“How will I feel if I do this?” “How will I feel if I don’t?”

“How do I feel?” “What would help me feel better?”

Ask others “How do you feel?” and “What would help you feel better?”

5. Use feelings to set and achieve goals

– Set feeling goals. Think about how you want to feel or how you want others to feel. (your employees, your clients, your students, your children, your partner)

– Get feedback and track progress towards the feeling goals by periodically measuring feelings from 0-10. For example, ask clients, students, teenagers how much they feel respected from 0 to 10.

6. Feel energized, not angry.

Use what others call “anger” to help feel energized to take productive action.

7. Validate other people’s feelings.

Show empathy, understanding, and acceptance of other people’s feelings.

8. Use feelings to help show respect for others.

How will you feel if I do this? How will you feel if I don’t? Then listen and take their feelings into consideration.

9. Don’t advise, command, control, criticize, judge or lecture to others.

Instead, try to just listen with empathy and non-judgment.

10. Avoid people who invalidate you. While this is not always possible, at least try to spend less time with them, or try not to let them have psychological power over you.

VA arts program exhibit

28 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by RichardB in art, Art Therapy, groups

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VA

Recently visitors to Microsoft’s flagship Manhattan store got a glimpse into the world of the American Veteran. Through the Eyes of a Veteran—a digital showcase and panel discussion held in December—represented the exhibit of the same name still currently on display at Snug Harbor Cultural Center, in Staten Island. 10418493_10152339607873046_1744722119002800596_n

The Snug Harbor exhibit, features the works of about 75 Veteran artists originating from the Creative Arts Program at the VA New York Harbor Health Care System’s Brooklyn Campus.

Beryl Brenner, VA’s creative arts therapist for the creative arts program, and Snug Harbor’s director of performing arts, Larry Anderson, curated the exhibit.

Brenner, who has been introducing Veterans to the arts for 38 years—with 26 of those spent at VA—said the show at Snug Harbor “is a composite of years and years of work from the other shows they’ve done.”

Through the Eyes of a Veteran expresses a range of themes—from battling PTSD, to the different aspects of military environments both stateside and deployed—and also looks at Veterans through the lens of their individual portraits. MORE HERE

Rough Road/Path photos

04 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by RichardB in art, creative arts therapy, groups, photo set, Therapy

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creative arts therapy, Creativity, photo, recovery, therapy, wellness

I have been involved in facilitating groups for decades. One of the tools I use for groups of adults, teens, or children are photos. I use photos as a way for folks to become familiar and used to talking and sharing in a group. As a way to indirectly share something of themselves by talking about an image/photo. As a way to begin a conversation about larger issues or deeper issues.

One set of photos I use are Rough Road/Path photos with alcohol addicts and heroin addicts in the beginning of recovery. I spread the photos out on a table and ask the group (usually 10 to 15 men) to pick out one photo that represents their journey in the week or weeks before they came into rehab. Once everyone has chosen a photo I ask them to (one at a time) hold up the photo, describe the photo and why they chose it. The descriptions and stories they tell come from them, their experiences and begin the process of revealing a bit about their

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