The Hero’s Journey:
Confronting the Challenges of Living in our Stress-filled World
Ellen Speert ATR-BC, REAT
Our clients are heroes, confronting private demons, societal pressures and social injustices. As therapists, we also are heroes as we accompany them into the darkness. The more deeply we are willing to examine our own struggles, the more effective we can become as allies on their journey.
This 3-part presentation will offer the audience the opportunity to experience:
1. the therapeutic journey of one art therapy client as she descended into the depths of her trauma and came through it to become an empowered activist,
2. the journey of an art therapist confronting her own contemporary personal/political/environmental struggles, and
3. the opportunity for the audience members to explore a personal heroic journey through a brief writing exercise.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Participants will be able to name at least 3 stages in the Hero’s Journey process and be able to correlate them with the therapeutic journey.
2. Participants will be able to match art media choices with the stages of trauma recovery.
3. Participant will be able to identify at least one heroic encounter in her/his own life.
Ellen Speert, ATR-BC, REAT is Director of the California Center for Creative Renewal. She is a founding member and past president of the San Diego Art Therapy Association. She is an internationally known writer and lecturer, teaching and presenting workshops in Switzerland, Germany, France, Canada, Peru, Denmark, England and throughout the US. She has served as consultant in many clinical settings including UCSD Medical Center, San Diego Hospice and Grossmont Hospice.
Ellen has provided corporate retreats and trainings for many San Diego organizations. She has been in private practice in San Diego since 1981, providing creative renewal to adults, children and families. Her healing gardens have now become a retreat center for creativity, staff development and conflict resolution for communities and corporations throughout the San Diego area.
This event is open to the public and free of charge.