October Newsletter
Good Afternoon,
As spring begins to arrive with warmth and new energy, I welcome you to the October edition of the ITT Newsletter. In this edition, I’m happy to share a collection of insights and resources to support and hopefully inspire your professional journey. It's the perfect season to revitalise your practice, reflect, and embrace growth.
So, grab a cup of tea, and take a moment to explore these offerings.
Warm regards, Tania
What's Happening at ITT
Bimonthly Peer Supervision Offering:
This initiative aims to provide a platform for professionals to engage in mutual learning and support, enhancing their clinical skills and therapeutic understanding. More details on the structure, dates, and how to participate can be found on our clinical supervision page.
Program here and scroll down a bit.
Dates
Oct 4th - Online Group Supervision
Nov 6th - In Person Group Supervision
Participants of the group supervision groups have been sharing the unique value they have gained by being part of this group.
The value of art making as a way of knowing and understanding continues to amaze practitioners. We can often forget it’s power and quality if we don’t engage in it ourselves which is easy enough when we are the ones offering to others in our work. Keep creative and making art for your wellbeing and nourishment.
Professional Development:
Look out for the next Professional Development offering coming in November, Using Art therapy to explore Shame: Understand how Shame presents in the nervous system, its function and how to support repair.
Date: Friday Nov 15th 12-4pm
Please register your interest by emailing info@integratedtraumatherapy.com.au with subject title: PD Shame Nov 2024
For more info about the PD head to:
https://www.integratedtraumatherapy.com.au/pds-and-workshops
When I learnt about shame, I began to notice how often it turns up in my work with clients. It can be very subtle and present in so many different ways. I felt a need to share this by creating a PD for practitioners to help clients recovery from its damaging impacts on us and our bodies.
This workshop will delve into the manifestations of shame within the nervous system, distinguishing between toxic traumatic shame and healthy shame. Utilising frameworks like Somatic Experiencing and Polyvagal Theory, the session will explore the therapeutic power of art in understanding and facilitating the repair of shame-related issues. It's an essential opportunity for professionals working with complex trauma, addiction recovery, and more.
You can Book Here
Art Therapy Offerings at the Creative C:
We are pleased to invite you and your clients to participate in our diverse range of creative offerings at Creative C. Our programs are designed to cater to various needs, from art making and skill development to art therapy workshops focused on insight and self-reflection. Here are our upcoming workshops for October and November:
Oct 13th: Sprit dolls dye needle felting
Nov 29th: Image to symbol- expressive play with collage
Join us to explore these enriching experiences and advance your creative journey.
Community Corner
Mental Health Month: 'Meaningful Connections Matter".
Every year, October is packed with the energy of Mental Health Month, stretching from the 1st until the 31st.
Why do we celebrate Mental Health Month? Mental Health Month is more than a mere observance. It’s a mission to accentuate the essence of mental well-being and its role in enriching lives. Throughout this month, we champion the arts' potential to heal and connect, celebrating the artists, therapists, and programs that have sculpted the mental health landscape.
2024's theme is ‘Meaningful Connections Matter’. This is a wonderful theme about personal reflection and the care of others - at work, in art, in therapy, and in life. It's an invitation to get attuned to oneself and the wider canvas of the world.
Whether you’re helping clients through a transformative experience, or providing them tools for self-exploration, Mental Health Month opens the door to opportunities for deeper engagement.
More info here
Join Us for "Creativity = Brain Gym" This Mental Health Week
See how creativity supports mental well-being with our Creativity= Brain Gym forum this Mental Health Week. Tania Virgona from Creative C shares her insights in a special video about the transformative power of creativity.
Guest speakers include:
Elly-Louise Tyquin: Artist, discussing art's therapeutic benefits.
Yelena Ashlapova: Psychodramatist and musician, focusing on healing through sound and drama.
Matt Gleeson: Youth worker and photographer, highlighting art's impact on young people.
This conversation promises to inspire and deepen your understanding of creativity’s role in mental health.
You can watch the video here
Mindfulness Corner
Helping our clients to settle
We all know that helping our clients to settle in at the start of a session is an essential part of therapy. And acknowledging transitions—whether it’s from the outside world, a stressful journey, or another environment—helps our clients shift their focus. The way we practice this art creates an opportunity to highlight safety and presence, preparing them for the work ahead. For me, I encourage clients to adjust their seating, ensuring comfort, and to orient themselves in the room by observing their surroundings. This often leads to a natural deep breath, signalling readiness, and they become more present, engaging their nervous system in a calm, grounded way, letting the real work begin.
Personal Reflections
Helping our clients to settle
In my experience, art therapy offers a profound approach to working with grief, which can often feel overwhelming for clients due to its complex and multifaceted nature. We know grief can encompass a range of emotions—shock, denial, anger, depression, and even shame—all of which may arise rapidly during client sessions.
The beautiful thing about art making is that it provides a unique container for these emotions, acting as a co-regulator by offering a tangible expression of feelings outside the body. I have witnessed firsthand how the special quality of art making unfolds for clients. I see it allowing a greater tolerance for difficult emotions, facilitating pendulation, a concept introduced by Peter Levine, to support the nervous system’s processing and release.
A client’s artwork not only externalises these emotional states but also offers biofeedback, creating space for them to experience new insights and awareness.
Here are some images I created in response to my own experience of holding grief.
Check out the ITT Resource Page
There is a selection of resources on the ITT resource page that maybe useful to you or your clients:
Male initiation myth - Iron John
Trauma Geek - Neurodiversity and Autism and Trauma
Dafna Lender - who works dyaticly with children and their care givers
https://www.integratedtraumatherapy.com.au/resources
Have a look at the Creative C too:
https://www.creativec.com.au
The CC has studio hire for events on the weekends or evenings during the week.
Thank you for reading.
Take care,
Tania
