Art for Cancer Wellness: Survivors Group with Em, Spring 2024
Workshop Title: Creative Self-Exploration
Facilitator:Â Em Jones, MA, LGPAT, ATR-P, BFA
Dates: Thursdays, 6 PM to 7:30 PM ET
- February 1, 2024
- February 15, 2024
- February 29, 2024
- March 14, 2024
- March 28, 2024
- April 11, 2024
In this bi-weekly, six-session workshop facilitated by art therapist Em Jones, participants will be invited to creatively explore their thoughts, feelings, and current experiences through the practice of arts-based journaling. Through writing and visual artmaking, group members will be guided through a process of accessing emotions, expressing them visually, and releasing this energy from being carried internally. This art therapy group series is designed to give form to one’s inner experience to facilitate self-expression, improve emotional awareness, and reduce stress through creative action.
Workshop Materials: Sketchbook, assorted art materials (chalk or oil pastels, crayons, markers, colored pencils, watercolor, tempera paint sticks, etc), lined journal for writing.
Week-by-Week Overview: Each workshop will be structured as follows:
- Group feeling check-in;
- Brief body-centered awareness exercise;
- Art making;
- Reflective writing;
- Make a change/Reimagine the image;
- Group discussion; and
- Closing exercise.
Week 1 — February 1: Stress
The focus this week is to explore feelings related to stress. Participants will be guided to process those feelings, explore alternatives/identify needs, and come to new insights through the process of arts-based journaling.
Week 2 — February 15: Hurt
The focus this week is to explore feelings related to being hurt. Participants will be
guided to process those feelings, explore alternatives/identify personal needs, and come to new insights through the process of arts-based journaling.
The focus this week is to explore feelings related to loneliness. Participants will be
guided to process those feelings, explore alternatives/identify personal needs, and come to new insights through the process of arts-based journaling.
Week 4 — March 14: Anger/Frustration
The focus this week is to explore feelings of anger or frustration. Participants will be
guided to process those feelings, explore alternatives/identify needs, and come to new insights through the process of arts-based journaling.
Week 5 — March 28: Unhappy/Unsatisfied
The focus this week is to explore feelings of unhappiness or dissatisfaction. Participants will be guided to process those feelings, explore alternatives/identify needs, and come to new insights through the process of arts-based journaling.
Week 6 — April 11: Dreams
The focus this week is to explore dream content. Participants will be guided to process the associated feelings, explore alternatives/identify needs, and come to new insights through the process of arts-based journaling. Time will also be spent reviewing the series of workshops to close the spring cycle.