|
art by Deborah Koff-Chapin, Center for Touch Drawing
Integrating Expressive Art
As a retired mental health clinician specializing in expressive art, I know the deeply transformative possibilities of art making. So, when it is suitable, I like to offer my flower essence clients an expressive art experience.
Touch Drawing
, originated by artist Deborah Koff-Chapin, is one of my favorites.
Deborah Koff-Chapin’s website offers a complete array of resources for learning and practicing Touch Drawing. Before offering Touch Drawing to others, I studied Deborah’s materials, including the practitioner’s manual, practiced Touch Drawing personally for several years, and attended an in-person training with Deborah at an International Expressive Arts Therapy Association conference. I think of Touch Drawing as a knowing of the heart. The process is very fluid, and it is the order and structure provided by the materials and the attentive and experienced presence of the facilitator that allow this expressive work to unfold fully and safely. In the context of flower essence therapy, I find that offering a Touch Drawing experience fits well in a session other than the initial intake which has its own rhythm and requirements of time and energy from a client. Here is an example from my fourth session with client “B” whom I saw when working on my professional Practitioner’s Certificate from the Flower Essence Society . A mother of young children who led a very busy life, “B” drew strength from spirituality and her church which were true touchstones in her life. Arriving at this 90-minute session “B” announced that “not much has been accomplished on using the essences.” We discussed her progress in terms of her initial goals and found that a major worry had dissipated, a problem with one of her children had resolved, and she had developed more trust in what she termed her inner knowing. After talking through many issues, “B” decided on a new goal: more simplicity in her life. Toward that end she wished to resume her practice of devoting a few minutes each morning to reflection that she called " Holy Solitude ." The difficulty she expected was finding and dedicating this time for herself in the course of a busy morning full of family and work tasks. We then identified a new flower essence formula. In a session with art making, I offer a client an initial dose of the newly selected essences (I use kinesiology/muscle testing plus my clinical sense) before engaging in expressive art. This brings the immediate support of the flowers during the art-making and allows me to observe any effects that might need attention. For “B”, we continued Penstemon which she had been taking for inner fortitude and perseverance, and added Heather and Cherry Plum . “B” made a series of about 20 drawings that followed a pattern I have come to recognize in the therapeutic use of Touch Drawing : initial drawings exploring materials and possibly blocks, transitional drawings that begin to have coherence and a new form, a drawing imbued with meaning and transformational possibility, and final drawings that elaborate on this theme. The series of drawings began with exploring mark-making and possibly blocks. Outlines of a new form began to emerge in the two gentle transitional drawings, followed by a soulful drawing of a tree and more drawings. When finished she expressed great happiness with and love for the tree that she drew, named the piece " Holy Solitude ," marveled at how it had come about, and planned to frame it and keep it near the breakfast table where she meditates in the morning. 1. Beginning drawings
2. Transitional drawings 1 & 2
Five weeks later at her next session, she reported more regularity in the use of her flower essence formula and increased consistency in taking time for her morning meditation. She also noted improvement in relationships with others, reduction in general anxiety and stress, and generally feeling more positive and resilient. I feel that the client’s Touch Drawing , especially the "Holy Solitude" drawing, helped open a window of receptivity to her flower essence formula. It gave her a visual affirmation of encouragement in her self-care practice of 15 minutes of Holy Solitude in the morning. There is so much more to say about working with Touch Drawing ! To prepare for offering it to clients, I recommend beginning a personal practice by using the resources on Deborah's website . Touch Drawing works nicely in groups as well, so flower essence practitioners might also consider extending their practice in this way.
About Dr. Katherine Ziff
Dr. Katherine Ziff is a flower essence practitioner in the hills of Southeast Ohio, where she lives in the small town of Athens with her husband and their dog. Now retired from clinical mental health practice, she received her flower essence training from the Flower Essence Society and her FES practitioner certification in 2014. She has since started introductory herbalism training with clinical herbalist Caty Crabb. Katherine is the flower essence instructor for the United Plant Savers Medicinal Plant Conservation Certificate Program. In her flower essence practice, which is both remote and in person, Katherine works with adults, children, and pets. She provides person-centered consultation with custom formulations that she makes from her library of flower essences. At the center of her practice are the intentions that she helps her clients create for their flower essence work, her steadfast belief in the ability of her clients to grow and transform, and her confidence in the flowers to awaken and support.
Resources
|
To install this Web App in your iPhone/iPad press 
and then Add to Home Screen.
