Healing, Wellness, and Empowerment Through Art and Ritual: An Arts-based Group Therapy Manual

Everyone has a creative side. Not everyone has the opportunity to explore their creative selves within a safe, encouraging space where they can express themselves while being heard, seen, and accepted for exactly who they are in the present moment. HEALING, WELLNESS, AND EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ART AND RITUAL guides facilitators to provide just such an environment. Every art-making activity allows participants to use a variety of materials in their own unique way. This provides participants with confidence to be who they are and the understanding that there is no right or wrong way to move through the process. It is the process and the awareness that is gleaned throughout it that are important.

This manual is designed for art therapists, expressive arts therapists, therapists, or facilitators for use in arts-based groups. This informative book will provide guidance and specific ideas in facilitating groups that give the participants a safe and sacred space within which to create and explore their inner selves. It contains six chapters, each of which walks the facilitator step by step through the whole process from start to finish of six group sessions. The group process is clearly laid out along with a list of materials necessary for each session. The group leader is introduced to the basic elements of ritual and mindfulness. In each of the main chapters there are opening rituals, clearing rituals, meditations, one creative art-making activity, a time for sharing, closing exercises, and finishes with evaluations. The group process draws participants into an inner focus for awareness, healing and well-being. The groups take place in a safe and peaceful atmosphere. The book also contains an extra chapter with meditations that can be used during the group process.

Myria Rei Sólas RP, CPT, RCAT, MC: AT, is a registered psychotherapist, certified play therapist, and a registered Canadian art therapist in Peterborough, Ontario. She maintains a private practice seeing individuals of all ages, as well couples and families. As part of her practice, she runs mindfulness-based art therapy groups, and arts-based retreats for women. As a practicing artist, Myria uses a multitude of media and techniques including mixed media, weaving, felting, and jewellery making. Myria lives by the belief that art and creativity help keep us whole and offer new ways of thinking and seeing things, being well, and thriving. Myria works hard to support and promote exploration, expression, and well-being through the use of the arts, and art as therapy. Myria believes in the power of creating safe, sacred spaces in which to create hope, resiliency, and wellness to help people throughout their life journeys. Other works include Life Story Baskets and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (2015), and Life Story Baskets, An Arts-Based Group Therapy Manual (2020).