Transform Stress, Crisis, and Trauma through Creativity

Exciting News! Authors Anita B. Rankin, MA, ATR, CPT, and Mary Michola Fibich, MA, ATR, introduce their newest book, published by the Traumatic Stress Institute/Sidran Press: Transform Stress, Crisis & Trauma through Creativity: An Art Therapy and Writing Workbook to Activate Wellness Strategies. Our new blog post, written by the authors themselves, introduces you to their creation:

We developed and refined this workbook over seven years during which political upheaval and division, terrorism, wars, famine, gun violence, economic issues, and the pandemic were occurring. We felt that in today's highly-connected world, the prevalence of individual and collective stress is much more evident, affecting all of us in greater ways than ever before. Through our work with hundreds of individuals and diverse groups – in private practice, trauma and rape crisis centers, addiction treatment programs, medical facilities, wellness retreat centers, as well as hospice, school, corporate, and prison settings – we grew to believe that:

• Collective stressors wear us down. While wide-scale events affecting many people have always existed, the growth of interconnectedness on screen via social media, combined with the "big T" Trauma and reduction of in-person contact during the pandemic, seems to have amped up both the volume and emotional impact of collective stressors.
  
  
• Personal stressors – whether mild, moderate, or severe – add to the taxing picture. No one can be totally free from stress, but everyone can learn to better manage their stress. The need for more effective and alternative ways to acknowledge, explore, and transform the impact of everyday stress in our lives is crucial for our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.
  
  
• Many of us find it hard to voice difficult thoughts and feelings. Art and creative writing offer alternative forms of expression. Artmaking gives line, shape, and color to thoughts and emotions that don't have physical form in themselves and lends a sense of control to what often seems out of control. It allows us to view others, the world, and ourselves in relatively non-threatening ways. Creative writing enhances imagination and expands meaning, letting us venture farther into our creative minds.
  
  

.....CLICK HERE to read more or purchase.
(Also available on Amazon.com)