Three Phases of Healing from Sexual Harm - Folktown's Joellen Kenyon reflects on Judith Herman’s groundbreaking text on Trauma recovery

In my desire to work with those who have suffered from trauma and sexual harm I have found that Judith Herman, in her book: Trauma and Recovery, speaks to three phases of healing with a clarity that has been helpful as I work with my clients. The three phases she mentions are helpful in promoting healing after small or great harm has occurred. The phases Herman mentions are establishing safety, reconnecting to yourself and putting words to your own narrative, and finding a survivor mission.

The first phase of healing may include finding a therapist that you feel safe with and yet who challenges you to grow and heal. It is also important in this initial step toward healing to establish a safe place to live in order to have a strong foundation to risk and heal. Another part of this phase of healing is to establish relationships with supportive friends and family. Healing will be deeper if the survivor can begin to build a support system which will include a therapist that can begin to look at their relationship with others and themselves through the therapeutic relationship.

The next phase of healing, according to Judith Herman brings grieving, pain and joy Here creativity and imagination are awakened. Many clients begin to journal and find that they are able to put words to the trauma they suffered. Amongst the ashes of sorrow and pain, some gems of joy are found. Clients begin telling their story as if they were a third person reporting and are surprised to find that their emotions are awakened. Trauma victims and veterans are encouraged to draw pictures, paint, write poems and take pictures to express what they had felt in the past and are feeling now. These creative expressions seem to stimulate hope and courage to step forward into healing and new life experiences. Creating brings not only healing and relief but meaning and purpose to life. 

As the trauma survivors healing journey continues what often springs forth is a new confidence. The victim has become active in telling their story appropriately feeling the pain, grief, anger and deep sorrow that may have been bottled up for years. As survivors tell their story they also sought out ways to help others. A new confidence and outlook on life encourages the survivor to find a mission. The survivor’s mission can be anything from writing their memoir’s, speaking out and championing victim’s rights, to participating in a self-defense class to fight back against the fear they feel.

It is important to note that in mentioning these phases of healing there will be quite a bit of movement back and forth between the different phases’. I am a strong believer that healing doesn’t always take place in a neat and tidy way nor, can you really put a time limit on it. People heal at different paces and may falter and then pick up again. We all heal and change differently. Life’s unpredictables will interrupt and also enhance the healing process. 

I look forward to meeting and walking alongside you in your healing

-Joellen

Joellen Kenyon LMHCA is a therapist at Folktown Counselling located in historic Ballard. When she is not at work she enjoys creative writing, reading and spending time with her family including her cattle dog Lila. She also enjoys soccer watching, playing and reffing it.

http://folktowncounseling.com/counselors/joellen-kenyon/

Mandalas in Art Therapy

Mandalas in Art Therapy

By Joy Rufener, LMHCA

Mandala is a Sanskrit word for “circle”. Mandalas are found in every culture around the world and have important symbolic meaning. In art therapy, the creation of mandalas can be used in many ways.

Making mandalas can be a meditative practice, as is shown in Buddhism. There are specific geometric shapes symbolizing aspects of Buddhism. Erricker (1994) states, “at the center is our aspiration; the gates provide the ways to it that we must cultivate; and the outer circle encloses those habits and failings we must let go of in order to transform ourselves and to realize our full potential”.

Mandalas are also seen as containers in art therapy. Allowing anxiety, stress, and emotion to be released onto the page can feel safer and more freeing if done within a contained space. This can allow for the sense of separating oneself from the issues and viewing it from a distance. Creating mandalas can feel like the circle is able to hold the burden.

Carl Jung studied mandalas extensively and found that specific symbols within them can indicate many issues and themes of stages of life. It can be used for assessment purposes and give a snapshot of what is most central in the psyche. The mandala is a symbol of wholeness, the center. Mandalas allow for integration of difficult thoughts and feelings as well as integrating hidden or split off aspects of ourselves.

Creating mandalas in therapy or on your own can be extremely therapeutic. The simple task of tracing a circle and filling it in with line, shape, and color is easy and promotes integration and well-being, discovery and containment.

Erricker, Clive. (1994). “Making mandalas and meeting bodhisattvas: Raising awareness in religious education.” Religious Education, 89(1).

How Mental Health Counseling Helps You

Mental health, just like your physical health needs a great deal of care and attention. Issues related to mental health generally tend to be multi-faceted and intricate that a trained mental health counselor can help you sort out. Folktown’s Licensed Mental Health Counseling in Ballard are committed to that process. Through their special personal development techniques, counseling can help you resolve many issues that are connected to your mental such as: marital and relationship issues, depression, eating disorders, addiction or anxiety. Trained counselors can help you develop calm, confidence, emotional resilience and optimism to better pass through life’s challenges. The ongoing psychological care works to help you in three phases and these are:

Assessment of The Issue

Seattle counseling for mental health basically helps their clients to live a meaningful and productive life by overcoming their obstacles to reach personal or professional goals. The first step towards this is to understand the issue. During the initial counseling sessions, a skillful counselor can ask you some questions to asses core issues that may be contributing to your current concerns. In a formal or informal way assessment helps a counselor help you to reach your goals and to treat the condition in the best way possible. 

Establishing Awareness and Goals

Personal Awareness and Goal establishment through initial interview determines the direction of the treatment. Instead of imposing our own thoughts and goals over you, counselors are traditionally trained to help you better understand and accept yourself as well as to find out what you want in your life or how you want to be. As the counseling therapy progresses and you get into self disclosure and discovery, you will have some additional goals added to the therapy.

Treatment and Personal Growth

Although the treatment begins at the first interview by the counselor, a formal and productive treatment develops after the counselor better understands you as a person. Each client may have different personality, behavior and temperament; mental health counselors use the best of theoretical orientation and practical interventions to get client’s life on the desired track. Treatment is actually a collaborative process where the client and the counselor get into a relational subject of action and effect. Over time, you should see personal growth in your mental health and some find the knot of personal issues start to untangle.

Folktown’s Ballard counseling services aim to treat the client in a truly holistic manner and working in tandem with you and your other helath care providers in psychology, medicine and other concerned fields to resolve the complex roots of unique struggles each client goes through. There are diverse methods of assisting a client with mental health issues. The behavioral and mental changes that are conferred in such treatments put you in an able setting to deal with future life situations.