This workbook offers diverse strengths-based tools to incorporate the Creative Mindfulness Technique (CMT) into clinical practice. It provides an essential understanding of the ethical scope of practice, ensuring that clinicians consider the depth of their own training in the implementation of the CMT art directives. Chapters explore aspects such as attachment and art therapy, multicultural considerations when using art with clients, mindfulness, the eight dimensions of wellness, and the application of CMT techniques with clients affected by PTSD, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The creative activities, mindfulness approaches, and arts-based exercises provided support the healing process of clients in ways that are accessible, practical, and easy to execute. Examples of activities include guided imageries with art-making, art journaling directives, and mixed media prompts. Through these exercises, clients will learn to draw upon their strengths and feel empowered in their daily lives. People with PTSD/clinical trauma, stress, addiction, and anxiety, and clinicians and mental health practitioners working with them will find this book to be an essential tool. Readers may also be interested in Creative Mindfulness Techniques for Clinical Trauma Work: Insights and Applications for Mental Health Practitioners, which can be used on its own or as a companion to this book.

Using evidence-based creative mindfulness techniques (CMT), this book acts as a useful guide for clinical mental health practitioners seeking to build resilience levels in clients recovering from trauma. It examines the effectiveness of the CMT approach, providing applicable art therapy techniques to enhance the therapist’s toolbox for clinical effectiveness. Combining a psychodynamic and neurobiological clinical lens, this book helps practitioners recognize and utilize creativity in dealing with trauma exposure, its cultural considerations, and its consequences on the individual, family, and the system. It also provides insights into the neurophysiological impact of mindfulness techniques on the brain. Chapters explore the clinician’s role in the treatment of trauma, wellness, and the building of resiliency, creativity, and alternative approaches to changing neural pathways, positive psychology, and more. A collection of narrative case studies and guidance for specific activities to be used with diverse clients ensures easy practical usage of the theories explored. Clinical mental health practitioners who work with clients suffering from PTSD, clinical trauma, stress, and anxiety will find this book essential. Readers may also be interested in Healing from Clinical Trauma Using Creative Mindfulness Techniques: A Workbook of Tools and Applications, which can be used on its own or as a companion to this book.

Based on the belief that mindfulness is a critical component in the delivery of EMDR, this innovative text integrates mindfulness-informed practice with EMDR therapy to create an effective new approach for healing trauma. Based on current evidence-based research, the book demonstrates—with clear, step-by-step guidelines—how clinicians can conceptualize and deliver trauma-focused care in both mental health and addiction treatment. Infused with practical applications, the book offers clearly articulated and effective approaches that provide a concrete beginning, middle, and end of treatment planning. Following a description of the long history of mindfulness practices, the book offers guidelines for developing one’s own mindfulness practice—emphasizing the use of trauma-focused language—and suggestions for teaching specific techniques to clients. The book describes both classic and creative mindfulness practices, including breath awareness/sensory grounding, breath meditation, body scanning, feeling tone meditation, labeling, standing meditation, walking meditation, and loving-kindness meditation, along with using day-to-day objects as a meditative focus, movement practices, the expressive arts, and other forms of creativity. Key Features: Offers a complete framework for healing trauma by integrating mindfulness-informed practice with EMDR therapy Provides clearly articulated, step-by-step approaches that are evidence-based Authored by noted experts in EMDR and mindfulness-based therapies Includes guidelines for developing one’s own mindfulness practice and tools for teaching specific practices to clients Describes both classic and creative mindfulness practices

Mindfulness is the ancient practice of noticing without judgment. The medical and psychological professions cannot help but notice the mounting evidence of its efficacy in improving health and overall wellness. Whether mindfulness is used as a gateway to higher spiritual growth or as a path to more balanced living, the applications of mindfulness are various...as are the ways to achieve it. In this book, you will learn 20 practical ways to put mindfulness to work for you, even if you don't consider yourself to be meditative or spiritual. In addition to the 20 core skills covered here, you will obtain numerous tips on how to be creative with the skills or modify for your own needs. Ideal for all audiences, whether you are seeking pathways to improving your own wellness or helping others along their journey! · Easy to learn· Multisensory· Practical· Applicable to daily life· Learn to "retrain" your brain· Ideal for stress management· Complements many recovery approaches

Based on the belief that mindfulness is a critical component in the delivery of EMDR, this innovative text integrates mindfulness-informed practice with EMDR therapy to create an effective new approach for healing trauma. Based on current evidence-based research, the book demonstrates--with clear, step-by-step guidelines--how clinicians can conceptualize and deliver trauma-focused care in both mental health and addiction treatment. Infused with practical applications, the book offers clearly articulated and effective approaches that provide a concrete beginning, middle, and end of treatment planning. Following a description of the long history of mindfulness practices, the book offers guidelines for developing one's own mindfulness practice--emphasizing the use of trauma-focused language--and suggestions for teaching specific techniques to clients. The book describes both classic and creative mindfulness practices, including breath awareness/sensory grounding, breath meditation, body scanning, feeling tone meditation, labeling, standing meditation, walking meditation, and loving-kindness meditation, along with using day-to-day objects as a meditative focus, movement practices, the expressive arts, and other forms of creativity. Key Features: Offers a complete framework for healing trauma by integrating mindfulness-informed practice with EMDR therapy Provides clearly articulated, step-by-step approaches that are evidence-based Authored by noted experts in EMDR and mindfulness-based therapies Includes guidelines for developing one's own mindfulness practice and tools for teaching specific practices to clients Describes both classic and creative mindfulness practices

Rich with case material and artwork samples, this volume demonstrates a range of creative approaches for facilitating children's emotional reparation and recovery from trauma. Contributors include experienced practitioners of play, art, music, movement and drama therapies, bibliotherapy, and integrative therapies, who describe step-by-step strategies for working with individual children, families, and groups. The case-based format makes the book especially practical and user-friendly. Specific types of stressful experiences addressed include parental loss, child abuse, accidents, family violence, bullying, and mass trauma. Broader approaches to promoting resilience and preventing posttraumatic problems in children at risk are also presented.

"Psychological trauma can be a life-changing experience that affects multiple facets of health and well-being. The nature of trauma is to impact the mind and body in unpredictable and multidimensional ways. It can be a highly subjective that is difficult or even impossible to explain with words. It also can impact the body in highly individualized ways and result in complex symptoms that affect memory, social engagement, and quality of life. While many people overcome trauma with resilience and without long term effects, many do not. Trauma's impact often requires approaches that address the sensory-based experiences many survivors report. The expressive arts therapy-the purposeful application of art, music, dance/movement, dramatic enactment, creative writing and imaginative play-are largely non-verbal ways of self-expression of feelings and perceptions. More importantly, they are action-oriented and tap implicit, embodied experiences of trauma that can defy expression through verbal therapy or logic. Based on current evidence-based and emerging brain-body practices, there are eight key reasons for including expressive arts in trauma intervention, covered in this book: (1) letting the senses tell the story; (2) self-soothing mind and body; (3) engaging the body; (4) enhancing nonverbal communication; (5) recovering self-efficacy; (6) rescripting the trauma story; (7) making meaning; and (8) restoring aliveness"--