In The News

This week on “Take Care,” international art therapy expert, Cathy Malchiodi gives us an insight to art therapy and how it works. Malchiodi is a research psychologist, art therapist, and clinical counselor. She is also the founder and director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, and is the president of Art Therapy Without Borders.

Article published on "Take Care" by staff on 7/30/16.  

To read full article and listen to podcast, please visit http://wrvo.org/post/some-find-art-more-therapeutic-words

“Art therapy presents a tangible body of evidence that shows the progression you’re making,” says Molly Kometiani, president of the Buckeye Art Therapy Association, the Ohio chapter of the American Art Therapy Association. “You don’t have that body of evidence in other types of therapy. You can see how far you’ve grown.” Hook has dealt with a lot of clients who already tried counseling and didn’t find it effective, but ended up having more luck with art therapy. “There are a lot of things that are hard for us to find the words for,” she says. “(The clients) just don’t have the words to explain what they’re feeling. Sometimes, it’s easier to work through it in a symbolic way.” Also featured are Maryann Sender and Michaele Barsnack.

Article published CityScene Magazine by Hanna Bealer on 5/25/16.

To see full article, please visit http://www.cityscenecolumbus.com/health/art-therapy-around-columbus-aids-self-expression/

Heidi Sliter, an art therapist with Crossroads, an agency in the ADAMHS network that focuses on children, adolescents and families, says the “Expressions of Recovery” show offers a unique perspective on the nature of brain disorders.  “Art therapy can be an important part of someone’s recovery on a number of different levels,” she says in the release. “Many use their art to express their feelings about their illness, or make their illness more tangible. For others, the creative process itself provides some very therapeutic relief from the symptoms of the illness. So some of the pieces in this exhibit are fun or silly, some are touching, some even a bit disquieting. But collectively, this is a body of work that will definitely open people’s eyes.”

Article published in the News Herald on 4/25/16.

To see complete article, please visit http://www.news-herald.com/general-news/20160425/lake-county-exhibit-to-showcase-artists-with-brain-disorders-addictions

Art can provide a way for people with dementia to express themselves even after their memories and words have begun to fade away. Artistic activities give residents an outlet for emotional responses and can boost their self-esteem, help them relax, reduce their isolation and increase their attention span.“For people with dementia, verbal interactions may remain at the level of ‘social niceties only,’ but art mixes tactile activities with emotion, engaging neuropathological pathways in a different way,” says Michele Tarsitano-Amato, director of creative arts and a therapy/dementia specialist at Kendal at Oberlin, a continuing care retirement community in Oberlin, Ohio. “It lets them go deeper and can be a bridge to social interactions and allow them to engage and contribute.”

Article written by Beth Thomas Hertz and published in Long Term Living on March 14, 2016 

Click to view complete article http://www.ltlmagazine.com/article/paint-me-memory

The Coalition for Healthy Communities urges members of the Ohio General Assembly and the voting public to ensure that any action they take reflects the harm resulting from the use of marijuana on individuals and society in general during the ongoing debate to change Ohio’s marijuana laws.    Scientific evidence tells us that marijuana use results in cognitive impairment[i]  [ii] and changes in brain structure and function [iii] [iv]; increased risk of psychosis[v] ; acceleration of the development of schizophrenic symptoms[vi]; exacerbation of anxiety and depression[vii] ; greater numbers of traffic accidents resulting from drugged driving[viii] [ix], and an increased likelihood of using other illicit substances -- the so-called “gateway phenomenon” [x] [xi] [xii].     The Coalition for Healthy Communities is a statewide collaboration of  organizations advocating for improved access to quality mental health and substance use treatment and support services.  For additional information regarding the Coalition and to view individual organization’s statements related to possible changes to Ohio’s marijuana laws, please visit www.Ohioc4hc.org.    Buckeye Art Therapy Association, Inc. Drug Free Action Alliance   Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health        Authorities               Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family     Services Providers Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Association

Citations   [i] Pope HG Jr, Gruber AJ, Hudson JI, Cohane G, Huestis MA, Yurgelun-Todd D. Early-onset cannabis use and cognitive deficits: what is the nature of the association? Drug Alcohol Depend. 2003 Apr 1;69(3):303-10. PubMed PMID: 12633916. [ii] Gruber SA, Sagar KA, Dahlgren MK, Racine M, Lukas SE. Age of onset of marijuana use and executive function. Psychol Addict Behav. 2012 Sep;26(3):496-506. doi: 10.1037/a0026269. Epub 2011 Nov 21. Erratum in: Psychol Addict Behav. 2012 Sep;26(3):506. PubMed PMID: 22103843; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3345171 [iii]Gilman JM, Kuster JK, Lee S, Lee MJ, Kim BW, Makris N, van der Kouwe A, Blood AJ, Breiter HC. Cannabis use is quantitatively associated with nucleus accumbens and amygdala abnormalities in young adult recreational users. J Neurosci. 2014 Apr 16;34(16):5529-38. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4745-13.2014. PubMed PMID: 24741043; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3988409 [iv]Batalla A, Bhattacharyya S, Yücel M, Fusar-Poli P, Crippa JA, Nogué S, Torrens M, Pujol J, Farré M, Martin-Santos R. Structural and functional imaging studies in chronic cannabis users: a systematic review of adolescent and adult findings. PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e55821. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055821. Epub 2013 Feb 4. Review. PubMed PMID: 23390554; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3563634. [v] Large M, Sharma S, Compton MT, Slade T, Nielssen O. Cannabis use and earlier onset of psychosis: a systematic meta-analysis. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011 Jun;68(6):555-61. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.5. Epub 2011 Feb 7. Review. PubMed PMID: 21300939. [vi] Kuepper R, van Os J, Lieb R, Wittchen HU, Höfler M, Henquet C. Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study. BMJ. 2011 Mar 1;342:d738. doi: 10.1136/bmj.d738. PubMed PMID: 21363868; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3047001. [vii] Degenhardt L, Hall W, Lynskey M. Exploring the association between cannabis use and depression. Addiction. 2003 Nov;98(11):1493-504. Review. PubMed PMID: 14616175. [viii] Brady JE, Li G. Trends in alcohol and other drugs detected in fatally injured drivers in the United States, 1999-2010. Am J Epidemiol. 2014 Mar 15;179(6):692-9. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwt327. Epub 2014 Jan 29. PubMed PMID: 24477748; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3939850 [ix] Lenné MG, Dietze PM, Triggs TJ, Walmsley S, Murphy B, Redman JR. The effects of cannabis and alcohol on simulated arterial driving: Influences of driving experience and task demand. Accid Ana Prev. 2010 May;42(3):859- 66. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2009.04.021. PubMed PMID: 20380913. [x] Agrawal A, Neale MC, Prescott CA, Kendler KS. A twin study of early cannabis use and subsequent use and abuse/dependence of other illicit drugs. Psychol Med. 2004 Oct;34(7):1227-37. PubMed PMID: 15697049. [xi] Hall W, Degenhardt L. Prevalence and correlates of cannabis use in developed and developing countries. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2007 Jul;20(4):393-7. Review. PubMed PMID: 17551355. [xii] Panlilio LV, Zanettini C, Barnes C, Solinas M, Goldberg SR. Prior exposure to THC increases the addictive effects of nicotine in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Jun;38(7):1198-208. doi: 10.1038/npp.2013.16. Epub 2013 Jan 11. PubMed PMID: 23314220; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3656362.

Contact:  Marcie Seidel, Co-chair,  Coalition for Healthy Communities                                      Executive Director, Drug Free action Alliance                                     614-540-9985                                     MSeidel@DrugFreeActionAlliance.org

16TH ANNUAL ART AND HEALING EXHIBIT

When: Feb. 25 to March 24

Where: Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus, 4250 Richmond Road, Highland Hills.

Workshop: Life Journeys, Pathways and Reflections in Art Making, led by Barbara Trauger-Querry at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 26

Click to view the complete article http://www.news-herald.com/article/HR/20160223/FEATURES/160229843

Article written by Janet Podolak, published in the News Herald on 2/23/16.

In 2014, with generous funding from the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland Ministry Endowment Fund, Ursuline ArtSpace, founded by its Director Sister Kathleen Burke, OSU, Ph.D, ATR-BC, LPC-S, over a decade ago, was able to extend and enhance its services further into the community to serve vulnerable and at-risk youth and adults throughout Cleveland. One of the three organizations that this initial funding has benefited is Front Steps Housing and Services .  Front Steps Housing and Services offers safe housing and a structured environment to help women and men make the changes in their lives that lead to self-sufficiency and independence. Front Steps serves as a catalyst for social change by supporting residents as they transform their lives and by working towards an end to homelessness. 

Since 2014, Ursuline ArtSpace Outreach Services Coordinator Gretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC has provided a monthly art therapy group on-site to empower positive decision making, self-awareness, manage traumatic stress, and strengthen coping skills through art.  In 2015, Ursuline ArtSpace Outreach collaborated with Front Steps on a major art therapy grant awarded to the agency by The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County.  This additional funding increased group services provided by ArtSpace Outreach to every week for Front Steps clients, alumni and community organizations in Cleveland that are serving adults living with homelessness and mental health recovery.  And good news for 2016: more funding for this art therapy programming at Front Steps has been renewed by the ADAMHS Board!

On December 17, 2015 Front Steps hosted an Art Therapy Exhibit and Open House to celebrate the group work and its participants who have been part of the art therapy program throughout this year.  It was very moving to witness such heartfelt testimonies & gratitude about the power of art therapy from participants, ADAMHS Board representatives in attendance, & Front Steps Staff (Regina Spicer, Program Director and Sherri Brandon, Executive Director pictured below).

To learn more about Ursuline ArtSpace's Outreach sites and programming, please visit: http://www.ursulineartspace.com/Outreach.html

Photo credit:  Katie Kern Pilch

In honor of World Aids Day Tuesday, December 1, the community of University Hospitals Case Medical Center joined to create a 100-piece art mosaic in an effort to revitalize HIV/AIDS awareness. Art therapist Stephen Macek co-organized the project. 

Click to view the complete article: http://www.newswise.com/articles/world-aids-day-art-mosaic-raises-awareness-for-disease

Click to view the complete article (scroll down):

Article on the art therapy pioneer Don Jones and how through art he found his calling touching thousands of lives.

Click to view the complete article:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/02/14/art-therapy-pioneer-found-way-to-let-the-mentally-ill-speak.html

Article written by Eric Lyttle, published in the Columbus Dispatch on 2/14/15