The following is a story submitted by a reader that I think is a wonderful story to share. Santilla helps out at a healing and empowerment center in New Orleans, Louisiana, where they offer safety and healing to women and children. It’s a testament to art, but also to how we can all do something to help others. Here is what she sent to me:
My name is Santilla Victorian and I am a fan of your site. I’m also someone who does arts and crafts at Crescent House in New Orleans, La. Crescent House Healing Empowerment Center offers safety and healing to women and children dealing with violence and abuse.
The Crescent House helps the community by
- supportive listening and personal empowerment
- connection w/ the community
- individual and group support
- case management
- legal advocacy and legal services
- spiritual support
It is run by the Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans.
I go in with my church, First Baptist Church of Kenner, and we fellowship with the ladies, feed them dinner, and do a craft project. I center a lot of the crafts on spirituality but not always. I’ve attached a picture of last month’s craft work. The ladies all made angels and many of them took on the personalities of the creators. I heard one lady call her angel, shy girl and another called her angel “the ghetto girl.” I told her there are angles in the ghetto too, so it was ok to have a ghetto angel.
We will decorate crucifixes in a mixed media manner on 6/3/09 and on 8/26/09 I will try a bit of the Transformational Self Portrait art you described here on the site. I will use a technique known as thumb doodles where I’ll have the ladies dip their thumb in paint and we will decorate the print in the form of little people. I will ask the ladies to draw facial expressions, hair, etc. I know it will amuse them and heal them at the same time.
I do not have a degree in Art Therapy. I am actually an auditor/trainer at an insurance company but this is something I do on the side. It is very fulfilling to the soul. The group ranges in size from month to month but it’s gaining popularity.
I appreciate your site a great deal and I wanted to share this photo with you. Thanks again for all you do.
Santilla Victorian
First Baptist Church Kenner / Crescent House, NOLA
If you have a story you’d like to share that’s related to art therapy, please check out the art therapy promotion page and make a submission!
Hi, i’d like to know, since you mention you don’t have experience in Art therapy, you see i have always been interested in Art therapy, interested to give art therapy workshops. However, how can i go about doing it? How can i start, what are the requirements. Any pointers or advice? You can check out my blog site, and email me back. thank you.
Hi. I’m Santilla. That was my project with Crescent House a few years ago. This project was done through my church. They partnered with the organization and I helped that way.
Hello my name is Shanti Scott-Peters and I am a counselor at a New Horizon Family Center in Baytown, TX that provides service for victims of family violence and sexual assault including emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and community education. I really love the angels art project Santilla Victorian shared. I am interested in learning more about the project. It seems like a wonderful tool for aiding survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Thanks for sharing,
Shanti
Hi I am totally new to this and i dont claim to be an artist. i am opening a community center in waxahachie tx. i thought about art therapy combined with the scriptures i did not know art therapy existed, any advice for me.
Hi, i recently discovered that my 8-year old boy was sexually abused(touched his private parts in sexual way) by another, older boy. Also, his mom and i seperated when he was 4 and he did not take too well. He has lots of anger and other behavioural problems. I cannot afford a professional. Could you suggest some art therapy that I could do with him to help him express his emotions.
Hello again. It has been a while since I’ve communicated on this site but we did make the thumb doodles. I will see if I can find a picture to share. There are therapists at Crescent House and perhaps I can speak to them to see if they can share some insight. I’ve noticed many things the ladies do at Crescent House. Art is a wonderful way to bring many things to the surface. I have always been a fan of free drawing. Just putting paper to pen. Sometimes a scribble can turn into recognizable objects. If the 8 year old wishes to talk about them, he will…if not, that is o.k. too. Maybe put some paper down on a table (as a table cloth) and just let him draw and paint on that. You can do it with him. You talk about what you draw and then encourage him to do the same.
Also Shanti,
The little angels are minature flower pots, a doll head and felt. They’re really quick and simple to make. Turn the flower pot upside down and glue the doll head to the bottom of it. Draw a fax. The hair is felt w/ a ribbon tied around it.
I have been working with children and young teens for over 7 years, that are in treatment program for abuse, neglect, and children that are continually in the system. mostly I have help faciliate group, but my special add on has been art, and it has a big part, and more so over the past two years, and now I am enrolled in college for art therapy and it is great. not to be a therapist, but use art as therapy, I live in cleveland, any suggestion for me?
Hi There my Name is Clare Manley
I went to Councerling and did Art Therapy which I enjoyed better than Talking. I was Sexually Abused for 13 Years then let out in 2007.
Iam a natural artist and a graduate student. Iam looking for aooportunities to work in hospitals that provide art therapy
I think this is a wonderful site. Years ago I searched the internet to find out about Art Therapy and could only find information in the UK. Now it is everywhere, and I am glad. Unfortunately I didn’t try to research anymore after my experience and I received my degrees in other fields. Now the requirements to become an AT are mind-blowing, fortunately I did get a BA in studio art, and an AA in counseling (human services). I have a Master’s in business and working on my PhD in social behavior and Community, do you think I would have to go back to school to become an AT? I plan to contact the association, but I kjust wanted soem feedback from this site? Keep up the good work. thank you for this site. It has helped with my research papers greatly.
P.S. I am in California
Hello,
I never read this particular blog. It hit a nerve. I wrote a poem called, ‘Timeless Endless Breath’ in 2006 about a child’s journey throughout a day. Then she had to go back home to abuse, the kind your author talked about and this blog is named.
She goes up and down the streets sobbing and screaming epithets to God. Her arms are scrubbed raw trying to wash away the prints of hands large and rough and cruel. She crosses a bridge at sunset and walks up the sidewalk toward home. She is not alone. She is with the Savior who weeps to hear her sobbing so.
I copy this little watercolor book for childhood sexual abuse counselors who use it in therapy for children, teenagers and adults. It helps.
After all I was 55 before the flashbacks started that I could actually express to a counselor and I sought the help I had so desperately needed all my life. I forgave the perpetrators. That was difficult, but oh so healing. Now my book helps girls and women.
Continued blessings and hope for the ones who feel hopeless.
Andrea
Thanks for the story.Am a kenyan artist.I and my husband offers art therapy sessions to children in our studios.We would love to exchange ideas etc…..