The Expressive Arts Therapy program at CIIS

Expressive Arts Therapy
Clinical Symposium

CASE PRESENTATIONS:

Developmental Journeys: Expressive Arts Therapy with a Child Adopted from Overseas

This case explores the use of expressive arts therapy to externalize the
developmental experience of a child adopted from overseas. Art, play, and
sandplay are used throughout the process to help the child make meaning of early
attachments, losses, orphanage experiences, adoption, new life in the United
States, atypical neurodevelopmental issues, and identity.

Laura Soble, LMFT, REAT has an arts-based private practice in Oakland, working with children, individuals and groups. In recent years she has specialized in creating therapeutic groups for children, using the expressive arts to address issues including adoption, mood regulation and social skills. She is currently in advanced training to become certified as a sandplay therapist, and has published on the integration of the arts in psychotherapy.

Identity Expansion: An Adult Suffering the Residual Effects of Childhood Abuse

This case explores the integrated use of art, writing, seed-thought meditation, several modes of drama therapy (primarily Developmental Transformations) and Reiki instruction—in work with a mid-life male client suffering the residual effects of childhood abuse. The client’s existing spiritual practice was acknowledged and became an important reference point in the work. A main treatment objective became expansion of his self-identification from “tragic figure crippled by childhood wound” to a man appreciating his emerging human and spiritual potential.

Gary Raucher, LMFT, RDT, is core faculty in the Drama Therapy Program at CIIS, and also maintains a private practice in San Francisco working with individuals, couples, and children. His practice is informed by earlier work as a professional actor, long-time contemplative practice, and ongoing work as a practitioner and instructor of “Authentic Reiki”.

 

The Symbolic Attitude and Developmental Trauma

This presentation explores from a Jungian perspective the use of symbolic imagery in the form of dreams, sensations, movement, drawings, and sandplay in a long-term depth psychotherapy with a patient suffering from developmental trauma. There will be focus on how to create a safe place for the emergence of creativity and depth work. Transference considerations, how and when to invite nonverbal modalities, and the use of nonverbal therapies to develop a sense of embodiment, relatedness and life meaning will also be discussed.

Robin Greenberg, M.A Dance, M.A. Somatic Psychology, MFT, is an analytic candidate in training at the C.G. Jung Institute in San Francisco. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Somatic Psychology Departments at CIIS and JFKU, and maintains a private practice in San Francisco and Kensington working with adults, teens, and couples.

Panel Responders:

• Kate Donohue, PhD, REAT
• Fran Goldberg, MA, MT-BC
• Linda Hammond, MA, REAT, LMFT
• Sanjen Miedzinski, PhD
• Jaime Nisenbaum, PhD cand., REAT
• Sherry Raley, PhD, MT-BC
• Jack S. Weller, EXA Program Director

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