Who Are We?

Creative Arts Psychotherapy (CAP), a collaborative group psychotherapy practice based in New York, is excited to introduce our new newsletter aimed at promoting holistic wellness and exploring the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. In alignment with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) definition, we believe that wellness encompasses the integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fostering vitality, cognitive engagement, and emotional resilience.

After practicing therapy for almost 20 years we realized that there was a real need for clients to have more transparency and guidance surrounding therapy. Recognizing this need, we embarked on a journey to demystify the therapeutic process and foster open dialogue around mental health and self-care. Because transparency was important to us we began an Instagram account with the goal of pulling back the curtain a bit to the process of therapy to translate therapy speak and to normalize not only mental health but also self-care and self growth. Therapy and mental health are popular topics these days but we feel like there is a gap in what people are talking about and how therapists are framing these issues. Nuance is often lacking in some of the well meaning conversations that are happening online and we wanted to bring a little more of that to the table.

Social media, self-help books, therapy influencers, blog posts, podcasts, wellness communities, and newsletters do not replace the work of therapy but all of this can contribute to one's overall sense of well-being and provide valuable support to those on a therapy journey or considering embarking on one. 

All of this leads us to the here and now. We are stretching and growing both our team and this dialogue around wellness, health, healing, and therapy and we’d like you to join us.

Whether you're seeking guidance on managing stress, enhancing self-awareness, or fostering meaningful connections, every month we will be bringing you different resources that we love or things we’ve learned to help keep you well. 

Jennifer Byxbee CAP Founder

May is Mental Health
Awareness Month!

Mental Health Awareness Month has its origins dating back to the mid-20th century when advancements in psychopharmacology, psychological interventions, and the rise of patient activism in the 1950s and 60s led to a broader understanding of mental illness and push for deinstitutionalization.

In the 1990s, mental health advocacy efforts intensified, leading to increased public awareness, policy changes, and expanded access to mental health services. Initiatives such as the "National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) StigmaBusters" campaign aimed to combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and in 1994, the U.S. Congress officially recognized May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

Today, Mental Health Awareness Month continues to be observed not only in the United States but also in Canada, the UK, and across the European Union.

Mental Health Awareness Month seeks to challenge stigma, foster understanding, and promote mental wellness. It provides a platform for individuals, organizations, and communities to come together to address mental health issues, support those affected by mental illness, and work towards creating a more inclusive and supportive society for everyone's mental well-being.

Wellness Date

The Artist’s Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity is a 1992 self-help book by Julia Cameron written to help people with artistic creative recovery, which teaches techniques and exercises to assist people in gaining self-confidence in harnessing their creative talents and skills.

One of the steps in the process is a weekly Artist Date - a “once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore
something that interests you.” Each month one of our CAP therapists will share their personal wellness date with you.

Ajanae’ Lewis, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT:

“Going on a solo brunch date, dressing up, and ordering a full spread of breakfast food.”

Wellness Directive:
Circle of Control

For millennia the circle has held deep symbolic meaning across cultures with uses spanning art, spirituality, and science.

In present-day psychology, we often discuss a concept, based on the geometry of the circle, called “the locus of control,” which simply put is how much an individual feels a sense of internal control over their actions. Circle drawings offer emotional containment and the opportunity to examine your own sense of control in daily life.

Materials:

Drawing materials such as markers or colored pencils (or both) and paper

Procedure: 

1. Draw a circle

2. On the inside of the circle draw or list the things in your life you can control 

3. On the outside of the circle draw or list the things in your life you can not control

Explorative Questions: 

1. What do you notice about your drawing? Is there anything that stands out or surprises you?

2. Are there any themes that you notice about what is on the inside of the circle? The outside of the circle?

3. Are there any connections between the inside and the outside?

4. Is there anything you would like to change in your piece?