Gestalt Art Therapy Centre: Animal Totem

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26 Dec 2023

2024 Free event- New Year's resolution- Animal Totem

Please read below all the information related to this event.

Register your participation

Event Day: January 20th, 2024

Time: 5pm to 7pm (Eastern Time) info international time zones

Rituals play an important role in human life for various reasons, including psychological, social, and cultural aspects. Here are some reasons why rituals, include New Year's resolution rituals and Gestalt art therapy activities.

►Psychological Benefits

Sense of Purpose: Rituals often provide individuals with a sense of purpose and direction. New Year's resolutions, for example, help people set goals and aspirations for the upcoming year, giving them a roadmap for personal development.
Emotional Release: Rituals can serve as a means of emotional expression and release. Gestalt art therapy activities, in particular, allow individuals to channel their emotions into creative outlets, promoting emotional well-being.

►Cultural and Social Connection

Community Building: Many rituals are communal and foster a sense of belonging. New Year's celebrations, for instance, are often shared with friends and family, strengthening social bonds.
Cultural Identity: Rituals often reflect and reinforce cultural identity. They can be a way for individuals to connect with their cultural heritage and traditions.

►Behavioral Change and Personal Growth

Goal Setting: New Year's resolutions are a form of goal-setting, encouraging individuals to reflect on their lives and set intentions for self-improvement. This process can lead to positive behavioral changes and personal growth.
Self-Reflection: Gestalt art therapy encourages self-reflection through creative expression. Engaging in artistic activities can help individuals gain insights into their thoughts and emotions, facilitating personal growth.

►Routine and Stability

Predictability: Rituals provide a sense of predictability and stability in an otherwise unpredictable world. They create a rhythm to life and can be comforting in times of change or uncertainty.

►Mindfulness and Presence

Mindful Engagement: Both New Year's resolution rituals and Gestalt art therapy activities can promote mindfulness. New Year's resolutions encourage individuals to be present and intentional in their actions, while art therapy emphasizes the importance of being fully engaged in the creative process.

►Symbolism and Meaning

Symbolic Significance: Rituals often involve symbolic actions or objects that carry meaning. For example, the act of making resolutions symbolizes a commitment to personal growth, while the creation of art in Gestalt therapy can symbolize various aspects of an individual's experiences.

In various spiritual and therapeutic practices, animal totems are often used symbolically to represent different qualities, strengths, or aspects of one's personality. When integrating animal totems into activities like meditation and drawing for personal growth within the context of Gestalt art therapy, you can explore archetypes associated with specific animals.

During the event, the participant will be guided to connect with their Animal Totem through Meditation and Drawing, for Personal Growth.

An animal totem, also known as a spirit animal or power animal, is a symbolic representation of an animal that is believed to have a special connection with an individual or a group of people. Many cultures around the world, including Native American, Celtic, and various indigenous traditions, incorporate the concept of animal totems into their spiritual beliefs.

The idea is that each person has a particular animal that serves as a guide or protector, offering insights into one's personality, strengths, and challenges. This belief suggests that individuals can learn valuable lessons from the characteristics and behaviors associated with their animal totem.

People may identify their animal totem through various means, such as dreams, meditation, or simply feeling a strong affinity toward a particular animal. The choice of the totem is often based on personal experiences, intuition, or a sense of connection with a specific animal.

It's important to note that the concept of animal totems is rooted in cultural and spiritual beliefs, and interpretations can vary widely among different traditions and individuals. Some people find inspiration and guidance through exploring the symbolism of animal totems, while others may view it as a metaphorical or psychological tool for self-reflection.

Day: January 20th, 2024

Time: 5pm to 7pm (Eastern Time) info international time zones

Materials Needed:

Paper
Drawing tools (pencils, markers, crayons, etc.)
Quiet space for meditation

And access to the Zoom link (Video/Audio)

We are looking forward to meeting you soon.

Kind Regards

Gemma & Yaro

Directors of the Gestalt Art Therapy Centre Australia

www.arttherapygestalt.com

ART THERAPY - A GESTALT APPROACH

Hello! Welcome to our creative therapy centre!

Here you will find everything related to Art Therapy using the Gestalt approach.

What is Art ?:

Art is genarally known as what is done by a person whose purpose is to express a message through symbols.

These symbolic tools can be music, paintings, sculptures, theater and so on.

What is Gestalt Therapy ?:

Gestalt therapy is a methodology within psychology that grew out of the research and work of the psychiatrist Dr.Fritz Perls and his wife Dr.Laura Perls.

These two professionals were coming from the psychoanalytic perspective and felt that this method was not enough to work with clients. Today we are clearly aware that no one single method can resolve the issues that involve a range of human suffering and growth.

Gestalt is a German word roughly meaning "Shape" or "configuration".

This concept is understood, in gneral terms, that all individual experiences are shaped by a figure and a background. As time goes on, and our needs change, the figure can become the background and vice versa. So in the client's experience, the figure is changing at all times from becoming a background and as the needs arise, the figure emerges seeking completion.

When we block or prevent this process, we become unaware and suffer. That is a part of the theoretical foundations of Gestalt therapy.

Gestalt therapy, therefore, is a "philosophy", a way of being in the world in the "here and now" and taking "response-aibility" without pushing the river. Thus life is a flow ..

What is GESTALT Art Therapy?

It is the sum of the two previous concepts, Gestal therapy and the use of tools we learn to use in art therapy.

Using the artistic tools and adding the gestalt language between client and psychotherapist we work jointly to decode the messages hidden in the intrinsic symbols representing the client's situation. The Psychotherapist accompanies the client in the process of "discovering" what is helpful and not analysing or interpreting, but suggesting and asking the client what it is he or she knows are the answers and supports client's need to discover the ncessary solutions.

WE ARE SURE THAT YOU WILL BE ATTRACTED by this new way of working with emotions, whether or not you are a professional psychologist or therapist, since many of the exercises can be used personally for your own growth.

Our work is done in Australia & Spain and other countries. We have given workshops and participated in conferences throughout the world. We are located in our offices at the Gestalt Art Therapy Centre in Brisbane -Australia.

BE HAPPY HERE AND NOW..... AND BE CREATIVE !

Yaro Starak - Gestalt Psychoterapist
Gemma Garcia- Gestalt Therapist- Ericksonian Hypnosis

SEE LABELS ON THE RIGHT SIDE

1-TRAINING MODULES FOR SALE: Gestalt art therapy

1.1-FOR PSYCHOLOGY & THERAPY PROFESSIONALS:

Here you will find and carry out therapeutic work with tools that combine art and gestalt method.

You can learn new ways of providing therapeutic treatment depending on the particular situation and client needs.

1.2-ART AS PERSONAL GROWTH

These modules can be practical exercises for your "realize" how do you do in your life.

There are specific modules that you can play with your partner and / or family.

SKYPE - ON LINE THERAPY

We offer brief therapy sessions via Skype. You may request a no-obligation appointment with us, the first session is free.

This is a way of doing personal therapy we call "Emergency work" used in very special cases and situations. For us, the therapy session should be mainly for the benefit of the client needing immediate help.

BOOKS FOR SALE:

GESTALT THERAPY theory and practice - some books written by Yaro Starak

A GESTALT TEST: you can acquire to discover your potentials.

VIDEOS & DVD focussing on gestalt work and art therapy work.

ARTICLES: Written by varoius therapists from Australia, NZ and overseas.

Yaro Starak

He graduated in Psychology from the University of Manitoba and in Social Work from the University of British Columbia, Canada. He continued his doctoral studies at the University of Toronto, specializing in group psychotherapy and Adult Education. He trained in Gestalt Therapy with Jorge Rosner at the Gestalt Institute of Toronto and after graduation, he was a faculty member for four years. He worked as a professor at the University of Queensland, Australia and is the founder of the Gestalt Center in Brisbane and Terrigal near Sydney in this country. Yaro conducts gestalt training workshops in Spain, Mexico, Denmark, Germany, and Canada. He also gives workshops for groups of men using indigenous rituals. Yaro is Gestalt Art Therapist CAT®. Co-Director of the Gestalt ART Therapy center (Australia). Co-Director of the Arteterapia Gestalt (Gestalt Art Therapy training in the Spanish language)
Yaro has an interesting range of Books related to the Gestalt works, Couples & Groups work.

Gemma Garcia

Gestalt Art Therapist CAT® Gestalt Art Therapy. Gestalt Therapist Master diploma from the Gestalt Institute Valencia (Spain). Art Therapist using the Gestalt approach CAT. Master in Ericksonian Psychology at the University of Valencia (Spain). Communications Operator at the Provincial Emergency Coordination center and Fire Consortium (Castellon, Spain) Naval radiotelephone operator. Group work and individual psychological intervention in crisis and emotional impact on collective emergencies with firefighters, policemen, paramedics using Gestalt art therapy techniques. Aurasoma Therapist Level 2. Dip. of Visual Arts. Curator. Coordinator-Art Group exhibitions. Co-Director of the Gestalt ArtbTherapy center (Australia). Co-Director of the Arteterapia Gestalt (Gestalt Art Therapy training in the Spanish language)