WEBVTT - Healing Through Art Therapy – Lab 064 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:03.000 I feel like all the products, all the apps, everything 0:00:03.080 --> 0:00:05.720 is marketing itself is good for your mental health, Like 0:00:06.000 --> 0:00:10.320 the coloring apps, right, matching games. I'm like, this game 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:13.360 is against a timer? How is this relaxing and good 0:00:13.360 --> 0:00:14.200 for mental health? 0:00:14.960 --> 0:00:18.279 All it's doing is raising my anxiety. Well, since the 0:00:18.400 --> 0:00:20.720 pandemic started in twenty twenty, it seems like there's been 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:24.400 a huge ramp up in things that are associated with 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:25.880 improving your mental health. 0:00:25.920 --> 0:00:28.360 It's just like how things say all natural, Like what 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:29.720 are the qualifications for this? 0:00:30.040 --> 0:00:34.040 Right? Organic? M that ain't organic? They spelled organic with 0:00:34.080 --> 0:00:34.320 a K. 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:37.240 Well, it's mental health awareness myth, and I think we 0:00:37.240 --> 0:00:39.519 should get to the bottom of it. Iron Tt and 0:00:39.560 --> 0:01:07.959 I'm Zachiah and from Spotify. This is Dope Labs. Welcome 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:11.240 to Dope Labs, a weekly podcast that mixes hardcore science, 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:15.000 pop culture, and a healthy dosa friendship. May is National 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:18.720 Mental Health Awareness Month, and we have never shied away 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:21.839 from talking about mental health on Dope Labs. We've talked 0:01:21.840 --> 0:01:25.280 about harnessing the power of our anxiety in Lab thirty 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:28.200 eight So Anxious with doctor Wendy Suzuki, and in Lab 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:31.200 thirty two Life Avalanche, we talked about the Danger of 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:34.720 Burnout with doctor Ann Helen Peterson. This week we're talking 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:37.959 about art therapy specifically. We really wanted to know more 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:40.480 about the process that takes place between the therapists and 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:43.280 the patient and what's happening inside our brains when we 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:46.080 engage with art, and how we can harness the tools 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:47.240 of art for healing. 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:48.840 So let's get into the recitation. 0:01:58.760 --> 0:01:59.880 Okay, So what do we know? 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:00.360 Well? 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:02.600 I think we know already that mental health is important. 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:05.160 We just had an episode recently talking about the connection 0:02:05.240 --> 0:02:08.400 between the mind and the body, and we also know 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:11.840 that therapy is a really helpful tool for a lot 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:12.440 of people. 0:02:12.680 --> 0:02:13.360 Absolutely. 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:16.799 And then I think also we know our surroundings, our 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:21.440 environment can affect our mood and our emotional state, you know. 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:25.600 So not just am I in a place that smells good? 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:27.480 Am I in the place that looks good? Am I 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:29.560 in a place that makes me feel calm? We have 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:33.120 multiple inputs for our state of being. So things we see, 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:35.320 like art can affect how we feel. 0:02:35.440 --> 0:02:37.800 Absolutely. Okay, So what do we want to know? 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:38.840 I think when we. 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:41.720 Start to consider art therapy, yes, I understand in the 0:02:41.760 --> 0:02:44.720 literal sense, it's a combination of art and therapy, but 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:47.000 how exactly is it working? 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:50.280 Right? And then when we figure out how it works, 0:02:50.360 --> 0:02:53.720 I want to know who it's most helpful for. Is 0:02:53.760 --> 0:02:58.000 it people who are more artistically inclined that art therapy 0:02:58.040 --> 0:03:01.240 will help or is it everybody? No matter what, at 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:04.400 any art level, you can use art as therapy. 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:05.480 That's a good question. 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:09.520 And then also if you are using arts therapy, what 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:11.200 is happening in your brain? 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:11.720 Right? 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:14.880 I want to know how it's working, what part of 0:03:14.919 --> 0:03:16.240 the brain is activated you. 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:18.760 My friend always wants to know that biology. That's a 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:22.359 very good question, and so me, I want to know 0:03:22.760 --> 0:03:27.239 if the type of art you're engaging with have different effects, 0:03:27.240 --> 0:03:30.720 Like does painting do something different for you than pottery? 0:03:30.840 --> 0:03:32.079 Would you know what I mean? 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:34.520 Yeah, you talked about my biology, but it feels like 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:36.840 you're going into materials material. 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:42.800 Science, Like yes, those nice smooth pastels. That seems very calmon. 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:44.440 And I think it would be great to define the 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:47.160 parameters of art therapy because I see a lot of 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:50.880 things getting swept under that broad term. So like those 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:53.480 apps where you paint by number, is that art therapy? 0:03:53.520 --> 0:03:54.680 Like those coloring books? 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:56.320 That's a very good question. 0:03:56.640 --> 0:03:58.400 I think we're ready to jump into the dissection. 0:04:11.600 --> 0:04:14.360 Our guest for today's lab is Professor Juliette King. 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:15.640 I'm Juliette King. 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:18.599 I'm an associate professor of Art Therapy at the George 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:23.920 Washington University, and I'm an adjunct associate professor of neurology 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:26.920 at the Indiana University School of Medicine. 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:30.440 Professor King is pursuing a PhD in Translational health sciences. 0:04:30.560 --> 0:04:33.279 Her research is focused on using neuroscience and art therapy 0:04:33.320 --> 0:04:34.799 to treat psychological trauma. 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:37.239 She also wrote a book on these issues. It's called 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:41.840 Art Therapy, Trauma and Neuroscience Theoretical and Practical Perspectives. 0:04:42.080 --> 0:04:45.160 Okay, so before we dive into art therapy specifically, we 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:48.239 want to be clear. Art therapy is one of many 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:50.960 different kinds of therapeutic practices out there. 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:53.640 Right when it comes to therapy, there's no one size 0:04:53.640 --> 0:04:56.680 fits all approach. What works for you may not work 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:59.120 for me, and vice versa. So let's jump in to 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:01.240 figure out exactly what art therapy is. 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:06.039 I love to answer this question by defining what I 0:05:06.160 --> 0:05:09.159 say is a continuum, and so on one end of 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:13.800 the continuum we might call therapeutic arts where but cellist 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:17.000 is playing on a cancer unit and hearing the music 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:20.400 might help people feel better, more calm. Or if you're 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:23.960 walking down the halls of the school and the walls 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:28.480 are gray and cinder block as opposed to painted by 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:32.400 an artist in residence with colors and movement, then you're 0:05:32.400 --> 0:05:35.440 going to feel differently walking down those halls. 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:39.440 So Professor King is saying that art is inherently therapeutic, 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:41.000 and that makes sense to me. 0:05:41.320 --> 0:05:43.800 You know, we love oh, yes, the arts. 0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:46.560 Yes, me and my friend we love to walk through 0:05:46.600 --> 0:05:49.599 a museum together. They're usually really quiet, so it's a 0:05:49.640 --> 0:05:52.320 really good time to just, you know, sit down, look 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:53.520 at really beautiful art. 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:56.520 We went to MIA, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, so 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:58.960 when we travel we try to find museums around us. 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:02.200 That's so true. Got us in the right mood for 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:03.040 that show. 0:06:03.160 --> 0:06:06.040 Yes, And I also feel like even when you see 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:09.120 other art, it can stimulate your own creativity. 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:13.679 Absolutely. So, on one side of the continuum we have therapeutic arts, 0:06:13.720 --> 0:06:16.400 and on the other end we have art therapy. And 0:06:16.600 --> 0:06:19.920 just because something is therapeutic doesn't make it therapy. There's 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:24.279 a difference. Art therapists has specific training in how they 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:25.719 provide clinical support. 0:06:26.320 --> 0:06:30.920 Art therapists are trained as talk therapists like psychologists or counselors. 0:06:31.040 --> 0:06:34.840 And also we carry this extra toolbox around where we 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:38.760 use different art materials and methods to help a person 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:44.680 express themselves, connect mind, body states, understand a little bit 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:48.600 more about themselves that they might not have direct conscious 0:06:48.600 --> 0:06:49.279 access to. 0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:52.400 So art therapists use the tools of art making in 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:56.160 addition to more traditional talk therapy techniques. But how exactly 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:59.240 do these tools help us connect better to ourselves? 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:03.600 Says that communicating through art is nothing new. In fact, 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:05.760 we've been doing this since the beginning of time. 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:07.880 Art is everywhere and it's a critical part of being 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:11.320 human and Professor King says that our survival is somewhat 0:07:11.320 --> 0:07:13.880 dependent on our capacity to be creative, to you know, 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:15.640 look at things from different perspectives. 0:07:16.000 --> 0:07:19.960 We have an innate pool to express ourselves. Think back 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:23.240 to the cave paintings right where pictures were drawn to 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:26.320 let the world know what it was that people were 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:28.080 experiencing at the time. 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:31.360 Art and art making have existed in various forms across 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:36.960 cultures throughout our history. Art shows up in religion, record keeping, protests, storytelling. 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:39.320 It truly is everywhere. 0:07:38.840 --> 0:07:40.400 And when you put it that way, it makes a 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:43.120 lot of sense that combining the tools of art with 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:47.320 therapy would be very powerful, especially now that we know 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:51.480 that art is inherently therapeutic and people are inherently drawn 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:52.240 to making art. 0:07:52.520 --> 0:07:54.720 So can everyone do art therapy? 0:07:55.000 --> 0:07:57.760 Right? Who is the ideal person? Because I can't draw. 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:01.680 Everybody has the capacity to engage in the arts. You know, 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:05.240 my specialty is in visual art therapy, but there are 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:10.200 many different kinds of expressive therapies and expressive arts. There's dance, 0:08:10.520 --> 0:08:15.200 there's music, there's drama, there's writing, there's poetry, there's play. 0:08:15.440 --> 0:08:20.000 So all of these forms of expressive abilities are inherent 0:08:20.080 --> 0:08:21.000 in all of us. 0:08:21.440 --> 0:08:23.800 Remember that time when we were in grad school and 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:28.560 we were at your house per use and your mom 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:31.600 was there and we were line dancing with her in 0:08:31.680 --> 0:08:32.680 your living room. 0:08:32.960 --> 0:08:36.560 Oh my goodness. Yes, yes, that. 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:40.320 Was very therapeutic for me. So I could definitely see 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:44.280 how dance can be therapeutic because I was sweating. Your 0:08:44.280 --> 0:08:47.120 mom didn't break a sweat. I was sweating through my clothes. 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:49.720 Had such a good time, And in. 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.200 Fact, these capacities are really. 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:55.960 Healthy and important for us, especially in times where we 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:59.679 deal with such stress, isolation trauma. 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:02.520 Professor King told us that anyone who's seeking therapy can 0:09:02.600 --> 0:09:04.880 try art therapy and you don't need to have any 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:06.160 artistic skills at all. 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:07.360 That's perfect for me. 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:10.719 A lot of people think that they're not creative, so 0:09:10.960 --> 0:09:13.240 they don't want to draw, or I can't draw, I 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:15.920 draw stick figures, you know, and that's very common. And 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:18.360 one of the fun things about it sometimes is that 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:21.439 you learn new things about yourself and new talents that 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:24.160 you have that you may not have realized before. 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:32.920 There are a lot of reasons to go to therapy, 0:09:33.000 --> 0:09:36.360 whether it's processing or healing from a specific experience, or 0:09:36.400 --> 0:09:39.199 if it's even part of just maintaining your overall mental health. 0:09:39.679 --> 0:09:42.920 Professor King mentioned earlier, it's important to remember that our 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:47.920 therapy takes place within the therapeutic context and therapeutic relationship 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:50.360 between the patient and therapist. 0:09:50.400 --> 0:09:54.640 The work of psychotherapy takes place between the therapist and 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:58.760 the client, and there's a triangular relationship with our therapy 0:09:58.840 --> 0:10:01.920 in that the art making process and what the person 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:05.760 makes is really a central part of that. So we 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:09.920 can understand that within the relationship with the therapist, we 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:14.760 have the capacities to rebuild fractured attachment patterns. We have 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:20.079 the capacity to facilitate emotional regulation. A lot of times 0:10:20.080 --> 0:10:25.239 the people that we see in the clinical context are disregulated. Hey, now, pandemic, 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:27.120 everybody's disregulated. 0:10:27.280 --> 0:10:28.679 That makes a lot of sense. 0:10:28.880 --> 0:10:32.960 Yes, a pandemic is not normal. It has become our 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:35.920 new normal, but it is not normal. So we are 0:10:36.000 --> 0:10:39.760 all experiencing this collective dysregulation. 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:43.640 And in previous labs we've learned how disregulation can lead 0:10:43.679 --> 0:10:47.200 to the body's automatic stress response because of the uncertainty 0:10:47.200 --> 0:10:48.000 and anxiety. 0:10:48.200 --> 0:10:50.360 Right, right, that's such a good point, and. 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:51.800 So that brings us right to the brain. 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.440 Yes, and you know, I want to know more about 0:10:54.480 --> 0:10:57.640 what's happening in our brains when we practice art therapy. 0:10:57.920 --> 0:11:01.240 Well, for starters, Juliette says, it's not happening in just 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:02.240 one place. 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:07.080 There's not one targeted area that we would correlate with 0:11:07.160 --> 0:11:11.760 our therapy, but we would correlate artistic activity and creative 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:15.920 activity with whole brain engagement. The more we learn about 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:18.760 the brain is that we are a system of functional 0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:23.800 hubs and networks. Very little is connected to a specific 0:11:24.320 --> 0:11:29.520 biological or physiological or anatomical function in the brain. Our 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:34.800 brain operates in relation to itself. This rests on the 0:11:35.000 --> 0:11:41.280 molecular biological understanding of neuroplasticity, and really it goes back 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:45.080 to the neuron neurons that fire together, wire together. The 0:11:45.160 --> 0:11:50.280 capacity for neuroplasticity is what allows our brains to change 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:54.960 and form different pathways throughout the entire lifespan, which is 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:55.960 really exciting. 0:11:56.200 --> 0:12:00.079 Neuroplasticity means our brains have the capacity to rewire them 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:03.120 selves and form new connections in response to new information, 0:12:03.600 --> 0:12:07.240 sensory stimuli, and following an injury. This is what's happening 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:08.880 in your brain when you're learning, and. 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:11.800 So this potential to change is exciting because you don't 0:12:11.840 --> 0:12:13.320 have to be stuck in your waist and if there's 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:15.679 something you want to do differently, your brain has the 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:17.559 capability to do it differently. Now, that might be a 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:20.880 little bit harder, but once you start walking on that path, 0:12:21.320 --> 0:12:23.760 you just beat it down and it becomes easier. Is 0:12:23.800 --> 0:12:26.480 you're no longer hiking through rough terrain. Right, That's what 0:12:26.520 --> 0:12:29.360 neuroplasticity is. You begin to make a smoother path for 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:31.360 yourself and eventually it's paved. 0:12:31.640 --> 0:12:33.760 I love this analogy, it's a word. 0:12:33.960 --> 0:12:37.960 So when we're little, those neuroplastic capacities are much greater 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:41.160 than when we're ninety five. However, what we know about 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:45.680 the brain is that the capacities for neuroplasticity. 0:12:44.840 --> 0:12:48.360 Span the entire developmental continuum. And what we also know 0:12:48.400 --> 0:12:54.440 about neuroplasticity is the more input we have from sensory, motor, 0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:59.160 visual systems, right, then the more capacities we have to 0:12:59.280 --> 0:12:59.880 change and grow. 0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:04.280 So if more sensory input means more capacity to grow 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:07.840 and change, then art is giving you more input with 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:12.040 more opportunity to change how we regulate or do things. 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:13.520 It seems like I love that. 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:16.080 With that in mind, it feels like with art the 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:20.319 possibilities are endless. Yeah, the capacity to change and grow 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:23.120 is so important because it allows our brains to learn 0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:27.000 new things and make changes. Moving forward and making changes 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:30.160 in our behavior and thought patterns is essential to healing 0:13:30.360 --> 0:13:33.280 and often a really big part of therapy. 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:36.880 Absolutely tt So let's take a break and when we 0:13:36.920 --> 0:13:39.320 come back, we'll talk about how art therapy can help 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:42.240 us find balance during times of stress, the importance of 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:45.960 nonverbal communication, and how different mediums can be used for healing. 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:08.800 We're back and we've been talking with Professor Juliette king 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:12.160 about art therapy. What parts of the brand are stimulated, 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:16.520 and who exactly is art therapy made for? Is everybody? 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:19.000 But before we jump back in, let's talk about what 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:21.920 we're going to be focusing on in next week's lab. 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:25.000 In next week's lab, we're talking all about games, and 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:27.600 strangely we somehow come around to the meaning of life. 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:30.760 We also talk about gamification and tt you tell us 0:14:30.760 --> 0:14:33.480 about one of your recent new favorite games. 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:36.040 Too, Yes, so check it out to make sure you 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:37.840 hear about all that. Tea. 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:39.160 Let's get back to the lab. 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:43.400 We've been talking about how art therapy can help with 0:14:43.440 --> 0:14:47.040 emotional regulation and finding a balance throughout times of stress. 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:50.640 How do we understand how to use our art process 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:54.960 and products and ourselves and that relationship to help with 0:14:55.080 --> 0:14:58.520 emotional regulation and regaining homeostasis. 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:01.760 Our bodies are constant and lea striving for balance, which 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:05.600 is essentially what homeostasis is. Stress disrupts balance and can 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:08.840 lead to dysregulation, like we've been talking about, where it's 0:15:08.880 --> 0:15:11.840 difficult to make decisions because our bodies are stuck in 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:12.880 a stress response. 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:16.200 And we've talked about this stress response in some earlier episodes. 0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:19.160 So fight and flight and freeze, and before we can 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:22.160 understand how to move towards homeostasis, we need to unpack 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:25.800 how our bodies experience, process, and store trauma. 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:31.560 The nature traumatic experiences, the nature of disease and distress. 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:36.920 The nature of stress is such that our systems engage 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:41.720 in an upheaval, a disruption of homeostasis. Things become out 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:45.160 of balance. But what we know from science and using 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:50.320 contemporary neuroimaging such as EEG which measures brain waves or 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:54.240 functional MRI, which actually is looking at the structures and 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:58.760 functions and the brains, is that when we experience stress 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:04.240 adversity than our memory the way that we process that memory, 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:08.040 it gets stored implicitly, meaning it gets stored at a 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:11.840 less conscious level, meaning that it gets stored in our body. 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:14.000 And when memories are stored in our. 0:16:13.840 --> 0:16:17.200 Body, we don't have conscious access to that, and we 0:16:17.320 --> 0:16:19.200 also don't have verbal access. 0:16:19.320 --> 0:16:21.480 You know, I was reading some really interesting things about 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:25.480 how folks think about memories. It's said that a lot 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:30.440 of times we consider memories to be these intact accounts 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:33.480 of what happens, and that they get buried but that's 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:37.800 not actually how they work. There are restructuring or retelling 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:42.760 to preserve self right, and so sometimes we just don't 0:16:42.800 --> 0:16:45.160 remember things or we have buried things because we don't 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:47.440 want to think about them a lot, and we may 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:50.400 not be able to actually recover a full memory, but 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:52.240 we may be able to process through some of the 0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:57.080 feelings we had. It's really a complicated thing considering a 0:16:57.160 --> 0:17:00.720 traumatic event, how you cope around that trial, if you're 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:04.040 even able to cope right, and then what some of 0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:06.880 the effects of those coping mechanisms are. So you may 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:09.439 have high anxiety for a long time, which we know 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:12.720 means you may have different hormonal levels, you may have 0:17:12.840 --> 0:17:17.399 different effects of long term stress physically manifesting from a 0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:18.719 psychological event. 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:22.720 And so what ends up happening also is in the 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:27.440 recall or re experiencing of a trauma, the talking centers 0:17:27.480 --> 0:17:31.040 of the brain aren't working as actively, and so we 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:35.520 see from neuroimaging capacities how different parts of the brain 0:17:35.800 --> 0:17:39.880 aren't operating as fluidly as they might, and so that 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:43.960 too is going to hinder a person's ability to construct 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:48.360 a story, to tell their memory, to put together a narrative. 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:52.000 That's really amazing. So the nature of trauma is that 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:56.520 sometimes we literally can't even talk about it. That's really tough. 0:17:56.880 --> 0:18:00.280 Yeah, And that also gets in the way of this 0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:03.720 really important part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex, 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:06.359 and that's the part of the brain behind our eyes. 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:10.800 That's how we live our life, our organization, our executive functions. Well, 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:16.280 when we're experiencing traumatic events, when we're experiencing emotional upheaval, 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:21.919 then the capacities for our prefrontal cortex to process information, 0:18:22.119 --> 0:18:23.640 to process emotions. 0:18:23.720 --> 0:18:25.880 That also gets steyny. 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:28.639 And that's something we talked about in the So Anxious 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:31.320 episode LAP thirty eight with doctor Wendy Suzuki. 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:33.880 Now that we know that trauma is stored in the body, 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:36.680 something like art therapy makes a lot of sense. Someone 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:39.440 might not be able to use words to talk about 0:18:39.640 --> 0:18:43.880 or process their experience, and that could make healing really difficult. 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:46.280 This makes me think about what Professor King said earlier 0:18:46.400 --> 0:18:49.320 about how art therapy can help people express and understand 0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:53.479 themselves without having conscious access or verbal access to whatever 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:55.480 they're working through in that therapy. 0:18:55.800 --> 0:18:58.119 Now, we live in a verbal society. We live in 0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:01.240 a society that's saying forget the young conscious whatever, let's 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:02.359 just stay focused. 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:07.760 Okay, so exhibit a social media podcast, not this one, though, 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:11.960 keep listening to dope labs. Everybody is talking about something, 0:19:12.080 --> 0:19:15.520 and talking is a primary way of processing our subconscious 0:19:15.560 --> 0:19:18.159 and the primary mode of communication and talk therapy. 0:19:18.520 --> 0:19:22.159 But a lot of times talking just doesn't cut it. 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:26.680 We need other methods to help a person feel safe 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:31.000 enough to understand their situation enough in order to be 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:36.679 able to engage. Art therapy inherently allows for emotional regulation. 0:19:37.119 --> 0:19:40.119 Professor King told us about the importance of nonverbal communication. 0:19:40.400 --> 0:19:43.920 There's so much we say without using words, which is 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:46.520 why I know you give me a hard time for it, 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:50.520 but it's why, hands down, ten times out of ten, 0:19:50.800 --> 0:19:55.000 sometimes eleven, I'm choosing FaceTime for an important conversation. 0:19:57.359 --> 0:19:59.879 That is very true. I know if I hear that 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:03.119 time tone, I know it's the key. I just know. 0:20:03.880 --> 0:20:06.000 If I can hear coming through microfeedter, I'm like, yes, 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:07.240 that's my friend. 0:20:07.960 --> 0:20:10.280 But I think that's because so much of how I communicate, 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:12.639 even though I'm saying a lot of words. You do 0:20:12.720 --> 0:20:15.240 not want these text messages unless you really know me 0:20:15.320 --> 0:20:18.040 and can decide how these things are going you know. 0:20:19.080 --> 0:20:21.119 I totally understand. I understand. 0:20:21.440 --> 0:20:25.639 We use nonverbal communication all the time. That's how we 0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:28.520 come out of the womb when we're born. We experience 0:20:28.600 --> 0:20:33.080 the entire world through our senses. So that really forms 0:20:33.280 --> 0:20:40.040 a strong foundation for how engagement and sensory motor, visual, 0:20:40.400 --> 0:20:45.560 tactile movement. Engaging in these sensory experiences is innately part 0:20:45.560 --> 0:20:48.000 of who we are and innately part of how we 0:20:48.119 --> 0:20:52.560 need to express ourselves. And so this evidence points to 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:57.600 the value of the non verbal sensory therapies and treatment, 0:20:57.680 --> 0:21:01.919 and in fact and society is the expressive therapy is 0:21:01.960 --> 0:21:05.120 not only as an important treatment, but as crucial when 0:21:05.119 --> 0:21:07.239 it is that we're dealing with a lot of the 0:21:07.280 --> 0:21:10.119 mental health and wellness issues that we deal with today. 0:21:10.280 --> 0:21:12.119 When you look back at it, and I think about 0:21:12.280 --> 0:21:14.520 the things that we've learned in a lot of our 0:21:14.560 --> 0:21:18.760 episodes exploring the brain and unpacking and understanding development. Even 0:21:18.840 --> 0:21:21.359 in that book that I recommend it and tt I 0:21:21.359 --> 0:21:23.080 know you read it, Good Morning Monster. 0:21:22.920 --> 0:21:26.520 Oh my gosh, yeah, and Oprah's book What Happened to You? 0:21:26.880 --> 0:21:27.120 Right? 0:21:27.440 --> 0:21:30.000 All of these things make me think about being an 0:21:30.040 --> 0:21:31.800 infant is really traumatizing. 0:21:32.240 --> 0:21:34.200 You have no way to express yourself. 0:21:34.280 --> 0:21:36.159 You're trying to make sense of all these things around us, 0:21:36.800 --> 0:21:38.760 and really our brains don't remember that. 0:21:39.160 --> 0:21:39.320 No. 0:21:39.800 --> 0:21:43.600 I would imagine being birthed into this new world with 0:21:43.680 --> 0:21:47.000 all these like very foreign things. It's like being dropped 0:21:47.000 --> 0:21:48.480 on another planet with aliens. 0:21:48.720 --> 0:21:50.000 Yes, And then all. 0:21:49.960 --> 0:21:52.720 Of a sudden people are like, all right, develop here, 0:21:52.840 --> 0:21:54.800 eat this, drink this, I'm gonna carry you here, I'm 0:21:54.840 --> 0:21:57.720 gonna put you down there. That's scary. Sometimes I think 0:21:57.720 --> 0:21:59.720 about my dog Daisy, like that Daisy. 0:21:59.520 --> 0:22:01.840 Must be like she's barking. You know, you're trying to 0:22:01.920 --> 0:22:04.320 say things. You're trying to express yourself. Think about how 0:22:04.359 --> 0:22:08.240 much babies babble and make noises, but they're trying to learn. Okay, 0:22:08.359 --> 0:22:11.800 how can I tell this person there's poopin on my backside? 0:22:11.920 --> 0:22:12.800 Help right? 0:22:13.040 --> 0:22:15.800 Like, or they'll be in one direction and then all 0:22:15.840 --> 0:22:17.760