Get ready to celebrate diversity, express your unique identity, and unleash your creative spirit as Forward Counseling proudly presents the LGBTQIA+ arts-based process group from July to August 2023, igniting empowerment and self-discovery!

This transformative experience offers a safe and supportive space for LGBTQIA+ individuals, addressing the unique challenges they face, including discrimination and stigma. By fostering open and non-judgmental discussions, this group promotes acceptance and validation, while specialized care tailored to LGBTQIA+ needs greatly contributes to their mental well-being and helps reduce stigma within the community.

Katherine Brown, LPC-MHSP, EdD, of Forward Counseling brings her expertise in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, body image, self-esteem, anger management, and transition issues, offering a holistic approach to therapy. Integrated therapeutic modalities such as narrative therapy, somatic experiential techniques, emotion-focused therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, attachment theory, and inner child work further enhance the transformative journey of self-discovery and healing.

Now, let's dive into an exclusive insider's scoop and discover the essential aspects of the art-based process group directly from the group facilitator herself, Katherine Brown.

The Power of Art in Therapy

· What is an arts-based process group, and how does it benefit therapy?

“An arts-based process group is one where individuals can share their emotions around their personal experiences while concurrently working on planned artistic activities including but not limited to painting, sketching, sculpting, collaging/vision boarding, weaving, and beading. This approach is therapeutically beneficial because it allows for deeper experiencing and understanding of emotions as the act of creating art engages clients more comprehensively than standard talk therapy. In other words, the act of using one's hands to transform materials into artistic creations can provide a sense of agency and pride. Clients often find that the movements they make with their hands and arms to create the art is soothing and grounding. Having an outlet in which to pour one's emotions is also beneficial because clients get to let emotions flow into the materials and the final product they create, and have a physical representation of whatever they're feeling and discussing.”

·How can art-making and creative expression help individuals explore their emotions, thoughts, and experiences? 

“Sometimes, it's easier and feels safer to show or represent our emotions, thoughts, and experiences than it is to talk about them. This is particularly true for traumatic content and memories, when discussing traumatic experiences can be harmful to clients' nervous systems in that recalling vivid details can be like a re-living of traumatic events for some clients, and can be vicariously traumatizing for other group participants. Also, trauma is very wide-reaching in that it affects the entire nervous system, not just the brain, so art-making and creative expression helps clients explore the knowledge that is held in the body, which is quite a different way of knowing than analyzing with the mind.”

·In what ways does engaging in the creative process benefit LGBTQIA+ individuals in therapy?

"LGBTQIA+ history is rich with creativity, and Queer-centered spaces have historically grown around spaces that are also artistic. Currently, LGBTQIA+ individuals and groups are facing an onslaught of bigoted legislation and have for centuries been the targets of discrimination and hate. I think that perhaps now more than ever, Queer people need outlets for creative engagements in supportive contexts. In the group program I have created, I aim to send the message that Queer people are not to be discriminated against or even just tolerated, but are to be celebrated and supported."

Creating a Safe and Supportive Space

• What efforts are made to foster a sense of belonging and validation for participants?

"This group is specified as being only for Queer people, and that specification is made clear during the pre-screening interview participants have with me individually prior to the group starting. This pre-screening interview is an opportunity for me to get to know participants, including their needs and wants through group participation. This interview also serves as a chance to screen out anybody who might be trying to join for the wrong reasons or for anyone who exhibits antisocial or potentially dangerous (physically or emotionally) behaviors.

As the group facilitator, I proudly and openly own my queerness and communicate that to participants during the pre-screening interview. Some of the first questions I ask during this interview are,

"What are your pronouns?"

"How do you identify?"

These simple questions start the process off with a safe and supportive stance. Finally, participants are encouraged to engage respectfully in the group process, to respect others’ boundaries, and to allow time and space for everyone who wishes to share to be able to do so."

Overcoming Barriers to Expression

• Why is it important to address the difficulty some individuals face in expressing themselves verbally?

“Clients need to know that therapy does not have to involve just talking and thinking. In the arts-based process group, participants are free to speak openly to the extent that they feel comfortable doing so. But it's also ok if participants don't want to talk as much, and prefer to concentrate on their creative activity, listen, and observe the group interactions. Nobody has to feel put on the spot and participants are free to share spontaneously while creating art at the same time. I think it’s also important to reiterate that people don’t always have the words to accurately describe what they’re going through, and in these cases, arts-based endeavors offer another outlet for communication and self-expression.”

• How does the arts-based approach challenge the stigma surrounding therapy and promote inclusivity?

“An arts-based approach to therapy can work against power dynamics/hierarchies in traditional therapeutic settings, where the therapist/facilitator is seen as the expert who runs the show, so to speak. In the arts-based process group, I believe that each participant is the expert on their own lives, identities, and how they choose to express themselves. As a group facilitator, I actually take a de-centered stance and encourage participants to run the discussion and go in the directions they see fit, according to the topics they wish to verbalize and share. I position myself on the outskirts of the group and provide art supplies, prompts, questions, and topics to consider while letting participants respond to what they wish. As the group facilitator, I emphasize repeatedly that artistic talent and/or training is not necessary at all; I share some of my own creations with the participants to solidify that point. Another factor I’d like to note about my group is that it is open to a wide range of ages. The teen group is for adolescents aged 13-17, while the adult group is for anyone 18 and older. Sharing intergenerational pieces of knowledge and experiences can work toward dismantling traditional power dynamics and even the playing field, so to speak, because what each person shares is treated as important and equally valid. Finally, another effort to challenge the stigma surrounding therapy and promote inclusivity is that invite participant to make themselves as comfortable as possible, and participants often choose to sit on the floor surrounding a low table. I encourage participants to get their hands dirty, make a bit of a mess, and shed as much anxiety as they can as they engage in the process.”

• In what ways does the group address the unique needs and experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals?

“I've designed each session of the arts-based process group to include prompts, questions, and discussion points that are specific to the Queer experience and even more specifically, to the experience of being a Queer person in the American South during these times. I also encourage participants to really get to know each other. Often, socializing outside of therapy groups is discouraged, but for the needs of the Queer population in the Memphis area, I believe it is imperative to expand connections and build social support systems. Therefore, I actually encourage communication among participants outside of the group.”

This transformative art-based process group and experience celebrate diversity, foster empowerment, and encourages self-discovery as participants engage in creative expression and find solace in a safe and supportive space. Forward Counseling is committed to prioritizing the mental well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community, providing specialized care, promoting inclusivity, and challenging the stigma surrounding therapy. Join us on this extraordinary journey of celebration, support, and growth as together we build connections and celebrate the vibrant spirit of the LGBTQIA+ community.