Clare McCarthy Clare McCarthy

Art Therapy Explained: How Creativity Supports Mental Health

Art therapy spans a variety of approaches, all of which use creativity to externalize the internal process and engage the brain-body connection through sensory feedback. Studio art therapy offers a human-centered and intuitive approach to art making within a therapeutic context

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Clare McCarthy Clare McCarthy

Creative Acceptance: How Art Therapy Enhances ACT’s Core Principles

Combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with art therapy can be a powerful way to help people heal and grow. ACT focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that align with personal values. Art therapy uses creative expression to explore inner experiences. Using these approaches together offers a mindful blend of meaning making and individual self-expression.

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Clare McCarthy Clare McCarthy

Therapy Dog Interventions Shown to Reduce Stress Hormones in Children

A randomized controlled study provides crucial evidence that therapy dog interventions can successfully reduce stress (as reflected in decreased cortisol levels) in school aged children. What are other clinical implications for animal-assisted-interventions on children’s learning and wellbeing?

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