Therapeutic Art Journal Prompt

Document a happy experience you had

Using various art tools, document a happe experience you recently had. Create a visual representation of the event, the feelings, and the joy 😊

Share your progress and final result 👏

Life Reflection Collage

The Life Reflection Collage will allow you to honor the moment you are experiencing. Choose images that represent your current feelings. Think of this as a mood board. Accepting current feelings is a way to really experience them and release them. Look for objects, places, and colors that express your current mood. You can be creative with where you place each item and how the items interact with one another.

BENEFIT: Improves emotional regulation

Exercise time: Allow yourself 50 minutes to complete this exercise

MATERIALS: Magazines Scissors Glue 1 sheet of 18-by-24-inch heavy-weight drawing paper

STEPS: 1.Using the magazines, find a headline that matches how you feel today. Cut out the headline.

My Feelings Chart

Each of our emotions relates to specific experiences. In this exercise you will be asked to draw an experience in which you’ve related to various emotions. This is an opportunity to reflect on the last time you experienced each emotion. I’ve had clients who have had a difficult time remembering the last time they felt genuine feelings of happiness. It’s important to nurture your inner world and allow yourself to appreciate and enjoy life.

BENEFITS: Identifies personal feelings and helps gain mastery and regulation over emotions

MATERIALS: 1 sheet of 18-by-24-inch heavy-weight drawing paper Scissors Pen Colored pencils Oil pastels

STEPS:

1.Cut the sheet of paper into 8 equal squares.

With all that is happening globally and locally, it can trigger traumatic responses to situations that they may be considered 'normal'. This sometimes results in 'overreacting to small mishaps.

Traumatic events can include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, wars/combat, assaults, and other violent crimes. Individuals with PTSD may experience symptoms months or years after the event. Symptoms of PTSD can include nightmares, unwanted memories of the event, heightened reactions, anxiety, or depression. This exercise will help you clarify the order of the events that took place right before, during, and after the traumatic event. Many people who experience a traumatic event have difficulty recalling the details because they were in shock. By drawing out the events, it can help you retell the story to integrate it into your memory.

STEPS:

1.Use a drawing pencil to draw three lines to divide the paper into equal sections.

2.In the first section…

My Safe Place

Creating a safe place on paper can assist you in relieving anxiety when you experience a trigger. A trigger is a noise, smell, or sight that makes you feel panicked because it’s associated with a negative experience. A trauma trigger is a stimulus that transports you back to the original trauma. Triggers are different for everyone. The Safe Place drawing can be used as a visual image to help you think of a safe space when triggers occur. The purpose of creating a safe place is to allow you to relax and bring feelings of security to mind. If your trauma was too intense and you find it difficult to think of an image of a safe place, try using a metaphor. Examples include a sunset, a beach scene, or a clubhouse.

STEPS: 1.Think of a place where you feel most comfortable (outside, inside, or a fantas…

Heart Strings Drawing

Many people hold stress in their heart, which is both physically and mentally dangerous. Drawing a heart and adding metaphorical color provides an opportunity to heal emotions by creating a tangible way to confront the stress in your heart. A way to tackle stress is to develop coping tools such as gratitude, support from friends, talking to someone, forgiveness, helping someone else, or making an art date.

BENEFIT: Improves emotional regulation and coping skills

Exercise time: 1 hour

MATERIALS: Printed image of an outline of a heart 1 sheet of 18-by-24-inch heavy-weight drawing paper Scissors Glue Colored pencils Acrylic paint Paintbrushes Cup of water

STEPS: 1.Print out an outline of a heart from the Internet or, if you prefer, draw a large heart on the sheet of paper with the colored pencils. If you’ve printed a heart from the Internet, cut out the outline and then use…