Intern Resources and Research
We are lucky enough to have a few high school interns with us over the coming months. Please feel free to look at and take advantage of their research! Keep in mind this is often their initial foray into the world of psychology, so if you have any questions or are interested in learning more after looking at what they have created, you are welcome to get in touch with Emery at any time.
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Ruva's Research on Art Therapy for Black Athletes 
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Mia Stewart's Research on Creative Arts Therapy and Anxiety in Teens https://create.piktochart.com/output/54205669-anxiety-in-teens |
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Emma Stone's Research on Art Therapy and OCD https://create.piktochart.com/output/51849510-ocd-and-art-therapy |
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Lily Simmons' Research on Art Therapy and Eating Disorders https://create.piktochart.com/output/51852684-art-therapy-for-eating-disorders |
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Emma Stone's Research on Art Therapy and PTSD https://create.piktochart.com/output/52267178-art-therapy-and-ptsd |
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Yufei "Lillian" Xie's Research on Art Therapy,Rumination, and Anxiety https://create.piktochart.com/output/52478448-anxiety |
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Yufei "Lillian" Xie's Research on Healing Practices for Rumination https://create.piktochart.com/output/52617260-therapy |
Intern Reflections
At the end of their internship, each intern writes up a reflection about the time they spent learning about creative arts therapy. Here are some of their thoughts.
Grace Thomas - Madeira Class of 2021
May 2021
Art Therapy Reflection
At the end of my four weeks of interning at Water and Stone, I can now say I know how to create the feeling of being grounded through art and reflection.When I first began this internship, I did not know what to expect. I did not know how much art I would have to create, which was slightly daunting for someone who does not consider themselves to be an artist. I did not know how much I would be interacting with people and who those people would be,and I did not know how much freedom I would be given both in my work and outside of it.
When we were first instructed to create art for 10minutes everyday starting with a circle of any size on a piece of paper, I was both fearful that it wouldn’t be good and excited to see if I could create something from nothing. I now embrace this activity. My drawings have progressed from silly images,from when I struggled to dig deeper or reflect on how I felt or how my day went, to simple images that contain colors, objects, or scenes that reflect how I feel. My most favorite reflective drawing was when Ms. Mikel told us to draw an image of someone picking an apple from a tree. When another intern and I showed our drawings it struck me how different we drew the scene from our setting, to how realistic it was, to the colors. This simple activity showed me that art is a spectrum and individualistic. My fear about drawing something correctly or well was misplaced. The only thing required of me was to reflect myself in some way through my drawings.
This newfound freedom aided me in my exploration of black athletes’ mental health. My research when creating this resource provided me with a new view of activities such as collaging or listening to music. Personally, after reading about the benefits of music and listening to Ms. Mikel speak about using it as a form of therapy or reflection ourselves,whenever I now listen to music I am able to feel the words or tunes of the songs in a way I was notable to before. Finding a connection to a piece of music can be moving, especially when you find a song that perfectly exemplifies how you feel.
Art has no limits or bounds. Art can be sad, loud,lonely, freeing, complex, joyful and everything in between. I allowed myself to connect with my feelings and identity for 10 minutes everyday and am immensely grateful for it. I hope to find these minutes of quiet as often as possible throughout my life and I encourage others to do as well.
May 2021
Art Therapy Reflection
At the end of my four weeks of interning at Water and Stone, I can now say I know how to create the feeling of being grounded through art and reflection.When I first began this internship, I did not know what to expect. I did not know how much art I would have to create, which was slightly daunting for someone who does not consider themselves to be an artist. I did not know how much I would be interacting with people and who those people would be,and I did not know how much freedom I would be given both in my work and outside of it.
When we were first instructed to create art for 10minutes everyday starting with a circle of any size on a piece of paper, I was both fearful that it wouldn’t be good and excited to see if I could create something from nothing. I now embrace this activity. My drawings have progressed from silly images,from when I struggled to dig deeper or reflect on how I felt or how my day went, to simple images that contain colors, objects, or scenes that reflect how I feel. My most favorite reflective drawing was when Ms. Mikel told us to draw an image of someone picking an apple from a tree. When another intern and I showed our drawings it struck me how different we drew the scene from our setting, to how realistic it was, to the colors. This simple activity showed me that art is a spectrum and individualistic. My fear about drawing something correctly or well was misplaced. The only thing required of me was to reflect myself in some way through my drawings.
This newfound freedom aided me in my exploration of black athletes’ mental health. My research when creating this resource provided me with a new view of activities such as collaging or listening to music. Personally, after reading about the benefits of music and listening to Ms. Mikel speak about using it as a form of therapy or reflection ourselves,whenever I now listen to music I am able to feel the words or tunes of the songs in a way I was notable to before. Finding a connection to a piece of music can be moving, especially when you find a song that perfectly exemplifies how you feel.
Art has no limits or bounds. Art can be sad, loud,lonely, freeing, complex, joyful and everything in between. I allowed myself to connect with my feelings and identity for 10 minutes everyday and am immensely grateful for it. I hope to find these minutes of quiet as often as possible throughout my life and I encourage others to do as well.
Grace Thomas - Madeira Class of 2021
May 2021
Reflection:
For me, realizing the power art therapy holds was a duh moment. The very nature of art is expressive. Art is an extension of oneself and your views. Yet, I underestimated the impact creating art can have on us “ordinary” non-tortured artist types.
Growing up I loved making art. My favorite class was always art, and I was in art camp all summer long. When I reached high school more serious and “important” subjects had priority and I never had the time to take an art class. My love for art did not disappear, just did not have anywhere to go. Not only did I not have the time, but I found that creating art without any structure or guidance was overwhelming. I thought it was better to never start than it was to start and “fail”. Many are like me, perfectionists with negative self-talk, and can identify with feeling overwhelmed when seeing a blank piece of paper. You think you have one chance to create a worthy (whatever that means) piece of art and you do not want to mess up the perfection of the paper. While it is very hard to let go of this notion, over the past five weeks I have been telling myself “there is no one right way to feel so there is no one right way to express your feelings”.
The exercise Ms. Mikel introduced me to is a great way to build a healthy relationship with art making. She told us to get out a small (ish) piece of paper and draw a circle on it. Every day I spent a few minutes drawing. If you try this exercise you will quickly understand how helpful 1) the size of the paper is and 2) the circle is in making art approachable. Creating something that reflects how I feel forces me to slow down and really reflect on how I am doing. When I made my small piece of art in the morning I went through my day with a greater awareness of myself and my emotional state. As a result, I was able to show more compassion or know when to challenge myself. When I made my small piece of art before bed I released whatever stress or other feeling into my art making and went to sleep with a greater sense of peace.
I am very grateful for my experience here and to Ms. Mikel and I hope to continue incorporating art into my daily routine!
May 2021
Reflection:
For me, realizing the power art therapy holds was a duh moment. The very nature of art is expressive. Art is an extension of oneself and your views. Yet, I underestimated the impact creating art can have on us “ordinary” non-tortured artist types.
Growing up I loved making art. My favorite class was always art, and I was in art camp all summer long. When I reached high school more serious and “important” subjects had priority and I never had the time to take an art class. My love for art did not disappear, just did not have anywhere to go. Not only did I not have the time, but I found that creating art without any structure or guidance was overwhelming. I thought it was better to never start than it was to start and “fail”. Many are like me, perfectionists with negative self-talk, and can identify with feeling overwhelmed when seeing a blank piece of paper. You think you have one chance to create a worthy (whatever that means) piece of art and you do not want to mess up the perfection of the paper. While it is very hard to let go of this notion, over the past five weeks I have been telling myself “there is no one right way to feel so there is no one right way to express your feelings”.
The exercise Ms. Mikel introduced me to is a great way to build a healthy relationship with art making. She told us to get out a small (ish) piece of paper and draw a circle on it. Every day I spent a few minutes drawing. If you try this exercise you will quickly understand how helpful 1) the size of the paper is and 2) the circle is in making art approachable. Creating something that reflects how I feel forces me to slow down and really reflect on how I am doing. When I made my small piece of art in the morning I went through my day with a greater awareness of myself and my emotional state. As a result, I was able to show more compassion or know when to challenge myself. When I made my small piece of art before bed I released whatever stress or other feeling into my art making and went to sleep with a greater sense of peace.
I am very grateful for my experience here and to Ms. Mikel and I hope to continue incorporating art into my daily routine!
Yufei "Lillian" Xie - Madeira Class of 2022
March 2021
My Growth
Time interning at Water & Stone flew by, and I learned so much from Ms. Mikel, the therapists, and trying various arts. Arts is more than merely hues, shapes, or texture for me now. Arts is a way of living and a window to peek inside my inner world.
At the first time of my internship, Ms. Mikel asked me to draw every day on a small blank paper for ten to fifteen minutes. I was nervous at first as I considered myself a wrong drawer. I sincerely believed that a five year old kid can create something more visually beautiful. However, drawing is not merely about how colorful or pretty the picture looks. Drawing is also about the process. How does it feel to use colored pen to scratch on the paper; how much energy does it take to develop a topic of the painting; how does the breathe help during the creation. Not only are hands and eyes involved in the process, but the whole body is also like a gigantic pen, creating doodles on the white. Instead of caring exclusively about my paper, I focus more on my body. I notice the air going through my nose, my throat, and finally reach my lungs. I realize I tend to use more bright colors when I am anxious and uneasy. I feel more grounded and settled after drawing each day. As Ms. Mikel mentioned to me, art therapy is not all about how talented you are as an artist but how arts help you calm down.
I could not say enough about how amazing the internship is. This experience totally changes my views towards therapy and arts. As I wake up each morning, I cannot wait but to grab out my pens and enjoy the magic of art.
March 2021
My Growth
Time interning at Water & Stone flew by, and I learned so much from Ms. Mikel, the therapists, and trying various arts. Arts is more than merely hues, shapes, or texture for me now. Arts is a way of living and a window to peek inside my inner world.
At the first time of my internship, Ms. Mikel asked me to draw every day on a small blank paper for ten to fifteen minutes. I was nervous at first as I considered myself a wrong drawer. I sincerely believed that a five year old kid can create something more visually beautiful. However, drawing is not merely about how colorful or pretty the picture looks. Drawing is also about the process. How does it feel to use colored pen to scratch on the paper; how much energy does it take to develop a topic of the painting; how does the breathe help during the creation. Not only are hands and eyes involved in the process, but the whole body is also like a gigantic pen, creating doodles on the white. Instead of caring exclusively about my paper, I focus more on my body. I notice the air going through my nose, my throat, and finally reach my lungs. I realize I tend to use more bright colors when I am anxious and uneasy. I feel more grounded and settled after drawing each day. As Ms. Mikel mentioned to me, art therapy is not all about how talented you are as an artist but how arts help you calm down.
I could not say enough about how amazing the internship is. This experience totally changes my views towards therapy and arts. As I wake up each morning, I cannot wait but to grab out my pens and enjoy the magic of art.
Lily Simmons - Madeira Class of 2021
February 2021
Speaking with art therapists, research, photography, watercolors, art therapy exercises, blogs. Every element from these past five weeks has been engaging and important to me.
I learned about the art therapists’ unique journeys to this important job. It was interesting to learn about how they used to view art and therapy versus how they now view these topics. Even if this is not a future job for me, I still hope to possess the qualities that these art therapists hold: empathy, strength of character, and compassion.
I researched art therapy’s effects, specifically on people suffering with eating disorders. It was amazing to learn about the different types of art and their impacts: song-writing, drumming, painting. I enjoyed creating some creative activities that people could try at home if they were struggling. The thought of even one person feeling peace from one of these activities is incredible. This research felt important to me.
The daily art was so impactful. I found myself loosening up through the daily mandala drawings, as there was less structure as time went on. I love looking back on a given day and connecting each detail to what was going on at that time. My fellow intern Emma and I painted on the side, and it was so nice to discuss our art with each other and Ms. Mikel.
After these five weeks, I feel more capable of expressing myself and less judgemental of my work and emotions. I feel informed about art therapy and can’t help talking about it with anyone I speak to!!
I am a leo and have always felt connected to the lion. I hope to be loyal, passionate, and bold. This lion possesses these qualities with confidence.
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Everything is not what it seems, and I think it’s important to acknowledge this within yourself and others. |
Art therapist Jenn emphasized the importance in connection and embracing the people we love everyday. This is what I crave. |
Art therapist Jenn emphasized the importance in connection and embracing the people we love everyday. This is what I crave. |
Emma Stone - Madeira Class of 2021
February 2021
New Connections
It is an interesting think to get to know yourself. Working at Water & Stone I could truly do this through interactions with myself and what I was feeling. One way I did this was completing a small daily drawing of flowers along with the other art I was creating. At the end of the day, I could surprise myself with the colors I picked, with the lines that my pen made. Creating these small things, I felt a connection with myself; like me and me were on a little lunch date.
An equally beautiful thing is getting to know other people and places. Getting to know Water & Stone is honestly one of the greatest pleasures I have had. Everyone here is kind and open, it is a wonderful community of people. From interviewing specific therapists to attending supervision groups where therapists can open up about anything they’d like, each conversation was meaningful to me.
Along with that, being able to contribute to the company in ways that are significant to me. I was able to do projects involving things I was passionate about, and that to me was the ultimate gift. And the reality is, when you are passionate about something, the work comes out better. Whether that meant a blog post or an infographic, everything I did for this internship was enjoyable for me. In the morning after speaking with Ms. Mikel, I would immediately get excited for all that I was going to do that day.
Last but not least, this internship allowed me to do art, one of my favorite things to do. I went on a journey with my art over these past five weeks, and I have learned the depth to each piece of art one creates.
This internship was truly meaningful to me, and I have made new connections that I am sure I will integrate into my life every day.
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