Open Art Studio in Long Island

Weekly Group with Cirri

Fall-Winter 2023

Tuesdays at 11:30am-1:00pm

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Your anxiety shadows the love for yourself and others…

You feel like you’ve seen progress in your healing journey, but still struggle with anxiety. It makes it so hard to feel connected with your partner, with your kids, at work or with friends. You talk about it in therapy, but you can’t seem to make changes in how you are feeling when you are with others.

You know you want and need deeper connections, but your experience with anxiety makes it challenging to take those first steps out of your comfort zone.

Sometimes you struggle to even understand yourself, how could you begin to feel understood or connected to others?

You feel like you need a little push, to try something different, out-of-the-box, and maybe then you will experience a shift.

Hoping and longing to feel comfortable in your skin when you are in a group of strangers, or to have confidence when you are with your partner.

Get support and stop facing your anxiety alone.

Art therapy provides an opportunity for you to express what words cannot.

Research proves that Art Therapy Groups can help….Here’s how! You’re able to share (if you want!) about your inspirations behind your artwork and being learning to be more comfortable expressing your inner thoughts and feelings. Groups provide a safe space to feel less alone or isolated where you will be supported in finding creative ways to cope with challenges, while also growing meaningful connections with others.

This group will be a place to land each week: to relax, connect, freely express and de-stress, supporting shifts that leave you feeling more energized and less anxious!

Kind Words From Our Past Participants

What To Expect

This group is led by Licensed Creative Art Therapist Cirri Shafran

Participants can expect to have the choice of these two options each week;

1. To express themselves freely with a variety of art materials and have the opportunity to let-go, unwind, and “just be” (and/or)

2. Be guided through creative and engaging exercises that will utilize evidence-based expressive arts interventions aimed to support:

• developing deeper levels of self-awareness

• healing exercises for anxiety

• connect with others through creativity

• experiencing the naturally soothing/cathartic nature of art making

• express yourself based on monthly themes and weekly exercises (ex. relationships, habits, change, grief)

  
  

The Details

• An “open” group that allows for flexibility in the group experience

• Small size 8-10 participants each week

• Tuesday mornings 11:30am-1:00pm EST at the Integrative Psychotherapy Office (Suite 1000)

• Begins November 14th,2023

• $50 per session

• This group requires the completion of an application to ensure we are creating the safest group environment (linked below)

• Once application is completed you will receive a link to schedule via an online portal

• A wide variety of art supplies provided and an optional weekly theme/exercise included in the fee

Materials Offered

Get creative with……

• Colored pencils, crayons, oil pastels, gel pens, markers

• Watercolor paint, acrylic paint, water-soluble pastels

• Model magic, air-dry clay

• 3-D materials; picture frames, mugs, masks, boxes, Russian nesting dolls

• Building materials; cardboard, fabric, string, ribbon, hot glue/glue-stick/paste

• Embellishments; feathers, glitter, sequins, beads, etc

• Nature materials; shells, stones, twigs, rice, etc.

• various types of paper, scrapbooking, construction paper, tissue paper, etc.

Have more questions?

Check out these FAQ’s or leave a more detailed question when you reach out!

Do I need to be in individual therapy in order to sign up?

No! You do not need to be individual therapy to sign up, although it is recommended. There are added benefits of being able to process what you discover in the group with your individual therapist, as this group will not engage in heavy individual processing. All varying therapeutic experiences and comfort levels are welcome.

Do I need to bring my own art supplies?

No! All materials will provided and are included in the fee, bring only yourself!

I’m not an artist, will I be able to participate in this group and get something out of it?

Absolutely! In Art Therapy we have a phrase “there is no right or wrong way to express yourself”.

The goal is not to be an artist, but to express yourself with art media (maybe for the first time), tap into your unique creative ways of expression (everyone is different and thats okay), experience the art process (it can be powerful and soothing), and learn from the art product. All levels of experience with art mediums are welcome!

How much is the group cost per week?

The group will cost $50 per week.

(sliding scale available. inquire within)

What is this open studio NOT going to help with?

This group will not help with processing individual traumatic or past experiences.

Although group members are free to share brief details into their experiences, so we may better understand their present struggles, the group is aimed to be supportive in the present moment and is not structured as a “psychotherapy” group in which in-depth processing will take place.

Can I become friends with the people outside of the group or are there group rules?

Often people do create meaningful relationships from group settings, but it varies depending on the guidelines/rules created by each group. Cirri will discuss outside connections and relationships during this first guideline creating session.

Has your practice run a group like this before?

Yes, here is a video of a past Open Art Studio that Allison Harari ran a year and a half.