Process Not Perfection
Expressive Arts Solutions for Trauma Recovery
by Jamie Marich
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I have lots of arts and crafts materials in my office and at home yet I've been known to discount the value of my own expression by saying "I'm not very creative...I'm more on the practical side". Dr Jamie Marich's book Process NOT Perfection: Expressive Arts Solutions for Trauma Recovery totally speaks to me personally and has definitely expanded my presence and skills professionally.
Dr. Marich is very intentional in her wording throughout this groundbreaking (Jamie is known for breaking the ground and the ceilings in the helping professional world) workbook. I love that she purposely uses the word "expressive" rather than "creative" for folks like me. This book brings in such a myriad of ways to process traumatic grief that traditional "talk therapy" can't reach. The book provides 90 different practices (with tons of suggestions for modifications) so this also appealed to the "practical" side of me.
When this book first came out 2019 and I found out she was coming to Los Angeles to give a training based on it I ordered the book and signed up right away.
Here's a basic outline of the contents of the book:
Introduction: DON'T SKIP OVER THIS PART It helps to find out Jamie's philosophy in creating this (from the many workshops she had been giving over several years), which is centered on the understanding the terms practice and process.
"A practice is an action that we take to connect with a set intention...In expressive arts work, the noun process refers to a series of practices using multiple expressive forms in an interactive way".
Jamie has taken 15 processes and lays out 6 practices for each process. I like the way she has organized them in 3 sections: Preparing, Deepening and Manifesting which works within a 3 stage model of trauma-focused care.
Within the Preparing section she has 5 processes: Grounding, Breathing, Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion.
Within each of those processes she presents 6 practices. For Grounding the practices are: Grounding Tree Visualization, Tree Pose, Moving the Branches, Gush Art, Taking it to the Page and Hold Your Ground. Each practice suggests different expressive ways to engage and includes modification notes.
Through this book I have felt invited to try so many ways to express myself which has been damned uncomfortable, liberating, inspiring and ultimately expansive in my heart and soul.
Here is a link to Dr Jamie Marich's website for more information about her, her work, and her play. There are a crazy amount of resources that she also offers on her website too!!