127 pages, published April 2023 with Silver Nettle Press.
Here, Blooming is a personal exploration of anxiety using mindful art therapy. Through the use of tailored directives and the resulting free writes, poetry, and art, the topic of anxiety is explored in an attentive way, resulting in an understanding and acceptance of it as it lives in the art therapist’s body. By integrating an approach of mindful curiosity with that of a willingness to learn, a relationship is cultivated between anxiety and the art therapist: one of listening, caring, and empathy. Through this comes the recognition that, though anxiety may reside in the self, it’s not there as an adversary; it’s only trying to communicate messages long ignored.
Here, Blooming was part of Catherine’s thesis for her graduate degree in art therapy.
If you’re looking for a PDF version of this book, you can find it here.