"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world, and a desire to enjoy the world...This makes it difficult to enjoy the day."- E.B. White Despite it all, the inner and outer drama of life - it is important to find time to let go and allow a sense of fun and aliveness into our days. My experience has shown that stepping away from challenges mentally (and sometimes physically) can give us a mini-vacation. This can help interrupt the fearful thinking and remember what is positive and precious in our lives. Yet, this is easier said then done! And, 'fun' is different for everyone. ...

“As a therapist, I get to help people change their stories.” -Lori Gottlieb, Therapist, Author There has been a lot of publicity about therapy these days. People are speaking about their therapy experiences on podcasts and radio shows, writing books about it, and being real about therapy on social media. You might consider this to be a golden age of therapy, as the information that is being presented is very positive. Basically, the gist is, 'therapy works’. Being in therapy can significantly improve one's life, and often helps to save lives. This is a strong contrast to the stigma surrounding mental health that has discouraged people from going to ...

I was recently highlighted as one of the recovery profiles in The Sobriety Collective blog. Laura Silverman is the creator of this fun and useful recovery hub for people either "self-identifying as in recovery from substance use disorder and/or mental health concerns or sober-curious." This profile gives a window into my addiction/recovery story and shares some of my top creative recovery tools. Find my blog profile HERE.

Find my interview on The Unruffled Podcast  hosted by Tammi Salas and Sondra Primeaux. They explore all topics related to creativity and recovery.  I so appreciated their questions/comments, and am inspired by the attention and passion they bring to the podcast. "This week on the podcast, Tammi Salas and I welcome Adriana Marchione. Adriana Marchione MA, REAT, RSMT, Director has been involved in the arts for over 25 years, from filmmaker to Argentine tango dancer to expressive arts therapist. She’s also been in recovery for as long. If there is a recurring theme in this conversation, it is how art can save ...

I recently lost a dear artist friend, Marlene Aron. Marlene passed away suddenly, a few days before her last art retrospective in San Francisco. Her death had a strong impact on so many people because Marlene led a life that sent out ripples of inspiration. I did not see Marlene often. We didn't keep in active touch but she was a constant in my life. I always knew Marlene was creating art and involved in her creative communities. I would see notices of the Van Gogh lectures that Marlene gave at local libraries, and her art openings exhibiting her environmental installations and/or art canvases made of ...

25 Professionals Share the Best Ways to Support Someone Who is Grieving I was recently approached by Sympathy Messages who have a really useful website that helps people write sympathy cards, and send messages to people who have experienced grief or loss. She asked 25 professionals who work with grief to share their thoughts. I wrote a section for her about my perspective on grief through the lens of creativity. Click here to read the full blog:  https://www.sympathymessageideas.com/expert-grief-support/ Here is a portion of my blurb: "I would not say that I’m an expert on grief, but I do know grief ...

“To me, beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about knowing and accepting who you are.” - Ellen Degeneres As a Somatic Movement Therapist, I help people to understand their bodies better through sensory awareness and self inquiry. We listen to the body's sensations, memories and wisdom through quiet reflection, meditation or movement. Inhabiting one’s body is a great gift, as it gives us access to all of our senses and human experiences.  The way we perceive our appearance shapes our ‘body image’. Unfortunately, many people find their bodies to be a source of stress and disturbance. ...

Art is vital in my work and I present it in different forms depending on who I’m with and the specific setting. I may use art for pure expression, self-awareness and reflection, community support, as a form of therapy, or as a spiritual practice. For several years I’ve been exploring the idea of ‘art ritual’. An art ritual is a creative exercise that is performed to encourage healing and/or growth. It can be done by oneself, or be performed with a small or large group. I especially like to incorporate art rituals when working with difficult issues such as grief ...

 Searching for the 'Real You' “…false You’s - the imitative You, the too-clever You, the Avoiding You - and (how to) settle into that (sometimes, at first, disappointing) beast, Real You. Real You is all you have, and all other paths are false. And in the best case, Real You is so happy to finally be recognized, it rewards you with Originality…” George Saunders, Writer Have you ever wished you could be someone else? Or felt a disconnect between how you feel inside versus how you are perceived? I certainly have, and work with many people who grapple with who ...

I was fortunate to be invited to teach and train professionals in Seoul, South Korea this spring. I spent two weeks in the heart of Seoul getting to know the culture and the dedicated people who live and work there. My host was Jung Myung Lee, the director of Tamalpa South Korea, a branch of Tamalpa Institute in Marin County, a movement based expressive arts therapy training program. Jung Myung organized my teaching work in the training programs at Tamalpa South Korea, with a psychiatric group, offering an inservice to staff at a trauma center, and facilitating a 3 day public workshop to professionals. My teaching in South Korea was focused on the big issues of addiction, ...