Symbolic Projections

Making time to reflect on what has been one roller-coaster of a year. 2016 began on a high note, after the completion of the #creativedeed365 project from the year before. It took a couple weeks, but I was soon all wrapped up in mandalas once more. Re-Covering Creative Tracks (March) The Courage to be Pregnant and a Therapist: Over 12 Months Ago... Another Spark of Life First Trimester: Changes in Imagery & Practices Resilience Through the Second Trimester Planned Birth & Other Fairy Tales Postpartum Blues After Maternity Leave The Mindless Doodle ...and 2016 draws to a close.

So after the baby finally comes - you get to go home and be a happy little family. Right!? Late one August night. Eventually, yes. However, as many "what to expect" and "new mom" books foretell, after the baby exits, your body starts re-calibrating itself. The first few days to weeks are intense. There's physical healing that needs to take place, returning your bits to their new "normal". There's a flush of retained fluids, and hormones are all over the place. All while navigating sleep deprivation and being chewed-on (if you're BF). You're also having to take a crash course in a new "language", that of your newborn's cues and cries. So even after reading 'those' mom books and tons of webMB cites, I didn't notice when the crying started. Latching was a huge issue and nursing was torturous. I cried through a good bit of it. Felt guilty that she may share in my anguish -- so I tried sucking it up. White-nukli...

active labor - ring of fire While I do not pertain to know where these threads on the topics of pregnancy and professional identity will take me, they have certainly been building up-to -- labor and a birth story. Also, this post is more about the labor experience than it is about professional identity (that comes into play a bit later-on). Forewarning this one is a bit gory.  But, before we get there, a brief background on myself (as I'm hoping that not everyone that reads these posts knows me). I am an art therapist (you may know that by now). I consider myself an artist. Mindful engagement with art media and related topics is my favorite means of connecting with my clients.  As part of my groups I teach breathing exercises and practical ways to self-soothe. So when I found myself unable to do any of those things during my labor, I really felt out of sorts. Here's how things went... I had no idea what was in store for me when I awoke before my alarm this past M...