In the first half of this year, we have been going through global trauma from the pandemic. We are aware of racially motivated attacks against Asian communities due to COVID-19 and we have been speaking up on the heavy, intergenerational trauma of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities across the world. These issues come up on our news feeds and in the conversations with our friends and family.

Advocating for social justice and dismantling systems of oppression is powerful, but can also be overwhelming and exhausting. Many of us are experiencing overwhelm and a heightened state of anxiety by the consumption and engagement of heavy topics so I brainstormed a few of my go-to art as therapy containment activities I have been working with to find lightness amidst the waves.

Practicing containment.

Containment means practicing healthy management of emotions, in times of crisis. Containment focuses on reconnecting to resources that are around us and coping strategies that work for us. If you are reading this blog post, you are probably looking for ways to take care of yourself so that you can show up or speak up with courage, compassion and awakened consciousness.

Here are creative ways to honour yourself, find containment and lightness as you intentionally engage with the heaviness around you:

Draw out your experience of the heaviness that is happening in the world today.

This directive can portray and validate what you are feeling and experiencing and can be a great alternative activity to practice mindfulness. Connecting our mind with our body is crucial during moments of overwhelm.

As any therapeutic art making goes, the process can be a contained expression of the heaviness we may be feeling. Containment in your art could look like the type of canvas/paper you draw on and the size of your drawing/painting itself, the materials you choose to work with, working with the language of emotions, a meta-verbal expression without the vulnerability of words to explain what is going on.

If you are looking for more containment, feel free to notice if your art piece needs a border, or somewhere safe to store the artwork. Some examples could be sticking on painter’s tape as borders you can decorate or leave as is after peeling off the tape, or finding an envelope to seal  and store the art piece until you want to revisit it when you are ready. I created numerous art pieces thinking of this directive in mind.

In the back of my art pieces, I love to note down thoughts of what I reflected throughout the creative process. A message I found myself writing down is: “The various issues that deeply matter to others and yourself may be more similar than they appear.” This made me reflect on marginalized communities and movements that we may be advocating for: destigmatizing mental health, SDQTBIPoC folks (sick, disabled, queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour), the LGBTQ2S+ community, feminism, immigrant lives and experiences, climate justice and more. There can be so much kindness when we can see the commonalities between what we all stand for. 

What are the messages you express through your art making process?

Container exercise:
Visualize, design and draw out your container with these 3 components…

Design by visualizing and/or drawing the container.

The 3 components that goes into the design of the container:

1. Sturdiness: think about the material it is made out of. Think about the opacity, would you be able to see through what’s inside.

3. A 2-way system: so that you can put worries into the container and take things out of the container. 

2. The inside needs to be comfortable: Part of the design is about how comforting the container is for your fears and worries to stay inside until you are ready to deal with it.

Give the container a name so you can call it out when you are feeling overwhelmed. Write down the name at the back of the drawing to remember it—so you can name it to tame it!

Practice by walking through a recent incident that has been a minor disturbance (a 5/10 in terms of how bothered you are by it) and visualize you putting that worry or fear into the container, sealing it up and storing it away. You can always revisit this worry and deal with it or talk about it when you are ready. Practice this exercise often to solidify and strengthen your memory of this coping strategy.  The container is there to help hold what doesn’t serve you in this moment so that you can do what you want and need to do. 

Do you have a fond memory?
Find a photograph of a time when you felt light or draw out a fond memory that brings you peace.

Practice grounding with a mindful visualization or representation of a memory to contain and help manage overwhelm. This exercise can help to bridge more neural connections to those relaxing experiences and let that hardworking nervous system to rest and recharge.

To strengthen the resource, something I learned in EMDR training is to “tap it in” by doing the butterfly hug (crossing your arms to each side of your shoulder or chest and tapping), tapping your hands on your laps, or tapping your feet—alternating left and right at one second intervals.


I walked through this exercise by reminiscing the 8 hours I spent in Paris last year. Taking in all the senses of what I saw, felt, sounds I heard, and foods I tasted and smelled.

Although our window of tolerance may have gotten smaller, our creativity to adapt to our surroundings have gotten stronger. I have witnessed so much resilience from people around me and from my clients: from the abundance resources and offerings online to ingenious ways we are connecting with those we love. 

Hoping you can give these containment exercises a go and see if any of them can be added into your coping toolbox!

In this blog post we will be discussing about the most common mental health concern in North America and possibly in the world: Anxiety. 

Almost one out of five Americans suffer from Anxiety. People who are struggling with Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder also experience symptoms of Anxiety. 

I went through a little epiphany a couple of weeks ago when I described a stressful situation with a client interchangeably between Anxiety and stress. I realized that even as a therapist, “Stress” and “Anxiety” can be hard to differentiate from one another.

Anxiety can be so easily undermined when explaining this mental health concern to others, which led me to think how hard must it be for people going through it to explain what they are experiencing — especially during the hardest moments.

Here are some crucial points you need to know about Anxiety:

Stress ≠ Anxiety

Let me tell you why…

Stress is something that we all experience whether we are at work, school, at home. Stress is your body’s reaction to a trigger and is generally a short-term experience

Anxiety is a sustained mental health concern that could be triggered by stress. Anxiety is excessive worry and fear and is strong enough to affect daily life. The intensity of the Anxiety or worry is out of proportion to the actual likelihood or impact of the anticipated situation. 

Anxiety is crippling and a daily challenge. 

Please try to understand that people with Anxiety are handling life in an extraordinary way.

People with Anxiety are handling a lot at once as they are continuously managing their Anxiety as they go. 

They need to be very mindful, not only taking on the responsibility of being the human they are, but handling something additional on their plate.

It would be so great if that effort was validated, celebrated, and congratulated.

Because that is worth giving recognition for!

Fact: Emotions feel 10x stronger during the peak of an Anxiety episode.

How to support someone who is struggling with Anxiety:

• Notice what is coming up for you: Pay attention to countertransference. Countertransference is when someone is struggling with Anxiety, another person around them can “pick up” the symptoms through something called countertransference. When big emotions like anger, frustration or sadness come up for you, learn to set your boundaries: for example maybe you would rather practice some self-soothing or would prefer talking to them later. And vice versa, please respect their boundaries—even when it comes across as annoying, hurtful or when it seems unreasonable. No means no.

• Dealing with the feeling of uncertainty (on what it takes to help the person): When someone is struggling with Anxiety or when anyone is going through a vulnerable time, they can easily feel isolated and alone in their suffering. People with Anxiety need to feel safe enough to attend and experience the big emotions: sadness, anger, or fear—to feel the feelings. Don’t be afraid to ask them what is going on and bring more opportunities for them to speak up about what they are going through.

• Notice their signs of ‘overwhelm’: Try to understand that when someone is suffering, they may push others away even though they don’t mean to. This is because when someone is going through the experience of Anxiety, they cannot take anything else on—that experience alone is overwhelming! Try not to take their overwhelm personally.

• Talk openly about what is happening. Feeling ashamed is often what prevents people from seeking professional help and support. It may also cause some people to deny that they are struggling or experiencing Anxiety altogether.

• Reflect on your role as a supporter: Something really important that I see a lot in my clients is the attempt to FIX or SOLVE the other’s experience of Anxiety. Remind yourself that it is not your job to be the fixer.

• Instead be an empathetic listener and make it a goal to show up. Supporting someone with Anxiety can look like making sure their experiences are heard—that itself can be very reassuring. Reflect what it could look like if you could make a commitment to show up even when and especially when things are difficult.

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”—Thich Nhat Hanh 

Here are two Anxiety management coping strategies I practice when I experience Anxiety:

The 4-7-8 breathing technique 

Practiced with the yoga tongue placement (tip of your tongue on the gum between the roof of your mouth and your front teeth). This tongue placement relaxes your neck and head by preventing you from clenching. 

Here’s how to practice this breathing exercise:

1. Exhale completely through your mouth to prepare for the exercise

2. Breathe in 2, 3, 4

3. Hold your breath 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

4. Exhale 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

5. Repeat for 4 cycles

Practice this breathing exercise wherever you are.

Art as Therapy: Breathing mandala

Take a few moments to notice and visualize your current breath. 

Create a mandala of what your breath looks like right now (center of mandala) and how your breath can blossom (outer portion of the mandala).

One of the reasons why it is hard to “manage” Anxiety is that an individual with Anxiety can seem different from someone else with Anxiety.

As a therapist, I am never looking at a “one size fits all” coping strategies package when dealing with Anxiety. Learning coping strategies to help with Anxiety needs to be individualized to fit the person going through it. Which is why aligning your goals and working with a therapist can be so helpful in your healing journey.

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. If you are in need a therapist, book a free consultation with me via this link.

Struggling to understand this behaviour, especially when you are supporting someone close to you struggling with this behaviour, can be very difficult. Self-harming is such an important topic and is in need of more awareness in the mental health realm, which is why I was inspired to write about this.

Self-harming is a way to regain emotional balance to extremely disturbing emotional disturbances. These behaviours could be symbolic to taking an aspirin for recurring headaches—there is immediate relief, but the pain is guaranteed to resurface.

Self-harming include not only self-injuring but also behaviours such as food restriction, binging and purging, or binge drinking and drug addictions. These behaviours could stem from mental health concerns such as trauma and coping with depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and pressure from life transitions.

The two most common reasons for self-harming are:

1. to control the extremely painful and frightening experience of overwhelming emotions

2. to escape from the awful feeling of being numb and empty.⁣

How you can help if you know someone who is struggling with self-harming:⁣

• Don’t be afraid to ask what they are going through or if they have anyone they trust who they can talk to about what is happening.⁣ Follow your instincts: if you suspect signs of depression or suicidal thoughts/ideation, ask them. The conversation might be missed if no one talks about it.

• When the conversation starts, empathy and validation are crucial: communicating that you understand and value the other person’s experience (especially emotional experience), even when you may not necessarily share the same opinion.⁣ Showing up is more helpful than you think.

• Typical reassurance techniques may not work: such as “time will pass” or “can’t you choose to be happy?” may be seen as inconsiderable and could do more harm than good.⁣

• Help them find resources. Find a mental health professional who can help them gain coping strategies to manage self-harm and for them to have a secure, confidential space to talk about what they are experiencing. Your job is not there to fix/solve it.

Mental health professionals go through years of training to create a secure environment for those hurting to express what’s happening and they provide unconditional positive regard. If the professional specializes in the self-harm behaviour you are struggling with, please reach out. Your story is important. You do not have to struggle with this overwhelm alone.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call one of the numbers below:

• 9-1-1 if you are in an emergency.

• 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) if you are considering suicide or are concerned about someone who may be.

• 310Mental Health Support at 310-6789 (no area code needed) for emotional support, information and resources specific to mental health. 

• Kid’s Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 to speak to a professional counsellor, 24 hours a day.
  
  For more information please visit this link.
  
  Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. If you are in need a therapist, book a free consultation with me via this link.

It’s 2020: the start of a brand new decade! 3 intentions I am setting for this year is to pick up and learn how to make digital art, experience what yoga has to offer, and write or create even during artist blocks.

Reconnecting with the creative light inside of me has been my saving grace.

Back when I was a senior in high school and throughout my undergraduate program, I endured more than half a decade without making art. I focused all my energy on schoolwork: typing out endless lecture slides, reviewing and taking in coursework, and feeling really out of touch with my inner artist. Maybe you are going through a creative block and not feeling any motivation at this moment. If you are interested in integrating coping strategies for overcoming a creative block, keep on reading.

I work with individuals and help them cope with overwhelming emotions in creative ways. Art therapy can be a powerful experience for anyone who is going through a creative block. Art therapy is also a great approach for anyone who is looking to reduce stress, build intention, struggling with fear of failure or perfectionism, and want to gain personal insight.

From many experiences of going in and out of creative blocks, I am here to share with you…

A therapist’s guide for liberating creative blocks

• Go on an artist date: Block a time in your busy week where you go on a date by yourself for yourself. Resting and having fun is healthier and more efficient than self-sabotaging! Time for some gallery hopping and people watching.

• Start doing daily drawings and form it into a Daily Drawing Journal (DDJ): I am creating daily art prompts in the beginning of every month for 2020. Download January’s art prompt list here!

• Morning pages: Adapted from Julia Cameron’s Artist Way—3 pages of longhand stream of consciousness writing done first thing in the morning. Learn to not alter your neurotic thoughts or emotions. It is difficult at first, but you may find yourself forming ideas for your next creative project!

• Find your milieu: A space where you can gain focus and energy towards your creative imagination. I tend to get inspiration from specific cafes and studios I work at. If you are working from your office or room, try setting up your space to be a reflection of what you find healing. Even if you are working in a cubicle or on a laptop, find an image/s that inspires you to bring back creativity and stay grounded (set it as your desktop background or frame it).

• Curate your account: If you spend a lot of time behind a screen follow people who you admire creative-wise and their accounts. I have been curating a collection of therapists on my instagram account and have been listen to some of their podcasts and visiting the wonderful resources they put out on their websites. Find some apps or widgets to remind you to check in with yourself, do a quick body scan or with how you are feeling in the moment. Sometimes when we neglect our Self, it can lead to burnout and increase the potential for creative blocks. Pinterest a vision or mood board to create manifestations.

• Gain personal insight and take in knowledge in this healing journey: Get closer to your struggles. Be your own supporter and cheerleader! Find a good reads to enhance or redefine what creativity means to you: I highly recommend the books Big Magic, The Artisan Soul, and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Many Art Therapy books are great for creatives who struggle with perfectionism or self-esteem when it comes to expressing your inner artist. Find therapist or talk to a good friend about your experiences and gain more clarity on how to support yourself.

• Learn something new: Pick up hobbies such as reading good books, listen to podcasts, learn a new language, go to a fun event in your community—the options are endless! This is something I am working on all the time to keep me going :)

• Reflect by doing an Art Review: Take out your old artworks—it’s time for a revisit. Rearrange the art based on themes or in chronological order. Note down any patterns you see, recurring images or symbols, shifts of focus and any changes in the feel of the images. Are there any breakthrough artworks that you created? Invite a friend over for a second look and see what they notice!

No matter where you are in this creative block, you are exactly where you need to be! Turn toward your suffering whenever you can. Acknowledge the struggle, name the problem to externalize it. You’ve got this!

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. If you are in need a therapist, book a free consultation with me via this link.