Articles

Below you will find articles written by Elizabeth Venart on her several of her specialties, including EMDR, creativity, and resiliency.

Additionally, Elizabeth has published two articles in professional journals on the topic of counselor wellness and co-authored a chapter on Healing Trauma through Humanistic Connection for the book, "Humanistic Perspectives on Contemporary Counseling Issues" published by Routledge in August 2011.

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Creativity: A pathway for expression, healing, and joy

by Elizabeth Venart, M.Ed., LPC
Published in The Resiliency Center Newsletter in May 2009

Our Innate Creativity

Every person is innately creative. As children, we naturally express ourselves through art, music, dance, creating stories, and building imaginary worlds. We enjoy the process of creating without criticizing the outcome. However, along the way from childhood to adulthood, many of us receive messages that discourage our natural creativity—such as teacher criticisms of our efforts; parents saying, “What a nice tree” when we draw a crocodile; and adults claiming that pursuing the arts professionally is not a real choice.

From these early messages, we may conclude that creative expression is reserved only for the extraordinarily talented. This is simply not true. Everyone has within them the capacity for creativity, and there are unlimited pathways to for creative self-expression.  Creative activities can include dancing, singing, drawing cartoons, journaling, knitting, gardening, karaoke, playing the guitar, writing knock-knock jokes, decorating one’s home, making jewelry, and building furniture—to name just a few!

When we play and create, we allow ourselves to feel, to be spontaneous, and to take time out from our busy schedules and our many responsibilities to just be. Creativity is an important part of wellness, and creative expression has been found to reduce stress, promote health, and even improve the functioning of our immune system!

Creative forms of expression are so powerful because they can help us tap into parts of ourselves that thinking and talking cannot always access. For example, an individual who is drumming may become so absorbed in the rhythm that he no longer feels anxious, and someone who spends ten minutes scribbling may have feelings of anger surface and then be released through the movement of the crayons.

Using Creativity in Workshops

When leading workshops, I always include opportunities to play and be creative—everything from drumming to guided visualization to collage projects. Many participants remark that they have not used crayons or made art since they were children. Once given permission to experiment with color and design and texture, their imaginations break open and they become thoroughly engaged in the process, having fun with the glitter, pastels, and stickers, laughing, accessing energy they did not realize they had, and creating visions that serve to inspire them. All that is required for this kind of joy are the supplies, the time, and the permission from oneself to create.  Singing and playing music also provide a fun and cathartic way to express oneself and release emotions. I have observed the initial reluctance people have when they see drums, tambourines, bells, and shakers before them. Within the safety of the group, however, people begin to experiment with sounds and movement, sing, find their natural rhythms, and move together as a community towards harmony. Afterwards, they report feeling more energized, joyful, and connected to one another. 

Creative Vision Boards

Creative visioning is a powerful way to access our dreams for the future. As an experiment, I suggest you create a vision board for yourself. A vision board is a collection of pictures, words, and images representing all that you desire in your ideal future—from specific things like a car, vacation, and massage to symbolic images like a calm lake for serenity and a picture of two people laughing for a healthy relationship. Gather old magazines, scissors, posterboard, and glue—then choose things that appeal to you, and begin creating your vision. Include a photo of yourself, write the statement, “I deserve all this and better,” and then sign and date this fabulous blueprint for your future. Hang it at eye level where you will see it daily, and you will find that your life begins to move closer to the vision you have created. Have fun with it! And feel free to send me updates about the many miracles you experience as a result. 

This month (and every month), I invite you to take time out for yourself to explore your innate creativity—whether by painting, singing, writing, dancing, or doing anything else that pleases you and brings peace and joy to your heart.

About Elizabeth Venart

Elizabeth Venart, M.Ed., is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Director of The Resiliency Center. She uses creativity, mindfulness, and EMDR to empower people as they access their innate resiliency, release blocks that inhibit the full experiencing of joy, and create rich and meaningful lives and relationships. She provides individual and  couples counseling as well as clinical consultation to other therapists – and leads a 6-month Personal Empowerment Group where participants gain support and strategies to assist them in creating a vibrant, meaningful, heart-centered life  Contact her at 215-542-5004 or Elizabeth@theresiliencycenter.com.

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EMDR – For Healing & Happiness

By Elizabeth Venart, M.Ed., LPC
Adapted from article originally published in The Resiliency Center Newsletter in August 2009

About EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a complex and integrative approach to facilitating fundamental change and promoting resiliency. EMDR was first developed as an effective method to address trauma, anxiety, and phobias and posits that unprocessed traumatic memories are at the root of most dysfunctional behavior, mental illnesses, and current-day struggles (EMDRIA website, 2010). Since its creation, EMDR has been adapted for a variety of client concerns – with amazing results. At its core EMDR is a comprehensive approach to healing trauma.

Trauma may include everything from widely recognized events such as witnessing a suicide, being in a car accident, or experiencing childhood abuse to often overlooked but pervasive experiences of cruelty or neglect, such as school bullying and having one’s feelings invalidated or dismissed. Trauma, by definition, overwhelms a person’s ability to cope and includes a bodily felt experience of powerlessness. Neuroscience research has found that traumatic experiences often result in biological changes in one’s mind and body, and, therefore, words alone are often inadequate to process its profound impact.  The process of EMDR, in the context of a supportive therapeutic relationship, has been shown to repair the impact of trauma at the psychological, biological, and interpersonal levels. Through processing the traumatic memories that fuel current difficulties (such as depression, anxiety, relationship problems), EMDR addresses the source of problems in order to free clients from the weight of the past and empower them to live more joyful lives.

How EMDR is Effective

When we can visualize a desired dream yet have difficulty taking the steps necessary to achieve it – or when we “know” the solution to a struggle but feel it is impossible to act on that knowledge – we are likely responding to the influence of the past. EMDR goes directly to the source of that influence – to heal past experiences on a physiological and energetic level. The theory of EMDR posits that all beliefs, no matter how irrational they may seem today, and all behaviors, regardless of whether or not they currently serve us, make sense when seen in the early context in which they were created.

When the early traumatic experiences that gave rise to unhealthy thoughts and behaviors are processed and cleared through EMDR, people become free to think and act in positive, proactive ways. Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD, a psychiatrist and researcher who has led comparison studies with EMDR and other treatment approaches, concluded that EMDR is more effective than medication in reducing symptoms and has quicker, more generalized, and longer lasting results than either traditional therapy or medication.

EMDR was founded on the premise that all individuals possess an innate capacity for growth and healing. Individuals are viewed as experts in their own healing journey. Partnering with clients to heal trauma and activate their innate resiliency, counselors serve as supportive guides who allow clients to discover their own strengths.

How Elizabeth Venart Uses EMDR in her Practice

As an EMDR counselor, Elizabeth has worked successfully with people experiencing anxiety, those with recent or distant traumatic experiences, those at a career impasse who seek to make changes, and also those wishing to optimize their performance and create more joy in their lives. She has been honored to witness the courage of individuals to overcome adversity and transform their lives from surviving to truly thriving. She believes in an integrative approach to healing and often partners with practitioners from a variety of holistic modalities (massage, meditation, acupuncture, etc.) to accelerate and support clients’ healing process. For more information on her work, visit www.elizabethvenart.com. To schedule an initial consultation, contact her at Elizabeth@theresiliencycenter.com or 215-542-5004.

Resources on EMDR

For more information on EMDR, visit the EMDR Institute at www.emdr.com , watch a video segment at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ5MLn1Cc94 or read the article, “What is EMDR” by Gregory Smith at http://www.gregorysmith.info/default.asp?PageID=122017.

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Promoting Resiliency in Relationships

By Elizabeth Venart
Published in The Resiliency Center Newsletter in November 2009

As a Licensed Professional Counselor who provides couples therapy, I have had the opportunity to work with couples at various places along their journey together. Sometimes people seek out counseling at the beginning of their relationship as a way to learn tools (like communication and conflict resolution) to prepare them for the inevitable bumps along the way. Sometimes people enter couples counseling in the midst of a crisis – either facing the stress of a normal, developmental change such as becoming new parents, having children reach adolescence, or losing a loved one – or experiencing the pain and upheaval of infidelity, addiction, or illness. Sometimes people seek out help when they are quite close to giving up, feel they have exhausted all other resources, and are moving towards dissolving their relationship.

Whatever the reason people seek out couples counseling, I am privileged to be invited in as that “third person” in the relationship to help couples learn to listen deeply to one another, to connect with one another, and to discover greater joy and love than they imagined possible.

Couples Counseling Improves Communication and Deepens Your Connection

From my perspective, the purpose of couples counseling is to improve communication and foster a deeper sense of connection within the relationship. Dr. John Gottman, a researcher who has studied thousands of couples, can predict with 90% accuracy which marriages will succeed and which will fail. He identifies the most destructive marital communication patterns as criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling, calling them the “four horseman of the apocalypse.” He has written several books and encourages couples, among other things, to seek help early, learn how to exit arguments well, and accept influence from one another. (Learn more at http://www.gottman.com/marriage/self_help/).

In my role as a couples counselor, I help people understand and change these destructive patterns and empower them with tools to stop fighting, listen deeply to one another, and move closer.

In Shem and Surrey’s book, We have to talk: Healing dialogues between women and men, the authors share their insights from leading weekend retreats with hundreds of couples. Their workshops focus on helping couples to identify, nurture, and prioritize the “we” of the relationship. They describe the “we” as that third element of relationship which is distinct from either individual and is shaped by the qualities of connection between individuals. I encourage many couples with whom I work to read this book, as it provides insights into the common dynamics in relationships and helps people understand that disconnections need not signal the end of the relationship. Instead, disconnections can be seen as an opportunity for further growth and reconnection.

Keeping Your Relationship Healthy and Vibrant

I find it tremendously gratifying to support and guide couples as they move closer to one another through consistent attention to the “we” of their relationship. To keep your relationship healthy and vibrant, consider the following suggestions:

  1. Set aside time each day to connect – through activity, conversation, and giving one another your full attention.
  2. Prioritize time alone with one another – including scheduling regular dates for play and fun.
  3. Frequently express your appreciation for one another – for the qualities you love and all the things your partner does to benefit your shared life together.
  4. Communicate your needs directly and be specific. If you want your partner to wash dishes on evenings when you cook dinner, tell her. If you want to go away for a romantic weekend together, let him know. Silence and mind-reading are far less effective than being direct – and are much more likely to result in disconnection and unhappiness.
  5. Remember to have a sense of humor about yourself, each other, and the absurdities of life. Laughter heals and brings us closer.

About Elizabeth Venart

Elizabeth Venart is the Founder and Director of The Resiliency Center and a Licensed Professional Counselor whose work involves counseling individuals and couples and providing consultation and training to clinicians. Her couples counseling experience includes marital counseling, premarital counseling, and counseling with gay and lesbian couples. To learn more about her practice or to schedule an appointment, visit her website at www.elizabethvenart.com , call her at 215-542-5004, or email her at Elizabeth@theresiliencycenter.com.

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