!Worth a Thousand Words:

Four Ways to Begin a Journey of Self-Discovery through Photography

Express yourself! !Art, dance, song, play, storytelling: there are so many wonderful and constructive forms of self-expression that both nourish and challenge us. In this report, I'd like to share with you why I think photography should have a proud and prominent place among these other forms of expression. First, cameras are ubiquitous—we have cameras on phones, tablets-- and many of us love to take photos. Those photos we take and those we gaze at, tell a story, infused with our projections, and what we see in them, or how we construct them, can be very revealing. I love how accessible photography is, its creative potential, and its capacity for holding memories and expressing emotions, dreams, and anxieties.

What's PhotoTherapy? Why do it? !Judy Weiser, with whom I studied, defines PhotoTherapy techniques as “therapy practices that use people's personal snapshots, family albums, and pictures taken by others (and the feelings, thoughts, memories, and associations these photos evoke) as catalysts to deepen insight and enhance communication during their therapy or counseling sessions (conducted by trained mental health professionals), in ways not possible using words alone.” (©Copyright, Judy Weiser, R.Psych., A.T.R.; from webpage at: www.phototherapy-centre.com). As an art therapist using photography in my practice, I practice a subspecialty, “Photo Art Therapy”  , 1

where I use photography as one of the media in my art therapy work with clients. The photos taken by or with clients are often later used in client artwork. Most of the photos that are part of the therapy sessions are taken by clients, usually in between sessions. I find giving photo assignments useful as a nudge for clients to stay connected to the therapy work during the week, by taking a moment to, say, photograph how they are feeling, what “trust” or “goodbye” looks like, and I also use a variety of self-portrait-related assignments. I've also taken several courses from Vivienne McMaster and have been influenced by her unique ability to invite you on a journey of self-discovery through thought-provoking and sometimes poignant photography assignments. This “therapeutic photography” is done without the guidance of a therapist but can yield wonderful results in terms of personal growth.  2

!As you begin to explore expressing and understanding yourself through photography, it's ideal to share some of your photos (and the process of taking them) with a therapist, friend or group of people trying to capture a similar idea or feeling and coming up with a marvelous diversity of images. !Would you like to dip your toe in and get a taste of what it would be like to use photography as a path to self-discovery? If so, read on! !!!! For more on the distinctions between PhotoTherapy, Photo Art Therapy and 1

Therapeutic Photography, see: www.phototherapy-centre.com

! For more information on Vivienne McMaster's philosophy and courses, see 2

viviennemcmasterphotography.com

Four Suggestions for Beginning your Journey with Photography !!1. How are you today? Simply go out and take a photo of how you are feeling today. It doesn't have to be fancy! Use your phone or an automatic camera; don’t get too hung up on the technical aspects. Maybe today you captured yourself as a babbling brook, or a still, quiet pond. Maybe you felt like a foreboding sky or as joyful as a bright, sunny day. For this the first step you don't need to include any part of your physical self, in the photo. I know: that can be daunting. Just snap away!

Example Photo Place Holder

2. Introducing Yourself: Another favorite assignment of mine is to take a photograph that you would use to introduce yourself to someone who didn't know you.  This is a wonderful place to really think about your values, your 3

identity, how you represent yourself to the world. (It's also a great early assignment when a therapist and client are getting to know each other.) When a client shares this photo with me, I usually have many questions about it; some I ask, and some I might tuck away. I would encourage you to print out the photo and use a copy of it in a collage of other things that represent you: maybe other photos that are meaningful to you, or you might want to do some writing, perhaps 10 words that you or others would use to describe you. You might want to include your own drawing or painting; or glue down some items (old tickets, buttons, pieces of newspaper or fabric) that are important to you. Of course this doesn't have to be on paper: I love creating collages on and in cigar boxes. You then have a ready-made treasure box to store something personal and precious.

! This is adapted from a Self-Portrait PhotoTherapy Technique assignment from Judy 3

Weiser.

Example Photo Place Holder

3. Looking at Different Aspects of Yourself: Another photography adventure you can try is to look at two sides of yourself: your right- and your left-brain selves, your self that likes to get dressed up and the one that likes to wear sweats, the self that likes to be the life of the party and the one that craves quiet time alone. Try putting these two aspects of your nature into a single photograph either through a collage (many processing apps such as Diptic or Picmonkey will easily assist you to put two photos together into one.) You can do this side-by-side or if you're feeling extraordinarily creative, try overlaying them and see what happens! !

!!

Example Photo Place Holder

4. Reflecting on Writing: Ok, one final suggestion: think about a beautiful piece of writing that you love. It could be a letter someone sent you, the Gettysburg Address; a meditation or prayer; or a beautiful poem. Take a photograph that expresses something about that piece of writing. It's always your choice; it could be literal--photographing some thing that is related to content--or the photo could be more abstract, expressing the mood it evokes. And then, if you're really ambitious, you can combine the written inspiration with your photograph.

About the Author !“Cindy Gordon is a registered psychotherapist and a board-certified art therapist in private practice in Boulder, CO. She works with children, teens and adults facing the challenges of depression, trauma, relationship, communication and anger issues, body image, addictions, grief, anxiety, “stuckness,” and life transitions. She is also a sociologist, so she is interested in how your environment and the people around you– your friends and family–affect you.”

Are you ready to try some creative self-exploration? !Use your imagination, be truthful, have fun, and let me know how it goes! !If you would like to share your thoughts or have questions, please contact me at 917-797-7313 or healchangegrow@gmail.com. !All the best~ Cindy Gordon !Registered Psychotherapist (CO) #13953