I like this watercolor painting, but boy it took a lot of patience to allow each layer to dry fully before moving on to the next. (I know there is a good metaphor in there somewhere) Yesterday was Valentine's Day. For many, that means romance, flowers, and chocolate.   For others, the honest reaction is:   Yuck. As an art therapist, I spend my professional life helping high-functioning, capable adults untangle the insecurities and negative self-talk that already live inside them. And I’ve...

By Pamela Hayes Malkoff  Introduction: The Middle School Curse In my decades as a board-certified art therapist, I’ve com e to believe that most of us carry a quiet creative wound from childhood. Around age eleven—what I often call the “Middle School Curse” something shifts. We stop playing freely with color and form and start judging ourselves against an impossible standard of realism or perfection. For many people, it only takes one offhand comment from a teacher, parent, or peer  “That...

This week, so many people are making New Year’s resolutions—promises to lose weight, drink less, get to the gym more, reduce screen time, or save money. Often, these resolutions come from an inner voice saying that something is wrong with us. And more often than not, they fizzle out by February.  I see this pattern again and again as a mental wellness professional. Whether I am  facilitating transformational retreats, offering psychotherapy, or presenting at mental health conferences, people...