How TO Think Creatively and Act with Bravery
The mental health community is filled with brave individuals, many of whom have fought their own battles to become the emotionally healthy people they are today. With such a rich collection of stories of healing and restoration, it is my strong view that we need to find creative ways to reach beyond the couch to a larger audience who can connect to these stories.
Practice Areas
Be Brave
To be creative, you must be brave enough to take that idea you have in your head and manifest it into reality.
Listen Carefully to Your Clients
Sometimes the ideas do not come from our heads but from our environment. Listen to your clients as they reveal the common problems that pain them. What solutions have you tried that have worked? Do you need to take those solutions and create a workbook for other therapists or your clients?
Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
it is also important that you not be afraid to fail. I have done many projects over the years, and it is clear to me that true success in any project requires a pruning process in which one fails, gets back up, and tries again
Set Rest and Exercise
Life can get very stressful, and therefore, we need to be intentional about getting enough rest and exercise. A rejuvenated mind and body is far more creative than one that is drained.
Combine Skills and Passion
Sometimes, to be creative, we need to think outside of the box—within the confines of ethics, of course. For those of you who like the craft of scrapbooking , could this not be used to help your clients? Among those who like the outdoors, is there not value in creating outdoor group events for those who struggle with particular issues?
Dream, Dream, Dream
Dream—set goals! This dreaming will force your mind to find a way to manifest your stated goals. If you dream of earning a specific amount of money by a certain time, and you set composite goals around that dream, you will come up with creative ideas to reach those goals.
Ask Friends and/or Colleagues About Social Problems They Would Like to Solve
Don’t be afraid to have discussions with colleagues about your ideas. Share, discuss, and brainstorm. A community of other creative therapists can help you clarify your ideas, illuminate some of the potential problems with implementing an idea, and help you accomplish your goals sooner.
Be Observant and Ask Questions
We need to fight against this. When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself you will be more observant and ask more questions. Don’t accept that the way your practice currently operates needs to remain the same. Your questioning will expand your mind and bring you into a new reality
Surround Yourself With other Creatives
Find other creative people and hang out with them. It’s important to note that these creative people do not have to be in the field of mental health. Be brave enough to contact anyone who you see as creative in the area and ask them to go out for coffee. Learn from them. Listen to their stories and let them inspire you.
Spend Time Alone
The number of obligations we have makes it difficult to be alone. Even when we are, social media is not very far away. Spend some time alone with a notepad and just write down ideas. Then try out those ideas in the future.
About Us
This website represents a vision of mine to extend a social movement where well educated counselors extend their talents beyond the couch. For too long those who have been highly trained to be partners in the emotional healing of individuals have confined themselves to the couch. This is unfortunate because we have so much more to offer.