Art Therapy at the Initiative! by Anna Evans
Sure, art can be fun and relaxing but did you know it can even be therapeutic? Here at the Aphasia Initiative, we recognize the importance and benefits of incorporating multiple modalities into our therapy and the recovery process of our members.
For the past two years, Tanya Pirasteh has been running art classes and coordinating different projects for our members. Tanya originally became involved with the Aphasia Initiative through her friendship with our very own client, Max McClain! Typically, Tanya runs art sessions twice per semester and our members love this opportunity for creative expression. Her favorite part about working with the Aphasia Initiative is “introducing new artists and ideas… [the members] will generally try anything: they’re pretty fearless! If I tell them to try and draw something a lot of people would consider difficult, they just go for it!”. Additionally, Tanya notes that “the greatest outcomes I’ve seen personally are some genuinely great drawings in this group. Keeping in mind a lot of folks are working with their non-dominant hand, it is really quite impressive.”
In addition to working and engaging with our members, Tanya has also “loved spending time communicating with some family members and getting to know the group as a whole. Jen and Arin are caring individuals and I have learned so much from being a teeny part of their work.”
We are excited to continue this creative partnership in the future and can’t wait to see what projects and ideas Tanya has in store for us!