By PATIENCE AKPAN
WCR Staff Writer, Edmonton
April 27, 1998
Don't sit around mulling over your problems in your brain: bring them out into the open through writing or drawing.
Better still, use your non-dominant hand. And you can even have a dialogue with the problem!
According to art therapist and psychologist, Lucia Capacchione, a written voice dialogue with one's physical or emotional problems can lead to healing.
Capacchione, who holds a doctorate in psychology, specializing in art therapy, is an internationally known art therapist and corporate consultant who has written ten books, with the 11th on the way.
She is credited with discovering "the healing power of writing and drawing with the non-dominant hand," according to her agent, Marsha Gamel.
Her books contain several examples of instances where writing or drawing with the non-dominant hand has led to emotional and physical healing for her clients.
Capacchione arrived in Edmonton on April 16 to run a one-week workshop on creative journalling and voice dialogue at Providence Renewal Centre.
At the workshop, she told about a woman who was cured of chronic cystitis after she held a dialogue with her bladder.
Voice dialogue works best, Capacchione says, when one "interviews" a problem by writing out the questions with the dominant hand and the answers with the non-dominant hand. The action activates the right hemisphere of the brain to release one's creative/intuitive forces or inner child.
Capacchione says these are areas of the human soul that have been suppressed by years of using the left brain and functioning within the confines of Enlightenment-Age mind set.
She is not advocating "reversed discrimination" in favor of the right brain. Rather, both should be given equal opportunity. "I'm politically correct about these things," she says with a smile.
But Capacchione says emphasis on the analytical and rational side of the brain ignores one's spirituality and emotions.
This is a problem because emotions and feelings -- like energy -- can not be destroyed. When they are not "taken out of the mind and dealt with ... sooner or later, they erupt."
"The implications of my work for physical health is great," says the former Catholic school teacher. "Pain is usually your soul telling you something is blocking in your body or life."
Capacchione acknowledges that healing ultimately comes from God. "What art therapy does is help people open up their souls so that God can give them the answers."
Though the art therapist has, through her books and hands-on workshops raised her techniques to ... well, high art, it is not art with capital A.
She believes one does not have to be an "artist" to experience the benefits of art therapy. "Being in the image and likeness of God means that we are all creative. My work is to teach people that everyone is creative and that art is not just for the artist."
She has therefore given herself the mission of making art therapy user-friendly through the "definitive books" she has written on the subject.
Capacchione says "unless someone has a really serious disorder requiring counselling, they can just use the books, if they are willing to do the work" and find solutions to their problems. "My attitude is: 'here are the tools, go and build your house.'"
And the tools seem effective, says Harvey Garrison, a computer programmer and one of three men at the April 17-25 workshop. Between 30 and 50 participants attended the workshops.
Garrison who says he is on a spiritual search first heard of Capacchione through her books.
He was excited at the opportunity to take the workshops, "particularly because it is within the Christian context."
On the first evening, participants were asked to draw with the non-dominant hand and journal about the drawing.
Garrison says he was amazed at the "knowledge and feelings" that emerged from the exercise. These feelings took him back to his childhood and parts of himself that he's left behind.
Connie Kaiser, a counselling intern with the Pastoral Counselling Group, found that drawing with the non-dominant hand was as satisfying as drawing with her dominant hand.
Journalling about the outcome gave her a lot of insights into her life, she says.
Kaiser believes the exercises work if only as "a way of opening the door and going in deeper into one's inner life. The uniqueness of it is that the answers that come out are so unexpected."
Cynthia Grant is a student who registered for the workshop because she felt it would be a great opportunity for self-discovery.
The "gentle approach," she says, makes it possible for one to see results quickly.
Asked if she believes the techniques work, Caroline Knowles, from Vegreville, said "like most things, it works for some people and not for others. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it."
But she is not concerned about the techniques helping her to make land-mark strides in her personal growth.
Knowles, a homemaker and volunteer worker, says she needed
to take time off and the week at Providence met that need. "It's been a
good retreat and I have enjoyed it."
