Description: Clay art therapy inspires awakening. Earth-infused and experiential methods are relational, self-reflective, and transformational. Clay therapy provides documented outcomes in healing, anxiety and stress reduction, trauma and recovery, as well as in reframing beliefs and identity. The approach builds skills in daily living and relationships. Seeking a holistic perspective to inform clay therapy, this project follows decades of research into the healing of trauma in minority cultures revealing the hidden power of spirituality as meaning making. A person-centred method reframes minority identity within a postmodern psychotherapy. Experiential methods in therapeutic art-as-life and life-as-art embraces scientific evolutionary theories of development, cooperation, ascent, and convergence. Clay-based psychotherapy is informed by culturally infused methods reflecting on western, minority, and disability experiences. We explore our therapy studio productions as well as the works of contemporary sculptor Andrea Martini, and the 15th century works in terracotta by Andrea della Robbia. Our approach provides for opportunities to reflect on the nature of clay art therapy in healing, capacity and skill building, identity formation, and in facilitating transcendent outcomes.
Brief description: Hon Rev Dr Joseph Randolph Bowers EFM, holds a PhD Health Counselling Psychotherapy, DD Clay Art Therapy, Hon DD Franciscan Spirituality, MEd Counselling, Dip Ericksonian Hypnotherapy & Counselling, Graduate Certificate Higher Education, Certified Practitioner Neuro-Linguistic Psychotherapy, and a BA Distinction in Spirituality & Philosophy. He is an Honorary Australian Counselling Association, Member of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine, and a Registered Certified Clinician and Senior Behaviour Specialist with the NDIS Commission. Dr Joseph is Director of Ability Therapy Specialists Pty Ltd that works independently for participants in the NDIS in Australia. Over two decades he taught at universities in Australia and Canada in Health, Counselling, Education, and Indigenous Studies. Dr Bowers has published over 250 works and is a scholar in Minority, Counselling and Health, and Spirituality. Dr Bowers is the author of Mi'kmaq Puoinaq Two Spirit Medicine; Solitude Awakens: The Heart Forest Mountain Way; Homophobia and Healing: Psychotherapy and the Psychology of Prejudice; Stardust Awakens: From Social Isolation to Finding Your Purpose and Destiny; and The Mass of Creation: Liturgies and Prayers for All Occasions - A Sacramentary Inspired by the Cosmology of Franciscan, First Nation, and Celtic Traditions. Joseph is a Registered Marriage Celebrant with Christ Out Hope Celtic Community and a member of the Eremitas Familia Minima. In fine arts, Joseph Randolph aka Kisiku Sa'qawei Paq'tism has contributed works as a solo singer songwriter, published poet, author, and Indigenous artist. He has curated an exhibition of paintings entitled, 'PLACE: Three Artists. Two Countries. One Heart. An exhibition of Australian and Canadian Indigenous Visual Art, ' with Cape Breton University Art Gallery, 2010. Ceramic art is a lifelong interest beginning with the study of art history at Dalhousie University. Travels through Europe led to an emphasis on the Italian medieval period with Indigenous cultural themes continued with collections of potters in eastern Canada and Australia. Recent productions focus on functional and sculptural ceramic studio studies while engaging clay art therapy within a telehealth model of counselling and psychotherapy.