G. Jenkins, Ph.D., (Th.D.), M.Sc.

Oak Park, Il.

Soulful Expressions: Independent Art Survey and Psychological Consulting®

Soulful Expressions is a group of professional freelance mental health counselors, psychologists, pastoral counselors and scholar-artists/poets working with a team of registered and certified expressive arts therapists in the Greater Chicago area. We offer a variety of art classes, therapy sessions and consulting, and have a lecture series based on the concept of art and theory from a historical, psychological and societal perspective. Though our professional services offer engagement with both low and high functioning clientele, within both residential facilities and the private sector throughout the Chicago area, we are also affiliated with several universities, hospitals and scholar-practitioners in New York State, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Our certified art therapy and biblio/poetry therapists offer a wide variety of assistance for both the mildly interested to the graduate student. Soulful Expressions ® collects data and artwork from all populations and societal classes, as well as from state and local psychiatric facilities and independent research organizations/consultants.

The purpose of this blog is to gather information from the general populations regarding various issues within the arena of the expressive arts and psychotherapy with the arts. The questions asked will be used for this purpose, which will cover the following concepts:

Series One

a. Ethics and Professional Responsibilities
b. Dual and Multiple Relationships: Client Relationships
c. Code of Ethics regarding the AAMFT, ACA, APA, NASW and Others (e.g., To identify and examine why the issue is an ethical problem or an issue— citing the current literature, To identify current articles that address your topic and critically review this based of literature, To discuss the relevant aspects of the ACA, ACES, or APA code and foundational ethical principles and the relevant law and to discuss your reaction to these issues and the most ethical course of action in response to the issues).

Series Two

a. Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) as Applied to Psychotherapy
with Art.
b. Behavioral Modification with the Consumer Population
c. Diversity and the Consumer Population
d. CBT with Art for Anxiety and Depressive Disorders
e. CBT Techniques as Applied to the Expressive Arts

Series Three

a. Art Examples and Representations (Anonymous Patient Research)
b. Art Therapy Techniques and the Studio
c. Poetry Therapy and Associated Examples

We will also be discussing other avenues of research involved in the expressive ar