HEARTS MEND HEARTS

FOR RELEASE

CHARLESTON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARYHEARTS MEND HEARTS
July 21, 2015

Media contact: Jamie Thomas, 843-364-2030

 

Sandy Hook, Boston residents turned to art for help         Art workshops designed to help community healing
Sessions run through September ·    Drop-in sessions: o  Sundays, 2-4:30 p.m. o  Tuesdays, 5:30-7 p.m. ·    Structured workshops: o Thursdays, 5:30-7 p.m.	Charleston's heart is broken, and area residents are struggling with feelings of grief, fear, anger and helplessness as they try to understand the senseless murders at Emanuel AME Church.   Although grief doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all solution, residents in communities with other traumatic events – Sandy Hook and Boston –tapped into their creative process to find help with their feelings and emotions.     A new initiative, launched by HEARTS MEND HEARTS with Charleston County Public Library, is offering similar support to local residents faced with feelings of stress, dread or grief prompted by the church shooting.   Starting Sunday, July 26, local residents can work with experienced artists and mental health professionals during art-based sessions offered three days a week at Charleston County’s Main Library, 68 Calhoun Street.
The goal is to help individuals use art as a tool to tap into their creativity, express feelings and ultimately work toward healing – all while in a safe environment.   Drop-in art sessions will be offered on Sundays from 2-4:30 p.m. and Tuesdays from 5-7:30 p.m., and more structured, art-related workshop will be offered on Thursdays from 5-7:30 p.m. All workshops continue through the end of September. There is no age limit and no art experience is needed. Art materials are being provided for the free sessions.
The creative art process has been used for hundreds of years to help people identify emotions, encourage communication and promote healing. Understanding this connection, a group of local art therapists, educators, mental health professionals and artists joined together to create HEARTS MEND HEARTS in hopes of helping the Charleston community.    The professionals will lead attendees through the steps to create mandalas, an internationally recognized process that encourages individuals to identify personal emotions and reconcile conflicts.	Read how art and therapy helped other grief-stricken communities Studies have shown that art can help people by lowering blood pressure and reducing the stress and anxiety usually associated with feelings related to grief.   ·    Sandy Hook residents use art to help cope with grief after school shootings ·    Art helps victims of Boston bombing ·    Local artists helps in Bosnia ·    Foundation for Art and Healing
HEARTS MEND HEARTS includes numerous art and mental health professionals, all volunteering their time. The organization was started by a small group that included: Registered Art Therapist Dianne Tennyson Vincent, MAT, ATR; Psychiatrist Deborah Milling, MD; Psychoanalyst Sharon Martin, FNP, CNS, PhD; and Nationally Board Certified Art Educator Laura De LaMaza.