Episode 603: “Counseling Isn’t Just Talk Therapy” with Art Therapist + Counselor Alyse Ruriani
05/23/23 • 40 min
Mental Health Month is upon us and we’re in the midst of our Show Up For Yourself campaign which focuses on finding 20 minutes a day to care for things that relate to your heart, mind, body, and community. This can look like gentle movement, calling a friend, journaling, and deep breathing. While we’re putting an emphasis on small, accessible, and tangible ways that we can all show up for ourselves, there’s obviously a bigger avenue for us, if we have the resources, to tend to our mental well-being: Therapy.
So that’s what we’re talking about today. But this isn’t just about the rather cliche vision we all have when we think about therapy. A shrink sitting upright in a chair taking notes across from their patient who’s sharing their thoughts. Of course, there’s great value to talk therapy, but there are more options. And that’s a good thing because therapy is not one-size-fits-all. We all have varying experiences, varying abilities, and varying needs, so naturally the therapy that suits us best might look different than what we are familiar with and what TV shows and films project out into the world.
In today’s episode, we have the honor of exploring alternative therapy options, like Art Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in particular, with the guidance of the wonderful and creative Alyse Ruriani.
Alyse Ruriani (she/they) is a queer femme art therapist, licensed professional counselor, illustrator, and person with lived experience. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and a Masters in Art Therapy and Counseling. Alyse’s work aims to communicate information, provide tangible tools, and validate the human experience through engaging illustrations and designs. They live in a colorful apartment in Chicago with their black cat/co-therapist Boo. When Alyse is not working, you can likely find her swimming in some body of water, making art with friends, or hyper fixating on some new ideas.
Show Notes (Links of ours and guests):
Download a transcript of this episode at twloha.com/podcast.
Follow TWLOHA on social media at:
facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms/
Visit our FIND HELP page of mental health resources at twloha.com/find-help/.
Get connected for free, 24/7 to a trained crisis counselor via Crisis Text Line by texting TWLOHA to 741741.
Connect with our team by emailing [email protected].
Learn more about the podcast and previous episodes at twloha.com/podcast.
Download TWLOHA’s daily-use self-care app, The Hopeful, at twloha.com/thehopeful/.
Follow Alyse Ruriani on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/alyseruriani/.
Keep tabs on Alyse by visiting https://alyseruriani.com/.
Purchase a copy of The Big Feelings Survival Guide at https://store.twloha.com/collections/accessories/books-and-journals.
Listen to “Look Up” by Paramore by going to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By8xCnMkAQM.
Credits:
This episode of the TWLOHA podcast was hosted by Chad Moses and produced by Rebecca Ebert. Music assistance was provided by James Likeness and Ben Tichenor.
Mental Health Month is upon us and we’re in the midst of our Show Up For Yourself campaign which focuses on finding 20 minutes a day to care for things that relate to your heart, mind, body, and community. This can look like gentle movement, calling a friend, journaling, and deep breathing. While we’re putting an emphasis on small, accessible, and tangible ways that we can all show up for ourselves, there’s obviously a bigger avenue for us, if we have the resources, to tend to our mental well-being: Therapy.
So that’s what we’re talking about today. But this isn’t just about the rather cliche vision we all have when we think about therapy. A shrink sitting upright in a chair taking notes across from their patient who’s sharing their thoughts. Of course, there’s great value to talk therapy, but there are more options. And that’s a good thing because therapy is not one-size-fits-all. We all have varying experiences, varying abilities, and varying needs, so naturally the therapy that suits us best might look different than what we are familiar with and what TV shows and films project out into the world.
In today’s episode, we have the honor of exploring alternative therapy options, like Art Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in particular, with the guidance of the wonderful and creative Alyse Ruriani.
Alyse Ruriani (she/they) is a queer femme art therapist, licensed professional counselor, illustrator, and person with lived experience. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and a Masters in Art Therapy and Counseling. Alyse’s work aims to communicate information, provide tangible tools, and validate the human experience through engaging illustrations and designs. They live in a colorful apartment in Chicago with their black cat/co-therapist Boo. When Alyse is not working, you can likely find her swimming in some body of water, making art with friends, or hyper fixating on some new ideas.
Show Notes (Links of ours and guests):
Download a transcript of this episode at twloha.com/podcast.
Follow TWLOHA on social media at:
facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms/
Visit our FIND HELP page of mental health resources at twloha.com/find-help/.
Get connected for free, 24/7 to a trained crisis counselor via Crisis Text Line by texting TWLOHA to 741741.
Connect with our team by emailing [email protected].
Learn more about the podcast and previous episodes at twloha.com/podcast.
Download TWLOHA’s daily-use self-care app, The Hopeful, at twloha.com/thehopeful/.
Follow Alyse Ruriani on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/alyseruriani/.
Keep tabs on Alyse by visiting https://alyseruriani.com/.
Purchase a copy of The Big Feelings Survival Guide at https://store.twloha.com/collections/accessories/books-and-journals.
Listen to “Look Up” by Paramore by going to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By8xCnMkAQM.
Credits:
This episode of the TWLOHA podcast was hosted by Chad Moses and produced by Rebecca Ebert. Music assistance was provided by James Likeness and Ben Tichenor.
Previous Episode
Episode 602: “Burnout + Boundaries”
Burnout. You’ve probably heard the term over the course of the last few years in regard to work, the pandemic, and the general state of the world. According to Psychology Today, burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by things at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships. At the core of burnout, is stress. Stress can manifest itself in many different ways and it does a number on the body, mind, and soul when it’s not acknowledged and addressed.
In today’s episode, we talk about how to recognize burnout and how to treat it with the help of two people who are rather familiar with it: Sheena Grosshans who is a parent and the spouse of an educator, and Jen Sutton, a long-time teacher.
Sheena works as TWLOHA’s Director of Key Relationships and is a Brooklyn, NY native who found both her love and home in the South. She is a lifelong creative and professionally compassionate but spends most of her days being bossed around by her two-year-old daughter. She also shares an eight-year-old son with her husband, a third-generation educator who currently teaches at a middle school in Florida.
Our second guest, Jen, is in her 13th year as a high school science teacher. This year, in particular, she has even added a few middle school classes to her agenda. And one of her coworkers is actually her husband, who teaches at the same school. But Jen is much more than just a teacher—she is passionate about mental health and advocating for both educators and students alike, she has a corgi named Millie and a cat named Bev, and she’s a really big fan of the show Ted Lasso (her favorite character is Mae).
Show Notes (Links of ours and guests):
Download a transcript of this episode at twloha.com/podcast.
Follow TWLOHA on social media at:
facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms/
Visit our FIND HELP page of mental health resources at twloha.com/find-help/.
Get connected for free, 24/7 to a trained crisis counselor via Crisis Text Line by texting TWLOHA to 741741.
Connect with our team by emailing [email protected].
Learn more about the podcast and previous episodes at twloha.com/podcast.
Download TWLOHA’s daily-use self-care app, The Hopeful, at twloha.com/thehopeful/.
Learn more about Between The Bells by going to twloha.com/highschool/.
Read Jen Sutton’s blog “More Than a Teacher” at twloha.com/blog/more-than-a-teacher/.
Join our Show Up For Yourself campaign by visiting twloha.com/showup/.
Read about the stress being felt by America’s youth at an overwhelming rate at apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2021/one-year-pandemic-stress-youth.
Credits:
This episode of the TWLOHA podcast was hosted by Chad Moses and produced by Rebecca Ebert. Music assistance was provided by James Likeness and Ben Tichenor.
Next Episode
Episode 604: "Body Dysmorphia in the Age of Filters + Celebrity Culture"
Even before social media and influencers, celebrity culture has permeated our senses through magazines, billboards, advertisements, TV shows, and movies. We’re told what is and isn’t attractive or desired when it comes to the way we look on the outside. And now, with technology at our fingertips, with filters on nearly every image our eyes take in, and with products and routines that will supposedly transform us into the individual we’re admiring, it’s no wonder so many of us deal with dysmorphic thinking when it comes to our bodies.
In addition to body dysmorphia, there’s also body positivity and more recently, body neutrality. To explore all three of those things and more, we’re joined by Alex Jones and Auslyn James.
Alex Jones (he/him) is an Ohio native and has been a designer at TWLOHA for seven years and counting. Alex grew up doodling on any scrap of paper that came his way and still enjoys creative pursuits like photography, illustration, and lettering. When he’s not slinging designs at work or at home, he can often be found at the nearest theater watching the latest Oscar winners or nominees or playing games like “Up and Down the River” with friends.
Auslyn James (she/her), TWLOHA’s Director of People Operations, has spent a number of years honing her craft and is a Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources as well as Certified in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. When she isn’t doing all things HR, she can be found traveling, walking along the beach, hanging with friends, or video-chatting with her family. Auslyn is originally from the small island of Antigua but has spent the majority of her life living in NY before moving to Central Florida seven years ago.
Show Notes (Links of ours and guests):
Download a transcript of this episode at twloha.com/podcast.
Follow TWLOHA on social media at:
facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms/
Visit our FIND HELP page of mental health resources at twloha.com/find-help/.
Get connected for free, 24/7 to a trained crisis counselor via Crisis Text Line by texting TWLOHA to 741741.
Connect with our team by emailing [email protected].
Learn more about the podcast and previous episodes at twloha.com/podcast.
Download TWLOHA’s daily-use self-care app, The Hopeful, at twloha.com/thehopeful/.
To read the blog by Claire Biggs mentioned in the episode, go to https://twloha.com/blog/demi-lovato-is-only-human-recovery-relapse-and-response/.
Credits:
This episode of the TWLOHA podcast was hosted by Chad Moses and produced by Rebecca Ebert. Music assistance was provided by James Likeness and Ben Tichenor.
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