Welcome

Welcome to my Website! So glad you have taken the time to visit my website. Here you will find information about my work as a therapist and my creativity workshops.  These are stressful times we live in. The Covid-19 virus is affecting all of our lives in one way or another.  Job loss, depression, relational difficulties, concerns about staying safe only add to all the other stressors in life.  As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I'm here to listen, give feedback and help and support women through the ups and downs of life. Together, we can identify your stressors and coping abilities, methods to develop strengths and learn tools to manage anxiety, depression and lower the effects of stress in your life.  Anxiety and depression can keep you stuck and unable to manage your life, but with support and guidance, you can feel better.  More and more women are developing chronic illnesses and are struggling to identify what they want to do with their lives.  Loneliness is on the rise as is the long term effects of trauma. The good news is, you do not have to suffer alone. You do not have to live day-to-day in emotional pain. Together we explore the issues that can affect relationships including those you have with yourself. One technique I use is cognitive behavioral therapy to uncover thought patterns that contribute to low self-esteem, anxiety and depression that can block happiness. Understanding the core beliefs you carry within is an important step to identify self-sabotaging behaviors. Support is only a phone call away. You deserve to have a life you are excited to wake up to. As women, single, married, widowed, partnered or divorced, we must learn self-care, how to set healthy boundaries, how to say "No," and when to ask for help. With self-exploration, understanding how past trauma can affect one's life today,  the healing process can begin! My Therapy Practice Specialties Individuals Art & Talk Therapy Women Anxiety Depression Career & Work Dilemmas Creative Freeze Chronic Health Issues Being Single in a Coupled World To be a Mother or Not  My fees: My fee for individual, 50 min session is $125. If you are struggling financially due to the Covid-19 pandemic, you can also work with me through the OPEN PATHS PSYCHOTHERAPY COLLECTIVE, which provides sliding scale fees. Go to their website at: www.openpathpsychotherapycollective.org for more info.  Video Therapy Due to the cover-19, therapy sessions are being held via telephone and/or video conferencing. Confidential remains my Talk Therapy I bring a wealth of life experiences both professionally and personally to the work I do with clients. I provide a safe and warm approach to therapy using a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Mind Body approaches.  Whether we use traditional "talk" therapy and/or integrate creative expression, personal therapy can be an adventure rather than a drain.  Knowing oneself is an amazing gift to give to yourself. A therapy begins when we first connect over the phone. I will ask you a few basic questions about why you are seeking therapy at this time in your life and what your goals are for therapy. I will explain to you briefly how I work, my fee and the location of my office. If we decide to work together, we will set an appointment date and time.  I will email you my intake form and questionnaire for you to fill in and bring to the first session.  On the scheduled date, we will meet. I try to make clients feel comfortable to talk about what is going on in your life. I don't "fix" clients; I help guide and support you. Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses different art mediums to express thoughts and feelings. Images, colors and symbols will trigger feelings quicker and easier than words alone. It is not about how good an artist you are, it is about putting your feelings down on paper or expressed with clay. The process is here and now. It is not about the product. Client and therapist discuss the what it was like to create the art and what came up while creating the art piece. Therapists do not interpret, the ask questions to help clients make sense of their art. I do not take insurance, but I can provide you with a SuperBill that you can submit to your insurance company. My regular 1 hour fee is $125. I take checks, cash and Paypal and Venmo. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24 Hours 1800-273-8255 Teen Hotline 800-852-8336 A few tips for coping with the COVID-10  PAUSE.Breathe. Notice how you feel  TAKE BREAKSfrom COVID-19 content  MAKE TIMEto sleep and exercise  REACH OUTand stay connected  SEEK HELPif overwhelmed or unsafe General public health information WORKSHOP NEWS QUARANTINE ART MAKING  Pick up your paint brushes, oil pastels, art journal, colored pencils and start creating to decrease anxiety, loneliness, frustration and more. As an art therapist and psychotherapist, AND a creative mentor, I see my role as helping to inspire women to explore their fun-loving and daring creative side, which we all have!  And, how you can use art to express thoughts and feelings that might be difficult to express with words alone. Engaging in a creative practice can add calm, joy and insight into your life.  What is so amazing about process art, is that it is not about right or wrong or whether you consider yourself artistic, it is about allowing yourself a safe place to play and explore what comes out on the page! It is not judging what you create, but allowing yourself to enjoy the freedom of the process.  I combine my varied background in the arts, psychology, spirituality, and women's studies to my work with women.  Aids in Managing depression, anxiety, and stress Increases insight into your life Improves motivation and focus Provides time for you Adds joy to your life Collage A creative practice: Through the process of art-making you build a healthy, loving and trusting relationship with yourself.  I believe the saying goes, the most important marriage you will ever have is with yourself! Why is this important? Because, whether you are in a relationship or find yourself alone, which chances are you will at some point in your life, you have enjoy your own company. That's right. So, I help women like themselves whether alone or partnered. It is essential to your emotional well being. I will write more about that later. Lastly, if you are a woman lacking motivation, or living with a chronic illness or wanting to feel happier and more content in your life, I might just be the therapist you are looking for.  Or, my workshop Women and Creativity might be worth checking out. I offer in person, group and workshop sessions. Many challenges can get in the way of getting to an office appointment therefore, traditional in office sessions are not always an option. There is nothing worse than being in emotional pain, wanting support and guidance, but not having the energy or time to make it across town. Having choices is what women need today.   MANDALA

Changing Face - moving freely through the years

Why do we, especially women, attach so much meaning and value to how we look?  Why for many, is our self-confidence connected to how we feel about our physical appearance and why do we fear the changes our bodies undergo? I'm not talking about declining health as we age or being struck with a health condition as we age, but why do we fear the wrinkles, the gray hairs, and the other physical changes that are a natural process of aging? One way to move through the aging process is with creativity.  Is there a way to use art to build a healthy relationship with our changing appearances? In the UK, a group called "Look at Me," invited women to take part in an art therapy group to support women and help them gain insight and develop a healthy outlook on their changing appearances. Here is a link to the youtube video of this process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnMfQLiVu3w&feature=player_embedded#!

Recently, a friend of mine shared that she is very upset about turning 40 soon. Her white hairs are a sign midlife is just around the corner.  She pulls the white hairs out to extinguish the reminders of her aging body.  I suggested, she might want to save some of the white hairs she pulls, and glue them to black paper and dialogue with them. Give the white hairs a voice and allow them to speak back to the voice that is so fearful of aging. If you prefer, draw an image of the white/gray hairs on a black piece of paper and do the same exercise. Get to know the white hair; be curious about your changing hairs that are sprouting among the black, brown, blond, and/or red field. What do these new hairs represent to you? My friend sees them as representing a "dead end;" An indication that time is running out and it's all down hill from here.

She is not alone. Our society places much more value on the young than the old or, for that matter, the middle-aged. Young is good...old is bad. That is why so many women undergo cosmetic surgery and Botox.

Here is another exercise to try.
Use any drawing material you have and on a piece of plan paper, color or white, on the left side of the paper draw an image, as best you can, this is not an art class, of yourself with a young face.  You can also collage this exercise. Make it as simple or abstract as you wish. Now, along side that image, create an image of yourself at the age you are now....an image of how you experience yourself at your current age. What changes? What remains the same? Notice the feelings that come up. Notice if you talk to or experience yourself differently. I would also suggest you write in your journal about any feelings or thoughts you have. If you find you are being judgmental or critical of yourself, I want you to try and use a loving and kind voice with yourself. Practice that new voice daily and see what happens. If that loving voice is a challenge, try being neutral - not rejecting or embracing...stay in the middle where no judgement takes place.

You are always welcome to write me about any questions or experiences you have. I will write more about this subject in posts to come.

Universal Women's Retreat

I spent, Saturday, September 11, 2010, in Santa Barbara at Casa de Maria doing a mandala workshop for a women's spiritual retreat. It was an amazing day, in an amazing location, with amazing women! My workshop was from 9am - 11:15. If you have never been to Casa de Maria, you really owe it to yourself to make a visit. The atmosphere is calming and uplifting at the same time. I was able to do the workshop in the loft at the center and it provided for a great setting with light, open windows and tables! Something that is not always readily available when I hold workshops.

Everyone was open to the process, which included creating a pre-designed mandala using Crayons and a free-style mandala using mixed media. I had such a great time introducing the art of mandalas to the women, who were there for a weekend of sisterhood. Below are some photos from the workshop and also along the side bar of this blog. Hope to see you at one of my mandala workshops soon. Be well, Victoria

Women, Food & God - A book review

Women, Food & God - a book review
I'm reading a new book titled Women, Food & God by Geneen Roth. If you've ever suffered from or continue to suffer with emotional eating, she shares many wonderful thoughts, ideas, wisdom and laughs on not only her own journey with emotional eating, but of those who attend her retreats. Roth is new to me, but, as I soon found out, she has written on the subject of emotional eating for may years. Feeding the Hungry Heart, When Food is Love, Breaking Free from Emotional Eating and many more. She talks a lot about why diets don't work, and I couldn't support that idea more. When we diet, we for the most part, don't look at our relationship to food or to the feelings that trigger our food issues. All we are concerned about, is dropping the pounds and looking good. We don't go deeper into what is behind what drives us to over eat or eat the wrong foods or have cravings. I try to ask myself when I'm craving something, what am I really craving right now? Comfort? Excitement? Not to be alone? And what would happen if we actually sat with those feelings? We want a quick fix. We don't want to go deep into our feelings, because hey, what might be down there?She reminds us of the importance of being in the here and now when eating and recognizing and feeling the feelings that come up instead of heading for the refrig to mask them with food. We have a whole arsenal of feelings inside of us though we tend to not want to feel many of them, mostly feelings such as, loneliness, fear, anxiety, sadness and or boredom. We'd rather eat a bag of chips, Oreos or ___________you fill in the blank, then feel the feelings. Roth reminds us that feelings won't kill us. We might cry, we might feel uncomfortable, but they won't kill us. Here is where I recommend keeping a journal. Write your way through the feelings. Collage your way through the discomfort. Turn on some music. Call a friend. Go for a walk. She writes about being aware of the Voice. That voice that has been present inside of us since our little brains could make sense of them. The negative and positive messages that still scream in our ears. The voice that maybe says, "You're not wearing that outfit are you?" Or, "You're not going to eat that are you?"And how these statements can trigger an internal reaction or thought about ourselves and inturn sends a message about ourselves to our core. She stresses the importance of listening to our bodies. Where in our bodies to we experience a feeling? How does it feel? What shape is it? What color is it? I use this a lot with art therapy when I ask a client to create an image of what they are feeling in their bodies. We live so disconnected to our precious bodies that we stay in our heads where all the lies dwell about ourselves. The lies that say, we our too fat too thin, too this too that.I especially like The Eating Guidelines, which include things like: Eat when you are hungry. Eat sitting down in a calm environment. Eat what your body wants. Eat until you are satisfied. These are just a few. I recommend you pick up the book at the library and savior Roth's wisdom and expertise on the subject. Until then, eat mindfully.

Creating Mandalas for Healing...

A Weekly Expressive Art Group For Women Who Live With
A Chronic Health Condition

The word Mandala, comes from the Sanskrit language meaning “sacred circle.” The use of mandalas throughout time have been used by various cultures for meditation, self-reflection, healing and as a symbol for the self.
In this weekly group, we will create mandalas from various art mediums including oil and chalk pastels, markers, colored pencils and collage. The workshop is meant to provide a relaxing and reflective experience that supports and promotes healing.

No art experience necessary.

Group begins, Thursday, July 7th, 2009
6pm-8pm

WEST LOS ANGELES LOCATION

$20 Per session

SUPPLIES PROVIDED

Facilitated by Victoria Van Zandt, MA
Registered Art & Marriage & Family Therapist
Intern #52087

No art experience required.

Please call for more information and/or to participate in the group.
Call 310-922-3957

Supervised by Gwen Lotery, MFT #37140

Mandalas For Reflection, Meditation & Healing

I made my first mandala when I was in graduate school and have been drawn to them ever since. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning sacred circle. C.G. Jung discovered the healing power of mandalas when he embarked on his own healing process and soon learned the power that they possess. There is much I could say or write about mandalas including their history, the various cultures that have used them for thousands of years and the belief that they are representative of the self. I'd like instead, to share about their calming effect and how drawing them can bring about healing as we sit in a quiet place and focus on creating our mandala. Here, where there is no judgment, right or wrong or internal critic at play, the body and mind are at rest. And, I believe, when the body and mind are in a calm state, healing begins. The immune system is at rest and so are we.

Circles are all around us. Take a moment the next time you are out or when you are in your home and notice the circles that surround you. They are everywhere. Circles can center us in times of transition and bring us back to a place of balance and clarity. Mandalas are also the voice of the unconscious, where we can meditate, reflect and/or be present with their beauty.

Making your mandala

Mandalas can be created with many different types of materials such as oil and chalk pastels, paint, paper, sand, stones, shells and the list goes on. You can use colored paper, white paper, a notebook and/or canvas. It is important that before you begin to create your mandala you find a quiet place. Closing your eyes to begin and allowing your unconscious to guide the way as far as color, images, symbols and starting point on the circle. You can trace a circle from a round object or make a circle freehand using a color that you have chosen or that has chosen you as you make your circle. Don't rush, just let the process move you. Once you have created your circle, you can begin filling in your mandala. Letting images, shapes and colors come to you as you ask the critic inside of you to step aside. You can create your mandala with color or fill in the color afterwards. Once you have completed your mandala or when you feel it is at a place of completion, meditate on a title. Is there a theme in your mandala? Does it evoke a message or say something about you? Turn your mandala around and view it from different positions. When you have discovered the position that feels right, you might want to make a little mark at the top point - this will be the position you want to view your mandala from. Date your mandala to keep track of when you've completed it and number them if you make more than one a day. It is fun to be able to track the sequence of your work.

There will be more information about how to work with color, symbols, images and shapes in my future blogs. For now, enjoy the process of creating your mandalas. For more information, refer to Susanne F. Fincher's book Creating Mandalas for Insight, Healing, and Self-Expression.

In Healing,

Victoria

Using Collage to Tell the Story of Your Life

Collage is an exciting art medium that uses different materials to create an art piece. In this workshop, you will use magazine cut-out images, fabric, textured paper and other objects to create a collage that reflects the story or stories of your life. Supplies will be provided. $10 donation suggestion. No art experience necessary. We will begin with a short meditation to begin the art-making process.