Renaissance Wellbeing Services
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
“Since the beginning of time, spirituality and religion have been called to fill in the gaps that science did not understand.” ~ Dan Brown, Angels and Demons, pg.43 Alan John Miller, is the cult leader of a group called Divine Truth. He convinces his disciples that he is the reincarnation of Jesus; that’s right, this... Continue Reading →
Castration of male genital has long a history in mythology, religious rites, and as a means of controlling slaves. In contrast, Freud believed castration anxiety was an experience all boys went through. Like most psychoanalytic babel, the so-called universal experiences of infantile sexuality have no scientific basis and when the "evidence" to support them, i.e.,... Continue Reading →
Would the universe have been created if Ra had sex education? To explore possible responses to that question, I have written a satirical account of the Ancient Egyptian creation myth and juxtaposed it with the scientific theory of the Big Bang.
Thinking and communication processes are based on symbols. Therefore, it logically follows that symbols would also play a role in mental wellbeing. In this blog, I discuss the basics of this connection.
Ancient philosophers often referred to a hierarchy of the cosmos as fire, air, water, and earth. These have often been mistaken as literal but they actually refer to a theological framework that describes components of human beings.
Psychoanalytical's assumption that symbols have universal meanings is flawed. I demonstrate this by challenging Jordan Peterson's remarks about Chaos being predominately a feminine trait.
In 2016, Australian artist, Ben Quilty, travelled to Syria to work in refugee camps. The project involved supplying children with quality paper and pencils and encouraging them to tell their stories through pictures. The drawings were complied into a book, titled Home. The images and stories are moving to say the least. If you'd like... Continue Reading →
The process of seeing involves light entering our eyes and influencing the physiological mechanisms for sight in our brains. At the back of our eyes is our “retina” which is largely composed of “cones” and “rods” that interpret visual information. The cones and rods send communication signals via nerve impulses to our visual cortex and... Continue Reading →
Over a hundred years ago Freud created a name for himself with the invention of psychoanalysis. Since then, scientific research has disproven most of his work, especially that which relates to trauma. Nevertheless, many people are still dedicated “believers”. Amongst those still under Freud’s hypnotic influence is Jordan Peterson. The consequences of such means that individuals with PTSD are at risk of not getting the support that they need to recover.
As part of my masters of mental health studies, I was required to write a newsletter-style report about a mental health issue directed at a specific group of professionals. I chose to write about depression, adolescence, and education for teachers: --------------- It is estimated that, on average, there are at least two students in every... Continue Reading →
What is Art Therapy? Art therapy, also sometimes referred to as art psychotherapy, is a counselling approach that incorporates the creating of artwork into the therapeutic process. Creating art provides a means of directly tapping into the subconscious mind and in doing so provides insights and directions for conversations that could be otherwise missed. Art... Continue Reading →
When people first try art therapy there is often some level of self-consciousness. Thoughts and comments along the lines of “will my drawing be ‘good’ enough?” or “I haven’t been creative since I was a kid!” or “I can’t even draw a straight line!” often come up. Such things often arise as a result of... Continue Reading →
Renée Spencer, 2018, Tree of Hearts, pencil on paper - digitally enhanced Art therapy and neuroscience have an intimate connection. There are many facets to this which can be explored, however, as an introduction to the topic this article will be focusing on the creative process. Other connections between art, therapy, the brain, and mental... Continue Reading →