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Fibromyalgia Support Group Guidelines

Download a copy of Judy's guidelines for helping your Fibromyalgia Support Group to help your group members to the fullest.

Destress Yourself

Here's an excerpt from my free Incredibly Creative Stress Kit which is full of techniques for managing your stress. You can try this one out the next time you're feeling stressed. To receive a copy of my free stress kit, visit my Contact page (see the right column).

Working with Your Body's Natural Stress Response

Duplicate! Eliminate! Concentrate! And my all time favorite: Fabricate!
These are the ways I approach managing stress. Try them all to experience which of the Incredibly Creative Techniques works for you. Here's Duplicate (below). Get my free Incredibly Creative Stress Kit for instructions on the others and much more.

Duplicate!

Fighting & Fleeing — I don't need to tell you . . . but I will anyway: It's nearly impossible to "calm down" the fight or flight response once your adrenalin is pumping. So let's creatively use what our Mindbody is doing and Go along with the program. Let's duplicate what the fight or flight stress response is preparing us to do.

Once you're stressed don't try to calm yourself down. Do physical activity for 20-30 minutes, the stress response will pass. Your Mindbody is telling you to moooove!

Moving Experiences
March to music, take a hike, clean a closet, learn to Samba, hang-glide, jump rope, play soccer, scrub the floor, build a shed, kick box, wash windows, walk the dog, ride a horse, mow the lawn, paint the ceiling, rock climb, walk to the store, do jumping-jacks, climb stairs - just MOVE.

Bone-us (Bonus) Page

Creative Expression

There are 3 rules when doing creative expression.  

Rule #1: There is no right or wrong.

Two left feet!

What can I expect?  I focus on easy and fun visual expression: creative journaling, collage, vision boards.  It’s not because these are better than the other forms. It’s because I can’t carry a tune and have two left feet.  I’ll  teach you these easy, visually powerful techniques you can use for a lifetime of self-discovery and self-growth. If you are seeing a  therapist, you can share and process what you’ve created with him/her.

Rule #2: There is no right or wrong.

Grandma’s knitting therapy!

What is Creative Expression?  Creativity is universal.  All our minds create – language, thoughts, images, feelings, associations, subjective experience and perception. 

Creative Expression is expression of the self at the deepest level.  Music, dance, painting, drawing, sculpture, jewelry making, knitting, collage, singing, sewing, poetry, puppetry, acting, ceramics, writing, or the clothes we choose, the pets that attract us, the tone of our voice, the style of our hair.  All forms of creative expression lend themselves to self-exploration.   

Rule #3: There is no right or wrong.

Grandma knows best!

Why does it work? Creative expression allows you to non-verbally express unconscious thoughts and feelings that facilitate growth and healing.   You learn how to creatively express inner feelings and bring them back to your conscious awareness to release old out-dated feelings, reconnect with positive emotion, hope and just plain feel better.

The PROCESS of creating is inherently therapeutic. Just as you can deliberately use the hypnotic & imagery experience you can use creative expression to reduce your stress response and gain insight into yourself and your life. 

Did I mention the best part? 

There is no right or wrong way to express yourself creatively!  The focus is on the PROCESS of creating, not the PRODUCT of the creation.
Now if that isn’t therapeutic, I don’t know what is.

And it’s not just for Grandma anymore!

Want more information about my Creative Expression workshops?
Check out the Creativity to the Max website or call (949) 249-8402. I’ll be glad to answer any questions you have.

Now here are some links that might interest you!

David Salahi                                                                                                        Web site designer                                                                     www.ArtisticWebDesign.com

The Academy for Guided Imagery                                                                    Training academy for Interactive Guided Imagery(sm)                                       Imagery research & resources     www.academyforguidedimagery.com       

Kathe Caldwell, CCH                                                                                        Clinical Hypnotherapist, Imagery Guide and Hypnotherapy Instructor www.HypnosisSolutions.net    

Laurie Miller, CCH President of the International Association for Clinical Hypnotherapy and Clinical Hypnotherapist                                                     www.HypnosisConcepts.com

International Association for Clinical Hypnotherapy                     www.hypnosis4you.com

American Society of Clinical Hypnosis                                                       www.asch.net

National Guild of Hypnotists                                                                       www.ngh.net

Art and Creativity for Healing                                                                                      A non-profit organization                                                                                      Free painting workshops for those suffering from abuse, illness, grief & stress.               www.art4healing.org

Arts in Therapynon-profit, online community                                          www.artsintherapy.com

The National Pain Foundation                                                     www.painconnection.org

American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association, Inc                              www.afsafund.org

Patrick B. Wood, M.D., Andrew J. Holman, M.D,Lynne Matallana, founder & president NFACurrent research findings on fibromyalgia                             http://www.lifebeyondpain.com

The Orange County Gourd Society Patch                                       www.nicheofbliss.com