Christian Farr and Karen Jordan share how the arts help their family on a daily basis.
My wife, Karen Jordan, and I support the Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA) because ITA is about changing lives and preserving our well-being, especially now.
Our family experiences the impact of the arts daily. My brother is a professional artist, whose work adorns our children’s bedrooms. Our daughter recently lost her beloved doll and created a missing person poster to express her deep sadness. Listening to the sounds of Ramsey Lewis brings me back to the comforts of my childhood, especially around Christmas. Karen loves African-American art and is a long-time collector. The arts comfort us, bring us joy, and help us work through difficult emotions.
What we love most about Creative Arts Therapy is how each client is treated as a whole, unique person with individual needs and treatment plans created for their specific goals; there is no cookie-cutter approach. It meets clients where they are and recognizes that often words aren’t enough to work through life’s challenges. Instead, using art, dance/movement, drama, or music therapy, clients process experiences and learn life skills enabling them to lead fulfilling lives and manage their well-being during uncertain times.
Please join us in supporting ITA in bringing creative arts therapies to everyone who needs them, especially now during this time of great uncertainty in our world.
Thank you,
Christian & Karen
Thank you both for all that you do for helping to support good MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICES & especially ITA, because, like you wrote, ITA does indeed meet people exactly where they are in their journey to good mental health. ITA also treats every person w/ RESPECT & KINDNESS & HELPS THEM to realize what a GREAT PERSON they already are, for every One Has a SPECIAL GIFT which makes each person very IMPORTANT & very SPECIAL to others!! From that ITA builds an individual plan & set reachable goals for every client is totally unique & needs & deserves an individual, unique plan for their own special life!! So THANK YOU very much. I am 72 now. Before I got this old, I spent 20 years as a successful & effective ADVOCATE for the PHYSICALLY & MENTALLY DISABLED, ELDERLY & ABUSED. That always seemed to be exactly the work that GOD had planned for me. Because, in every situation, God put me in touch w/ the right person & always gave me exactly the right words to say to achieve our goals. God always also made it possible that I usually only had to made one phone call to reach just the right person for what was needed at the time. It was a wonderful, remarkable journey upon which God charted my Life!! Best Wishes for a most BLESSED & JOYOUS HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON filled with PEACE & GOOD HEALTH!! Sincerely, Virginia Paulk Gardner