Culinary Art Therapy Groups
Food For Thought…
What if therapy were more FUN, and that made the therapy process more effective?
ChefPsychNP’s Recipe for Wellness
As a Chef and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner I help patients achieve better mental wellness by balancing medication management with therapeutic interventions and the culinary arts.
I am passionate about exploring the art and science of food. Through culinary art therapy, I teach about the powerful connection between the brain and the digestive system. Nutrition can have a positive effect on mental health. Cooking is one of the few artistic expressions that embodies all five senses of sight, sound, touch, scent, and taste. The use of the culinary arts to bring joy to people’s lives seems like a beautiful way to use my knowledge and experience to help others in a very understandable and tangible way.
Each group will come together for 90 minutes. In this time ChefPsychNP will teach therapeutic techniques, we will cook a dish together, share, and practice therapeutic techniques!
Why Group Therapy?
Group therapy is an often under utilized mental wellness activity. Feeling awkward sharing in a group setting is a common reason people are hesitant to join a therapeutic group; however, With the distraction of cooking mixed with a specific group topic the results could create a recipe for success.
The many benefits of group therapy include:
Universality: Patients realize that others exist who share similar thoughts, feelings, and issues. (YOU ARE NOT ALONE!)
Altruism: Patients can improve their self-concept by assisting other patients. (HELPING OTHERS HELPS YOU)
Instillation of hope: Patients benefit from witnessing the success of other group members and can envision themselves following a similar path. (IF THEY CAN DO IT SO CAN I)
Imparting information: Patients gain knowledge and information from both the group members and the provider.
Development of socialization techniques: Patients learn effective and proper ways to interact with others.
Cohesiveness: Patients experience feelings of support, trust, and belonging to one another.
Self-understanding: Patients understand the covert factors influencing their behavior and emotions.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549812/
This article from Psychology Today, suggests that teenagers in particular are more likely to open up when simultaneously participating in an enjoyable activity.