Mindful Drawing and Water Coloring for Stress Reduction for System Involved Youth

Ursula Elsa and Salina Mae

Training Description

System involved youth may often feel their authenticity and self expression is restrained by school systems, mainstream culture, peers, and family culture. In our current climate of an ongoing pandemic youth may feel those additional layers of anxiety as they navigate the constant uncertainty. Mindfulness based expressive arts offers youth a place to find full

expression, play, and healing. Join this workshop to engage in expressive arts modalities of drawing and watercoloring to support young people in finding their creative voice while bringing compassion and presence to their stress and anxiety. Please bring some basic art supplies to this workshop, paper, coloring markers or pencils, scissors, and glue. While not

mandatory, if you have access to and feel inspired to play with watercolors, paints, paintbrushes, glitter, puffy paint or any other fun additions, bring them along, you can incorporate them!

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

● Learn how to create a trauma informed space to facilitate expressive arts practices

● Engage in and learn how to facilitate at least 3 mindful watercolor activities to cultivate compassion, empowerment, and presence

● Understand how mindfulness and expressive arts are interconnected

● Discuss how expressive arts activities support anxiety and stress reduction

Agenda 

12:30-1:00pm  Welcome, Housekeeping, and Introductions

1:00-1:30pm  Mindfulness Practice + Self Reflection

1:30-2:00pm  Introduction: How does water color and drawing support support system involved youth?

2:00-2:30pm  Activity #1 The basics: Reducing Stress and Anxiety with watercolors

2:30-3:00pm  Break (CEUs will not be offered for this time)

3:00-3:30pm  Activity#2 Zentangle and mindful doodling

3:30-4:30pm  Activity #3 Creating freedom of expression with watercolors

4:30-5:00pm  Activity #4 Coloring outside the lines: Finding your authenticity

5:00-5:15pm  Customizing watercolors for your Clients

5:15-5:30pm  Closing and Feedback and Course Evaluations

Meet Our Trainers

Salina Mae (she/her/hers), is a Bay Area born and raised community leader with over 20 years experience

serving California schools both as a K-12 classroom teacher and as a mindfulness coach and consultant. She

specializes in building creative, inspired, and socially awake trainings and curricula that lead to action in the

areas of mindfulness, social justice, and systems change. Salina is a certified yoga teacher, a dedicated

mentor and advocate for LGBTQI+ youth and is currently a Director with The Teaching Well in Oakland, Ca.

Salina Mae brings her whimsy, imagination, and passion for collective liberation to create ritual and rites of

passage that support communities in transforming themselves from the inside out.

This course meets the qualifications for (4.5) BBS CEUs for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.