Being with Shame: A Literature Review Exploring Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts Therapy for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

This literature review thematically explores the potential benefits of the Focusing-Oriented Expressive Art Therapy (FOAT) approach as a treatment for shame for adults survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The goals of this literature review are to discuss the characteristics, consequences and prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and its impact on subsequent pathology as well as outline terms and themes related to shame, dissociation, and avoidance; explore treatment models for working with shame-based negative sequelae for CSA survivors; investigate the theoretical models and benefits of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Sensorimotor for working with trauma and the body; condense the extensive evidence for mindfulness and self-compassion practices; highlight the literature on arts-based activities for trauma and shameful self-schema; ultimately, to provide perspective on the FOAT’s potential for bringing healing for adult survivors of CSA. The research was chosen and prioritized based on how recently the the research was performed as well as how precise in regards to the intersection of shame symptomology, expressive arts, FOAT and CSA. Two studies are reviewed: one phenomenological study by Mills & Daniluk (2002) assessing the impacts of Dance Therapy (DT) on a purposively sampled female adult survivors of CSA for helping survivors reconnect to their bodies and one true experimental study by Collier and Wayment (2019) on on the impact of art-making incorporated with mindfulness for mood-repair while intentionally focusing on (i.e. not dissociating from) a distressing event. In addition to critically reviewing these studies, this literature review seeks to thematically provide a descriptive and comprehensive scope on all the research on shame, CSA, dissociation, and mindfulness as well as self-compassion based creative practices. The evidence suggests that the lasting shame from childhood sexual abuse are benefitted by the therapeutic factors of self-compassionate mindfulness paired with embodied art-making through the FOAT approach

Attempting to fly: Deployment of system-oriented design methodology conducted by the Norwegian Design Council

A metaphore Albatrosses are amongst the largest of flying birds. They are known to cover thousands of miles in a short space of time, they fly high and low, with such little effort that they can complete a full circle around the Earth in just over a month. An albatross's takeoff on the other hand, is an embarrassingly clumsy affair. On land they have to run, using a 'runway' area of flat open ground, usually placed on the windiest part of the breeding island, and sloping downhill to increase speed. They face downhill, into the wind, and start a headlong run with wings outstretched, this combined with a couple of flaps, usually gets them into the air. When landing on land they use their tails and webbed feet as ‘air brakes' and, if they are still too fast when they land, they may topple forward rather comically onto their beaks. What does this have to do with systems oriented design (SOD)? SOD is still maturing as a methodology and is not easy to communicate. To explain how we see SOD we use this metaphore. Our part in the developement of SOD so far has been as sensors and bridging partner to the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) and as an orchestrator of projects. This paper will focus on how the collaboration with AHO has put the Norwegian Design Council in a position to stage the necessary circumstances to get SOD projects in the air, and describe a specific case and its main

Letter from Eduard Wildhagen to the Ahnenerbe, May 25, 1938

Eduard Wildhagen writes the Ahnenerbe regarding a document he wrote concerning the Atlas of German Volkskunde. He indicates that he would like to publish it, but fears this will spur attacks on him. He requests the Ahnenerbe to review and approve the work on behalf of the Reichsführer SS. He additionally suggests that the Ahnenerbe take over the Atlas work and appoint him as leader of the project.https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/atlas_german_folklore/1005/thumbnail.jp

Strategy is the solution – but what is the problem?

I will address the relevance of Systems Oriented Design (SOD) in the development of good strategy – and how it can contribute to make sense of a bad strategy. I will showcase how SOD shifts the conversation towards exploration of complexity, diagnosis and the design of actions for strategic impact. My views are based on the accumulated work experience within the Norwegian Centre for Design & Architecture (previously Norwegian Design Council & Norsk Form) and my observations as a sensor for the SOD Master-courses at AHO, which I’ve been following since 2010. Sevaldson (2013) describes SOD as un-dogmatic and design oriented in its approach to systems. The SOD designer is initially less concerned about hierarchies and boundaries of systems and more interested in looking at vast fields of relations and patterns of interactions. The SOD designer is looking beyond the object (product or service) and perceives the object merely as a “symptom” or “outcropping” of vast systems that lay behind the object. When dealing with very complex issues, SOD regards designing the design process for each individual project, as the central strategy. When we begin scoping complex design processes we promote problem-orientation. The absence of a good strategy quite often becomes apparent and an initial challenge. We need to address this and support the decision makers to diagnose what the problem is, not focus on what the solution might be. A SOD core team can be brought into the organization, and through team work with key stakeholders be able to explore complexity. The team make a (1) diagnosis that defines or explains the nature of one or more existing, or unprecedented, challenges, they make (2) recommendations on how to deal with the challenges and (3) actions designed to carry them out. Visualization and Giga-mapping are essential tools to enable shared understanding and drive the process forward – from diagnosing to suggested actions