Celebrating 30 Years of the European Graduate School
“Thirty years of creativity, collaboration, and transformation” This summer, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the European Graduate School. Once again, students and faculty from across the globe gathered beneath the White Mountain, where the air is thin, crisp, and alive with possibility. The car-free village of Saas-Fee, nestled just below the tree line, was filled with
Blooming Flower: Movement and Art Activity
Want to learn more about the Expressive Arts Institute? Check us out here Welcoming Spring with Body Movement and Dance Spring arrives in budding leaves, buzzing bees, and the earth stirring awake. The sun coaxes life upward, while the rain nourishes roots below—both essential, both in balance. Like flowers reaching for light and trees deepening their roots,
Valentines and Friendship: A True Love
From the Desk of Dr. Judith Greer Essex A love letter to our friends: Dear Friends, As Valentine’s Day comes and goes, I find myself reflecting on the many shapes love can take. So often, this day is painted in hues of romantic red and adorned with hearts entwined, yet love's palette is far more expansive. Many of us
Expressive Art Therapy Movement Activity: Year of the Wooden Snake
The Year of the Snake: Symbolism and Transformation From the Desk of Dr. Judith Greer Essex: The Year of the Snake invites you to release outdated beliefs, fears, and habits that no longer serve you. In this activity, you’ll use movement and reflection to shed these old "skins." In Chinese astrology, the Year of the Snake is seen
Honoring Janus: God of the New Year
New Year’s Day holds a unique significance in many cultures, and one of the most interesting aspects is its association with the Roman God Janus. If you're Roman—or at least familiar with Roman mythology—then you likely know that Janus is the deity who presides over the transitions into new beginnings, as well as the passages that
April 2021: It’s Spring, and the Green Goes Over and Over…
Spring enters with her 10,000 shades of green, and sweeps away the winter chill and last summer's browns. BY:Judith Greer Essex Ph.D. LMFT, ADTR, REAT Founding Director, Expressive Arts Institute The Green Goes Over and Over It is irrepressible. The daffodils come springing out, green shoots and leaf buds appear overnight. I want to forestall spring and let winter’s cool
Dream Jobs Series: Ann Davis Brings the Heart of Aloha to the Monarch School.
Institute Graduate Ann Davis came to us from the Hawaiian Islands, bringing a deep interest in education and community organization, and a serious need for play in the arts. When Ann came from Hawaii to the mainland, she missed the sense of family "ohana" and community, "the spirit of aloha." So it is fitting that she found
Love= Friendship = Love
-Judith Greer Essex, Ph.D., Director, Expressive Arts Institute Who is Your Valentine? The history of St. Valentine's Day is a messy mix of pagan and Christian celebrations. The old pagan festival of Lupercalia (which fell on February 15th) was a precursor and celebrated Faunus, the god of agriculture with animal sacrifice and blood rituals. The Christian Saint Valentine
Welcoming the Gifts of Darkness: Thoughts on the Longest Night of the Year
Scratch the surface of the darkness, and discover new light.
Applied Gratitude 101: Thanks Are for Giving
This year's trip to Yosemite for Thanksgiving left me filled with gratitude for family and friends, and the majesty of our western landscape. Applied Gratitude 101: Here are just a few ways of giving thanks in the season of gratitude, and celebrating the roles we play for each other in community. Be personal. Make time for a visit or