VFTS 2022 3 | Dr. Danielle Drake & Shoshana Simons | Narrative Therapies, Womanism & Community

FEATURED GUESTS: Shoshana Simons, PhD, RDT, an expressive arts-centered drama therapist, voice actor, professor and former Chair of the CIIS Counseling Psychology program, Expressive Arts Therapy concentration. She earned her MA in Human Development and PhD in Human & Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate Institute, an MA in Sociology & Social Policy from London Metropolitan University, UK. Shoshana completed her drama therapy training at the Omega Theater Transpersonal Drama Therapy Program, MA. Her extensive training and experience in the UK and USA in community-based work with children & families, counseling, education, leadership and systems change informs her work preparing expressive arts therapy students to transform mental health systems into humane, equitable, and culturally responsive communities of practice. Shoshana also offers “NarrARTive” coaching workshops and courses through Key of Life Academy, and the North West Creative & Expressive Arts Institute based on the narrative expressive arts approach to counseling and coaching she has been developing over the last decade at CIIS.

Danielle Drake, PhD, is associate professor and Program Chair of the Counseling Psychology, Expressive Arts Therapy MA program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Fielding Graduate University, and developed and conducted an initial validation of the Black Spiritual Creativity Scale. Danielle uses a liberatory-informed theoretical approach that incorporates Womanist (black feminist), and Black/African-centered psychologies with Narrative Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, and contemplative practices. She is co-author of the chapter, “Womanism, Creativity and Resistance,” published in the American Psychological Association’s, Womanist and Mujerista Psychologies: Voice of Fire, Acts of Courage. A spoken word artist, she is a former Oakland Poetry Slam Champion, and author of Cast Iron Life: A Collection of Poems and Recipes.

 LISTEN & LEARN:

• How Dr. Simons has developed the NarrARTive Expressive Arts Therapy approach over time. 
• The value and power of using narrative work within community. 
• Impacts of the Womanist lens and how it informs the expressive therapy interventions that Dr. Drake facilitates with clients. 
• The power of connection achieved through the creativity to facilitate healing. 
• How metaphor is used in both the Tree of Life and Laundry of Life approaches to amplify self-understanding. 

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

• Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology, Expressive Arts Therapy at California Institute of Integral Studies Www.ciis.edu/academics/graduate-programs/expressive-arts-therapy 
• Reach Dr. Drake at dydrake@ciis.edu 
• Reach Dr. Simons at Keyoflife36@gmail.com
• www.KeyoflifeAcademy.com 
• Cast Iron Life: A Collection of Poems & Recipes by Dr. Drake 
• Womanism, creativity, and resistance: Making a way out of "no way" Drake-Burnette, D., Garrett-Akinsanya, B., & Bryant-Davis, T. (2016). Womanism, creativity, and resistance: Making a way out of "no way" In T. Bryant-Davis & L. Comas-Díaz (Eds.), Womanist and mujerista psychologies: Voices of fire, acts of courage (pp. 173–193). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14937-008
• Expressive Therapies Summit 2022

SESSIONS OFFERED AT THE 2022 LA EXPRESSIVE THERAPIES SUMMIT:
March 26, 2022 (3hr) Conjuring Connection & Joy in Difficult Times Through Creativity & Spiritual Intention. 
March 25. 2022 (3hr) Narrative Intermodal Arts for Problem Solving & Resilience in Turbulent Times.