U of G News

In-Person: Eco-Art Therapy
2024-09-28 09:30 - 16:30 (America/Toronto) | Arboretum Centre, 200 Arboretum Rd, Guelph, N1G 2W1, Canada
This full-day, immersive Eco-art therapy session is aimed at providing an experience where you will interact with and share nature-based experiences to help bring hope, resilience, and positivity in your life right now. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on components of Ecopsychology as well as Eco-Art Therapy. Participants will be introduced to some key concepts of Ecopsychology and then participate in hands-on Eco-art therapy activities.
Such concepts include:

Wisdom in nature
Engaging with nature and our surroundings beyond the 5 senses
Personal validation through personal “in-the-moment” experiences
Interconnections in nature and concepts of time, forgiveness, patience, love, and care as observed in nature
Communication beyond language, as observed in nature
Finding wisdom in nature and breaking free from societal rigidity and structure

The ecopsychological focus will be to open yourself to direct experiences within nature and rely on a reciprocation of experiences, where you allow nature to gently guide your awareness through your senses. You will be challenged to learn from nature’s wisdom in the absence of words and languages, and simply rely on your senses. You will be amazed by how and what nature reveals to you through such an approach.
The session will explore eco art activities that go beyond the barriers of traditional artistic techniques, and express without boundaries. Participants will create pieces that they are truly proud of because of the deep experiences and meaning held in the work.
What to bring:

small kit that includes scissors, pen, pencil, ruler, markers, pencil crayons
sunscreen, sunglasses, comfortable clothes, bug spray, and anything else you would like to be comfortable. (ie. small mat to sit on while working outside)
water bottle, a lunch and some snacks
an open-mind and uncompromised creativity!

The fee includes a $15 material fee that covers the additional supplies that the instructor will supply.
Memona is a mother, community-based collaborator, and a PhD candidate in Applied Ecopsychology and certification in Eco-art Therapy. Ecopsychology is the area of study that explores the connective, holistic relationship between humans and the Earth. She holds a Master’s in Education from the University of Toronto. She has been a lecturer through the School of Environment at the University of Toronto. She occasionally teaches through community platforms
Fee: $115 (plus HST) (includes $15 material fee) per person if you register before the early bird deadline of September 20, 2024. After September 20 the fee is $125 (plus HST) per person. Note: If we don’t have enough registrations by the early bird deadline the course may be cancelled.
