Kardon

Thoughts from Paul Macks, Executive Director

Welcome to the first entry in Getting Creative, the Kardon Institute for Arts Therapy blog. I’m Paul Macks, the Executive Director; I’ve been given the honor of starting this new way of reaching out to people connected to and interested in the world of creative arts therapy. This unique approach helps people work through mental health and emotional issues or strive to achieve a higher quality of life – all through the rich world of the arts. Guided by our highly trained and skilled staff, music, dance and art become more than just an enjoyable pleasure; they become tools for communication and social interaction.

After over 30 years working in traditional medicine, my years at Kardon Institute have shown me a countless stream of successes. We all know how playing or listening to music can make us feel so many emotions. It’s surprising that there isn’t a greater recognition of how these powerful emotions can be used as a therapy tool by trained professionals. We can stare for hours at works of art that speak to us and we unconsciously doodle in the margins of our tablets. We move and sway instinctively to music without realizing it. It just makes sense to harness these innate and powerful responses as a healing tool. It’s always fascinating to me when I tell someone about what we do and they nod in recognition. Everyone can relate to their own art experiences and once I explain our programs, they immediately relate.

In the spring, we have recitals for clients, who wish to show their families and friends something they have accomplished. A few years ago, I was sitting next to a new board member when one of our clients, a young woman with developmental issues, began to play the drums. Her performance wasn’t complicated, just simple, rhythmic beats. But the non-stop smile on her face was filled with joy. In front of us were her parents and their faces were equally beaming with pride. The board member looked at her and at the parents and turned to me and simply said, “I get it ”.

It’s a no brainer to see how the arts can be used as therapy with frail, elderly people, children on the autistic spectrum or adults with mental health disabilities, all groups we work with. Now, if we could only get the light bulb to go on at the major insurance companies, so more people could benefit. But that’s a topic for another time.

Future blogs will be written by many of our therapists and by our clients. We hope this will open your mind to new ideas and encourage you to share your thoughts and reactions with us.

This is just the beginning…………..