Jenny Wilkinson–Mandala We at CWW are blessed with a very specific signature strength-Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence.  One might assume that everyone is endowed with this quality.  And yes most people do have visual preferences-evident in the colors they choose to paint their rooms, the way they arrange their living space, the particular flair they have in their style of …

Bitten by the Beauty Bug Click to Read Post »

Gioia and Laura First–Snow Spirals We recently got a historic snow storm here on the East Coast.  In the Washington DC area, we are still digging out, and the kids have been home from school for a week.  However, Gioia still had to get to work.  She was scheduled to do an outdoor challenge group, a structured trust building exercise …

Snow Spirals Click to Read Post »

Rebecca–Card for Lois “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” Dalai Lama It’s that time of year–Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s. For better or worse, ‘tis the season. Rebecca, known for being something of a Grinch, is fond of complaining about the “worse” part.  For example, during the holidays the commercialism and the pressure to spend money can distract us …

What Kindness Looks Like Click to Read Post »

Gioia–Mask “I reveal myself one mask at a time”Stephen Dunn We have recently been using masks in our work. Although they’re often used in art therapy, we were both conflicted about what they represent. Are they meant to hide or protect some aspect of ourselves? Do they reflect what we show to the world and obscure our “true” selves. Or …

The Other Side of Masks Click to Read Post »

Rebecca–Path/Fuse Sometimes a cigar is not a cigar.  Perception is a tricky little creature.  We know that what we “see”, what we think is “reality”, is susceptible to all sorts of biochemical mechanisms.  What seems clearly obvious to some may be completely invisible to others.  What we “see” may also change dramatically when something shifts our perception. Rebecca’s husband, KC, is fond of …

Sometimes a Cigar Is Not a Cigar… Click to Read Post »

Gioia–Sweet Dreams “Sleep is the best meditation.” Dalai Lama Sleeping well has always been one of my super strengths.  I’m just really good at it, and I often feel that most of my best creative ideas are formed when I’m snoozing away.  Rebecca, on the other hand, has often struggled to get a good night’s sleep. We know that sleep …

Sweet Dreams Click to Read Post »

Gioia–Pensive Who Would You Be?I’d be Ghandi, I’d be Martin Luther King, Jr.,I’d be Me! If you could be like anyone, who would you be and why? We used to pose this question on the inpatient units, just as a conversational warm up with patients.   Some answers were predictable-Oprah, Jesus, George Clooney, Denzel Washington, or Princess Diana.  Some people wanted …

Who Would You Be? Click to Read Post »