Hug someone you love(scientifically known to soothe,relax, reducestressand trigger the release of oxytocin). Transporting us both through her evocative words, to a beach that she knew well from childhood, Tina got in touch with a deep felt sense of peace and pleasure. We were subsequently able to use this multi-sensory image as a resource in helping her heal from a trauma dating from her teenage years. Belinda Ryan, Art Therapist, Paediatric Palliative Care, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide. Sharing Stories and Cultures in PNG

Simply print and cut out the different images. Then gather some stones or pebbles and some form of glue, ideally PVA. Then coat the stones in some glue, place the image over the top, then add another coating of the glue to create a seal. Then you've got an interactive resource for your children to use to explore and discuss their emotions with some emotions activities. You can use these emotions cut-outs for lots of engaging emotions activities. You could give a set of stones to children and ask them to sort the emotions they see on them into different categories. Or, you could ask your children to work with partners to think of different situations where people might feel these emotions. Have they ever felt this emotion? What happened? How did they deal with it?These emotions cut-outs can be used for lots of great emotions activities to help children learn how to deal with them. Interactive story stones like these are great prompting discussion and different sorting activities. They can help children think about different emotions, what can cause them, and healthy ways to deal with them. Stones …have feelings too! is a fantastic inclusion to the toolkit of anyone wishing to support emotional vocabulary, resilience and identification. Suitable for: For another activity, we created a spectacular stone wall (based on the one in the book) and used it as a setting for a puppet show. The children used the puppets to express what it’s like to have a brother or sister who has (or had) a life-limiting illness. Surrounded by all the stones celebrating difference and uniqueness, the puppets were able to ‘speak’ freely from their places along wall. What could be more relaxing and soul-nurturing than wandering along a beach, looking out for interesting stones? Of course, beaches vary, so keep visiting different ones when you can, and notice the different types of stones available in different places.

Many people believe the main benefit of crystals is their metaphysical abilities. But if we’re being perfectly honest, they’re also really beautiful. In my role as child protection mentor I travelled to the five most tsunami-devastated zones of Aceh, including Nias which was hit by an earthquake in March 2005. Together with the World Vision child protection manager, I co-facilitated the ‘psychosocial education’ training offered to the child protection teams. Prayer beads can also be used during meditation to count repetitions of mantra, or sacred chanting. Practitioners use the main, or guru, bead to keep count. Jewelry Yet a therapy that ignores the deep human need for creative expression is not going to help a client blossom into their fullest self. This is when natural materials such as stones can be invaluable. There is no ‘wrong’ way to arrange stones, and no ‘right’ way either. Stones can be handled and placed in various ways, and a client can be encouraged to tune in to their inner sense of ‘what feels right’.

7. Where Am I in Relation to Others?

The type of crystal you choose for healing may depend on the healing you need. Experts recommend clear quartz and amethyst for general healing. What are the top 7 healing crystals? For another activity, we created a spectacular stone wall (based on the one in the book) and used it as a setting for a puppet show. The children used the puppets to express what it’s like to have a brother or sister who has (or had) a life-limited illness. Surrounded by all the stones celebrating difference and uniqueness, the puppets were able to ‘speak’ freely from their places along wall. If you’re a counsellor, psychotherapist, or Art Therapist, chances are that you have gathered together a nice little collection of attractive and interesting stones that sit in a little basket or bowl somewhere. Perhaps you’re wondering about finding more ways you could use your stones in counselling with your clients.