CHRISTINA A. GROSSO, LCAT, ATR-BC, BCETS
I work as an integrative psychotherapist/ art therapist and the process of creating art in response to my clinical work has been a daily practice of self-care; a method for expression, release, and understanding. The piece,"Containing Overwhelm" was created to process my reactions and countertransference in serving clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This piece was created on April 9th, 2020 in New York, during the growing spike of positive cases. The act of creation has assisted me in developing resiliency to adaptively cope with the stressors of uncertainty and ambiguity.
Containing Overwhelm
(Colored Pencils on Strathmore Paper, 6” x 6”)
This journey of providing psychotherapy during COVID-19 has been a process of living, experiencing, and persevering through uncertainty while caretaking for my clients who are experiencing the same. At times, this process can feel rough and sharp like thorns or spiked edges. The work is hard and exhausting, which is different than usual. The red feels hot like fire, and angry, but it is quelled with oranges, yellows, and violets that cool to create resiliency. The red, the overwhelm, is contained within an orbit, keeping things in predictable motion. It is my vision for how I need to organize the chaos, to bring order and understanding to the unknown, to bring calm. A dance of motion, light, and color offering a hopeful glimpse into the eye of the storm where there is quiet, peace, and grounding.