56. Reji Mathew, Marshall Lyles & Sara Tsutsum | Intersectionality, Disability & The Expressive Arts

FEATURED GUESTS: Dr. Reji Mathew, PhD, LCSW is an integrative, neuroscience-informed, social work psychotherapist; a narrative freelance journalist; a digital artist; and an expressive arts advocate. As a freelance narrative journalist (ASJA member). she works on a wide range of human-interest issues that focus on health recovery, the arts, and resiliency. Understanding place and context are central values in her writing. Her storytelling is informed by her education in academia, mental health, social work and community advocacy. She has written for PBS: Next Avenue, Coping with Cancer Magazine, the United Brain Association, Post-Polio Health International, and ADVANCE for Occupational Therapy Practitioners. In her counseling work, her primary worldview is a bio-psycho-social narratology (narrative therapy) lens, inspired by her background in narrative journalism. It is crucial for her to understand people in the context of their environment in real time (cultural time). Her narrative lens is intersectional with a commitment to understanding the complex identities we hold along, class, culture, location, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and accessibility.

Sara Tsutsumi, LMHC, LCAT obtained her BA in psychology from Boston University and her MA in Expressive Therapy from Lesley University. She was born with partial sight, but when she was 8, she became totally blind. She is a seasoned psychotherapist who utilizes Gestalt Therapy techniques and Expressive Arts Therapy approaches working with bilingual (Japanese & English speakers) and the general population for family/personal relationship issues, adjustment, bicultural issues, depression, eating disorder, anxiety and traumas with adults and seniors. She employs guided-imagery, dance/movement, visual arts, music as a way of connecting the person to their own power and insight. Her uniquely empathic listening ability and positive acceptance of individual's wellness is the hallmark of her style. She has a private practice conveniently located in the middle of Greenwich Village, NY.

Marshall Lyles, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, has 20 years of practice in family and play therapy. Drawing on lessons learned from working with attachment trauma in a variety of mental health settings, Marshall regularly teaches on sandtray therapy, other expressive modalities such as poetry, and attachment-informed family work around the globe. In addition to co-authoring the book Advanced Sandtray Therapy: Digging Deeper into Clinical Practice, he is also a faculty member in Texas State University’s Institute for Play Therapy Sandtray Certification program and teaches in the Interpersonal Neurobiology program at Portland Community College.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

• http://www.rejimathewphd-writer.com/
• https://www.saratsutsumi.com/
• www.marshalllyles.com

Link to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/33VENfRB7DU