Creative Expression in Recovery - Arts Workshops- 3:30-4:15pm Alleged Lunatic Society: Creative Writing Workshop - Eliot Duncan, D Mortimer
- 4:15-5pm Beyond Origami: Expressive Origami Therapy as the Therapeutic Tool for Multiple Dysfunctions - Toshiko Kobayashi, ATR-BC, ATCS, LCAT
Alleged Lunatic Society: Creative Writing Workshop - Eliot Duncan, D Mortimer
Two authors with lived experience, Eliot Duncan and D Mortimer, offer a generative creative writing workshop that centers participants' lived experiences and the Madness Literary Canon. Through generative writing prompts, we frame our experiences away from isolating, clinical pathology and bring them instead into the light of a supportive, literary social context.
Beyond Origami: Expressive Origami Therapy as the Therapeutic Tool for Multiple Dysfunctions - Toshiko Kobayashi, ATR-BC, ATCS, LCAT
When individuals experience extreme mental states or multiple dysfunctions including such as psychosis, the family members often suffer from severe relationship crisis. Prolonged caregiving stress, communication breakdowns, and the heavy burden of psychiatric labels frequently lead to alienation. Traditional talk therapy can reinforce these clinical boundaries, sometimes making it not good enough to rebuild authentic connections, which Expressive Origami Therapy has potential to help. This experiential workshop introduces Expressive Origami Therapy, as a safe, non-verbal approach to restore the social link within families. Expressive Origami Therapy is built upon four pillars—Brain Activation, Providing Safety & Versality, Interactive Communication, and Creative Self-expression—which foster the foundational conditions for a good life. Furthermore, Expressive Origami Therapy is not only an art therapy technique/theory, but also a mindful practice rooted in the philosophical understanding that suffering and daily struggles are universal human experiences. Drawing from Buddhist philosophy, this workshop shifts the paradigm from "treating a pathology" to "acknowledging shared humanity." We all experience varying degrees of suffering, and we all strive for living well. Expressive Origami Therapy provides a safe, non-verbal sanctuary where this shared vulnerability can be embraced. In the act of folding paper, the rigid roles of "patient" and "caregiver" dissolve; everyone becomes a fellow creator navigating the process of the healing together.
