Therapist Annie McCall and I conducted an intensive Chill & Spill training for staff at Sound Mental Health in Auburn for two days, with 24 therapists in attendance! This training was different than any we had done before, as we had additional time to get more in-depth.

Annie went over each page, diving into those that would have the deepest and most meaningful impact for the youth they served, focusing mostly on foster care youth.

Cigar boxes became the base for three different artistic expression activities: “Powerful/Powerless,” “I Really, Really Feel” and “My Place” from Chill & Spill. The front of the box was collaged by things that made them feel Powerful – the back contained images of things that made them feel Powerless. The inside front cover held a letter they wrote to themselves inspired by the prompts in “I Really, Really Feel,” to be opened at a later milestone date (such as a birthday). The inside became a found object collage that represented their safe place.

One of the therapists told us, “This was by far the best workshop I’ve attended in helping to provide for youth!”

Casey Family Programs sponsored this training and the result will be a Chill & Spill outreach group for foster care teens and ‘tweens in the Auburn area over the next year.

Tags: Chill & Spill