Kintsugi-Making Mental Health Workshop

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, silver, or platinum, and dates back to the late 15th century. In mental health spaces, the process of brokenness and repair can be one marked by beauty and meaning.

Schedule

1pm – 2pm: Overview of Kintsugi, Instructor’s Work and Background, Yalom’s Therapeutic Factors, Ceramic Breakage, Taping and Initial Repair

2pm-2:40pm: Mental Health Discussions: 1.) Psychotherapy vs. Non-Directive Humanistic Care 2.) Narrative Healing vs. True Justice 3.) Mental Health vs. Manipulation – Is [Talk] Therapy for You? 4.) Care for the Caretakers: How to Avoid Burnout

2:40pm-2:45pm: Giveaways, Sales, & Sponsor Remarks

2:45pm-3:00pm: Group Break

3:00-3:20pm: Continued work on Kintsugi, Q&A, Open-ended Discussion, and Touch-Ups

We provide the following materials. No need to bring anything!

• Brief lesson and historical background on Kintsugi-making, including instructions and a description of materials and tools
• Hands-on exercise using pieces of broken pottery, in which participants are led through the process of repair and decoration
• Opportunities for sharing personal narratives and authentic connections

• A take-home Kintsugi-making kit to practice with at home

About the Instructor

This course is led by Dr. Anna Yu Lee, leading consultant at Concierge Mental Health & Associates. @AnnaYuLeePhD @PostConventionalPsychology. This workshop does not include psychotherapy. Dr. Yu Lee’s education and training are in multicultural psychology, public health, and biostatistics, and her professional experience spans the fields of journalism, counseling, residential care management, health promotion, and undergraduate/graduate instruction, with contributions including the planning, delivering, and evaluation of international mental health workshops. While her academic scholarship has primarily focused on multicultural perceptions and treatment of stigmatized health behaviors, she has also produced research on human emotions, eating behaviors, obesity, substance use, cognitive health, memory, and statistical science. Dr. Yu Lee’s publications have appeared in journals of public health, social and behavioral health, and statistical education, as well as a reference text on substance and behavioral addictions published by the Cambridge University Press. On the subjects of her publications, she has presented to academic, clinical, and industry audiences in multiple countries in North America, Western Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East. Dr. Yu Lee loves cats, music, and art. More about her work and background can be found at www.ConciergeMentalHealth.org