Exploring the Transformative Power of Art Therapy with Bethany Nehring

What happens when words fail us in our deepest moments of pain? How do we express what feels impossible to communicate? Art therapy offers a powerful alternative to traditional talk therapy, creating pathways to healing through creative expression.

In this illuminating conversation, art therapist Bethany Nearing of Heart Centered Healing reveals how art bypasses our cognitive defenses to access what lies beneath the surface. "Art doesn't lie," Bethany explains, sharing how creative expression helps clients process trauma, anxiety, grief, and complex emotions when words prove inadequate. With a master's degree in art therapy and counseling, Bethany brings both clinical expertise and profound compassion to her work with clients of all ages.

The discussion explores fascinating art therapy techniques like grief dolls that physically hold painful emotions and color exercises that visualize abstract feelings. Bethany describes working with clients as young as two years old through adulthood, in settings ranging from hospice care to military support services. For listeners struggling with their own emotional challenges, she offers hope: "Healing means becoming whole again. There are so many times of rupture we naturally have in our life, and when we go through those, we don't feel whole. When we tend to it, we can become whole again."

Whether you're curious about alternative therapeutic approaches, struggling with unprocessed grief or trauma, or simply interested in the connection between creativity and mental health, this episode provides valuable insights into a frequently misunderstood healing modality. Bethany reminds us that therapy is about choice and finding the right fit – encouraging listeners to advocate for their needs on their healing journey.

Ready to explore how art therapy might help you or someone you love? Connect with Bethany Nearing at Heart Centered Healing in Montrose, Colorado through Psychology Today or by calling 970-258-3942. Weekend and evening appointments available.

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Transcript

Introduction to Light Up Your Business Podcast

TammyHershberger 0:06

And you're hoping to have a customer, and each episode will open an inspiring story, expert in the title, and practical test to help your small business project. Whether you're an entrepreneur just starting out or a single business owner, this podcast is your go-to source for fixed test in the small business world. Let's get started. Hi everyone, I want to welcome you back to Light Up Your Business Podcast. Today I have a very special guest. Her name is Bethany Nearing, and she is the owner and I believe founder of Heart Centered Healing. And how are you today, Bethany? I'm doing well in yourself. I am very good. I want to just start out right off the bat. Just kind of tell me about you, how who you are, how you became a therapist, an art therapist specifically. That's what interests me most about you. But can you kind of give me a background of who you are, how you got here?

BethanyNehring 0:58

Yeah, of course. So I am a not a Colorado native, but I've been here for about 10 years. Fell in love with the Western Slope and live on the in the Montrose area. And I got to this work when I was 21. I knew that art therapy was my dream. And it took me about 11 years to pursue and complete all the required college work. And now I'm living out my dream and passion by helping those through art.

TammyHershberger 1:30

And it sounds like you do you work with adults as well as just children or I do both.

BethanyNehring 1:37

I work with all ages, specifically under Heart Hughes. I'm doing art therapy with kids. But art therapy is used in all sorts of populations. It's used in hospitals, it's used with military staff, it's used in hospices and schools. So art therapy can be applied in many different venues with multiple ages in their population.

Understanding Art Therapy and Its Applications

TammyHershberger 2:02

And can you tell me what was like the defining moment that made you decide at 21 that you want to be a therapist?

BethanyNehring 2:08

Yeah, I was a preschool teacher with three-year-olds, and I always loved designing lesson plans and getting into the art section. And we were creating art with vegetables, uh, cut vegetables to make different shapes. And I would always ask the kids, what's in your picture? What's happening in your picture after they finished? And I was wondering why I was so interested in what they were depicting in their art and what it meant to them. And through some research, I realized that art therapy had started to help those who weren't verbal or weren't verbalizing their needs through their emotions. And um I found that there was an avenue to pursue the career. And um, so I left uh being a preschool teacher and went to the West Coast to complete my um my bachelor's degree in psychology. And then later on in life, after a pause, I went back to school to get my master's of arts and and art therapy and counseling.

TammyHershberger 3:11

Okay. And so you are in Montrose, is that correct? That's where your uh practice is? Yes. And do you also do like um telehealth, like Zoom calls or any of that stuff?

BethanyNehring 3:22

I may in the future. Um, art therapy can be done over telehealth, but sometimes the um participants or clients don't have access to the range of art materials that I have.

TammyHershberger 3:33

Yeah.

BethanyNehring 3:34

And so it may be easier um to do in person, but art therapy is not limited to the use of supplies. So if you have a pen and paper, you can engage in art therapy. I just like the ability to have a range of mediums like clay, collage, wood, um, and and various others because it really opens up the possibility of processing and potential healing for the client.

The Education and Process Behind Art Therapy

TammyHershberger 4:02

And can you tell me more? Because I mean, I've heard of like equine therapy. This is the first time I've actually heard of art therapy, which is interesting because I my own therapist has had me do some art and she's not an art therapist, just to kind of free me up of my creative side. But can you tell me more about art therapy and like um how it works, what it looks like if someone out there is thinking, hey, this is maybe something that my child could use or I could use?

BethanyNehring 4:23

Yeah, of course. Art therapy is widely misunderstood. A lot of people think that to do art therapy, you have to be an artist. Art therapy is really about tapping into the natural creative spirit of our of ourselves. As humans, we're naturally creative. And we've kind of gotten away from that in years, but realizing that creativity unlocks both hemispheres of our brain and helps us be better problem solvers, understand our situation, and validate our experience. And so you're using art mediums and modalities to help the clients work through their experiences and their emotions. And there's a continuum, expressive therapies continuum, which helps therapists understand what is best to utilize, um, what kind of medium would support, is this directive, is the art therapist expressing what the client would make? Or are we having the client navigate the materials on their own? And it really becomes that that piece of art becomes a third person where you can add some communication in and get to know what's going on or what's been experienced. So it's a very safe way to access trauma, um, to access grief and loss, and to access complex um emotions that may be buried because art doesn't lie. And although we may cognitively have many different ways to communicate and cover up what we're going through just to keep us safe, art um kind of goes past that into the unconscious and reveals things that we were ready to work on.

TammyHershberger 6:01

And what kind of um education and training does it take to? I mean, it sounds like you had to go through a lot of schooling, but what does that look like? What does that how does that help you to understand what they're going through?

BethanyNehring 6:11

Yeah, so a lot of people actually think art therapy, um, because there's a lot of workbooks coming out and there's individuals that are engaging in art as a different modality within their work, that they're thinking that there's a certificate. And unfortunately, it's it's not that simple. Um, you have to have a bachelor's in a uh related field. So mine is psychology, and then you have to have a master's in art therapy. So you might clinically um have your master's in counseling, and you can use certain aspects of art in your work. But to be a registered art therapist, you need to have completed a master's program. You would have had to go through the 3,000 hours of internship and um become fully licensed with a board within your state. Some states see the art therapy registered license as the full license, and most states actually require you to work under like an LPC or be a mental health counselor because it's seen differently across the United States. And many um individuals outside of the country, they have different regulations outside of the US for art therapy, so it's seen differently.

TammyHershberger 7:28

And is this something you have to continue education in that, or is it like once you're done, you're pretty much set, and that's up to you if you want to continue that, or is there requirements for that?

BethanyNehring 7:37

Yeah, that's a great question. It's very similar in the same as um the mental health license because we every two years are required for 40 hours of continuing educated credits. So we're constantly learning, um, diving into new material. Um, and so it's really important that we keep up our education. Um, it's probably the one most vibrant parts of our aspect of work, is not learning our uh losing our ability to learn and continuing to engage to meet those needs as things evolve. Um, so yes, it's still required. Um, and continuing education is a part of that licensure.

TammyHershberger 8:17

And I am curious, I mean, you talked a little bit about what art theory is, but how are you balancing like the clinical process with the art process? It's very interesting to me.

Art Therapy with Military and Hospice Patients

BethanyNehring 8:26

Yeah, so a session kind of it's easiest to look through like what a session might look like. Yeah, sure. So a client would come in for a 50-minute session and you would check in, um, see how everything was going before, if they're a new client, um, begin to establish rapport and understand what they're coming into session for. So, for instance, if they're coming in and they're um dealing with anxiety, you'd get a handle on what they're experiencing within the first 10 minutes and understanding what they're trying to get out of that support. And then you would go into art as a modality to process. And so maybe as the art therapist, there's many different ways you could take it. One way I would say is what does your anxiety look like? Or use these materials in front of you to process through your anxiety, and then we'd be able to have a visual image of something that most people can't really tap into, right? It's hard to, well, it's my racing heart, or it's my shortened breath, or you know, it's it's my confusion of of thoughts that are racing. And being able to see an image of anxiety, it gives us a better understanding of it. We can notice how much or how little exists, we can know where it exists, and we can begin to make more sense of it and have more ability to change or alter what that anxiety looks like and tend to it. Because the physical representing that really is empowering. Yeah.

TammyHershberger 9:53

And so you had mentioned like the children's side. So it is even as adults, sometimes it's hard for us to verbalize what we're feeling or how to get you to understand what we're feeling. And so, what age group children, I mean, all the way to what's the youngest that you work with?

BethanyNehring 10:08

Yeah, I would say two. Um, there is so much that's happening in our brain development from zero to three. That's actually one of the most prime areas of development of our unconscious mind. We actually undervalue um, you know, uh pediatric's mental health, um, which really I think is starting to change in the environment and culture. Um, the importance of connectivity, of nurturing, of stimulating the brain and helping support that natural brain development is really important in those years. So, two would be around the youngest that I've seen, and then um there's really no age limit. It's really about um supporting their needs, and this is an age specific.

TammyHershberger 10:55

And I'm curious, and like, especially that young, so then at that point, you know, because I'm at 42 and I just started therapy like two years ago, but and a child like that, then do you connect in with the parents and try to like bring them in so they understand what's going on with the child, or how does that work?

BethanyNehring 11:11

Yes, of course, always with that age, anything um in elementary or younger, so you think you know, preschool to um to uh through sorry, through elementary is really important parent involvement because that primary caregiver is the person that's gonna help enact change and support the child. And always involving the parent is really important, at least in the first session, if not all the sessions. It really depends on the family, their situation, their needs, and their comfort level.

TammyHershberger 11:46

And then where does that kind of what age does that kind of stop where it's more just focused on the client themselves?

BethanyNehring 11:53

Sometimes it's around teenage when we get into the double digits. Okay, we notice there's this kind of change into a natural development of uh desiring peer support. And sometimes we're kind of limiting what we're connecting with our parents on. Um, sometimes the dynamics are set up where they're not sharing as much. So always there would be an initial session with a parent if they are 12 and under. But after that, um it it's totally up to the family and their preferences.

TammyHershberger 12:22

Yeah. And I would imagine you're like most people, you do you mostly do like bi-weekly therapy sessions weekly, or is it just however the the client wants to do it?

BethanyNehring 12:31

It's both. It's a combination, it's an open conversation because certain events and things can shift the frequency of therapy. And we want to be um considerate on what's going to be best supportive. Mostly with kids, I suggest weekly because the way we retain information and tend to things, it tends to be more in the moment. And so we want to be really consistent providing that care and support, going every other week, unless it's not as critical or the need is kind of spaced out, and we've been doing this work weekly is usually the preferred that I've noticed.

TammyHershberger 13:08

And this probably varies from children to adults, but how long do you typically work with a client?

BethanyNehring 13:13

It definitely depends on what they come in for. So if there's um it's based on basically meeting our treatment goals. So if we're noticing, maybe like we referenced before the session about anxiety, if we're noticing the child can identify more of their anxiety markers, they have more coping skills and way to ways to process their anxiety, then we're noticing that they're able to go on their own and implement this, then that's when we've completed uh treatment goals and we would close sessions. But it's really based on that again, open conversation. Are we meeting the goals that we need? Has something else arisen that we need to work on and having that constant conversation because we know things can change with time.

TammyHershberger 13:56

Yeah. Yeah, I talked to this lady the other day, and I do small business coaching, which is so extremely different than what you're doing. But um, she was talking to me, and and I what she was telling me, I was telling her, you know, I think honestly therapy or counseling would be a better fit because she just had a lot of trauma stuff, and I was like, I don't touch that at all. And uh she her fear was, which I hear from a lot of people who are scared of therapy or counseling, it's like I'm never gonna get out of it. I'm gonna be in that the rest of my life. And I I guess I don't know enough to know if that's true, but I don't really believe that. Because I'm like, if you have a good therapist and you're opening yourself up to them and you're working doing the work, you should eventually get out of it, right?

BethanyNehring 14:32

I think that's a great question. Um, I understand trauma work is really important. I am um educated and trauma informed. And I think that's really important and a common fear we have, right? Once we've established that, is that going to be a continuous need? And I think, yes, it depends on what therapist you have. It also depends on what modality they use. So art therapy is actually more effective in supporting trauma than tuck therapy because of its ability to get to the source and help process in a shorter amount of space. However, each individual is different. So I wouldn't never make the case that everybody would be in it for a lifetime. It just depends on the modalities, the work that you're doing together, and the current situation in beliefs and in life. So there's so many factors, but I wouldn't let that fear be the reason to stop, right? Yeah. It wouldn't be a reason to not begin, because that would be something that most therapists could work through and say, you know, I noticed that you're worried that this work may be continuous, you know, for a long time. And then to work on that fear and to understand what beliefs are underneath it. And that can be really done through art therapy, like collage work. What would it look like if you were in therapy your whole life? And does that mean if you're in therapy your whole life that that's a negative thing?

TammyHershberger 15:54

Yeah. Yeah, I think there's such a negative stigma. I mean, and not everybody, but where I come from, I mean, we were poor people and we were like, that's something for rich people, you know. And then and then it's like even the people I talk to today, I've told them, you know, at the last couple of years, with all the stuff, the stuff is my past, and then, you know, business partner problems and life and and losing a child and all these things. And it's like people look at me and they're like, Why are you in therapy? And I'm like, well, on the surface, I'm I'm doing good, you know, my businesses are great, but mentally there came a point where I just started to implode. Like I was so sad and so depressed, and anxiety was taking over, and I couldn't figure out like in my day-to-day life, I'm just doing so great and I'm so happy. But then you look back and there's all this stuff that you bury because I'm a barrier. And I mean, I'm sure you see that probably as with it, because you said you work with military, um, you work with adults, hospice people. Like, can you speak to that at all for people that are like, I don't know that I have to have it, but I'm hurting, but I'm scared of it.

BethanyNehring 16:50

Yeah, I really appreciate you opening up and sharing your experience. All of those are areas of crisis and trauma and can be really detrimental to our well-being. What we know about feelings and emotions is if we bury it, it still remains. It's something that we're holding on to. And our body holds that. And when our body holds more than it can hold, it starts coming out in different ways, whether it's in our response to others, whether it's in our physical health or our mental health. And everybody who experiences that deserves the right to process through it. And what I mean by that is to tend to it, to understand not only our experience, but our emotions about that experience and to validate our story. And when we don't have time to validate and honor what we've gone through, we may be dismissing some of the things that we need so we can understand and be some more supportive of others. It may be right, like you said, that on the surface that we're successful and we're seeing that we're doing well. But intuitively, it's really on the inside, how are we doing? Because it's not about how much we have and how successful we are externally, because we know they won't match.

TammyHershberger 18:06

Yeah.

Grief, Loss, and Finding Wholeness

BethanyNehring 18:06

But if we're doing well on the inside, then that can match on the outside, regardless of what the outside looks like. So it's really empowering the person, letting them know it's okay to have crises. It's okay for it to be hard. Life is hard. This constant need to grow and learn is really asking us to tend to a lot. And there are challenges we may not know how to get through. And that's okay. But our brains were built to work together with individuals, and it to be able to do so can really help us out. We also need that safe space to express what happened and to be honored and to be heard and to be able to label what it's like for us.

TammyHershberger 18:49

Yeah, and I think, and you're gonna have a better way of saying this, but for me, it was like, yeah, I have girlfriends and I have family I can talk to, but there's some of that stuff, and most people probably won't even admit it, I will, but now after therapy, it's like so much of that you have to put this front on of I'm okay, or I don't want to worry my spouse, or I don't want to worry my parents, or I don't want to look like I don't have it all together, or whatever. And it's once you get into therapy for me, it was like there's this safe human being that I felt, you know, it took a little bit, but I started to feel safe with them. I realized they're not my best friend, they're not my mother, they're not my husband. And it's someone that's like not gonna judge me, and I don't have to put on a front, and I'm not trying to earn them as a customer, and all this stuff. And you start to feel like, wow, I can open up and this isn't gonna get spread around town, you know, like because you tell people stuff and you're like, is that gonna stay with them or not? And it's a very interesting space, I think. I mean, you probably have a better way to say it than that, but no, you said it really well.

BethanyNehring 19:42

We do censor ourselves in all relationships. We call that masking, right? We've got this different parts of ourselves. So we have our business self and we have our our family self, like we're the daughter or we're the friend, or you know, we're the business person that's helping this. And throughout all of those, not our true identity exists. It has to be censored. And it's healthy. We actually do it for survival. We're actually wired for that, and it's a good thing. But if we don't have an area, and I literally mean one, and sometimes that can be a friend or a loved one. If we don't have one person or one area where we can be uninhibited by all of those censorships, then we are not able to fully process through because we're holding back. So it's important to have that space, and sometimes that is a therapist. And I don't want to say everybody needs therapy, but I would say it's helpful. I do, I get therapy myself, right? It's important to have those spaces where we cannot be masked or censored, and that allows us the freedom to look at our own things without having to figure out is someone available for this? Can they hold this? Will they share this? Will they be able to support me? Without having all those questions and coming in and building that safe relationship with a therapist, it's really the pivotal part of change. That's how you can get to places we haven't gotten to before because that safe space is something we're trained to hold and to hold respectfully.

TammyHershberger 21:13

Yeah, and I found too, because it was so new to me that, you know, as friends, we we don't always just listen. Sometimes we offer advice or we give our opinion or we see it away. And I'm like, that's kind of what I like about therapy, is they they kind of just hold the mirror to you and they'll ask reflective questions and dig into it, but they're not giving their opinion so much to you. You know what I mean? And they're not swaying you to make a choice one way or the other. It's like, well, what's best for you and what does that mean, or what does that look like? And I just think it's such a blank space that's so safe because you're not having to like, oh, now I have my friend's opinion, now they're mad at my spouse or they're whatever. And yeah, I just think it's like I said, it's not for everybody, probably, but I think there's plenty of people that could definitely learn from it and use it. And the art side is very interesting, I think, because it's such another way to open up.

BethanyNehring 21:59

For sure, for sure.

TammyHershberger 22:00

I'm curious on the military. Um, I just had a a military man, he's a lieutenant colonel, he just retired, he did two tours in Afghanistan and he said it was rough. How do you help them? What do you do with them? Is it, I mean, art therapy still, or do you do what like what does that look like?

BethanyNehring 22:15

Yeah, so professionally, I have to be honest, I don't have a ton of experience working with military. Okay. However, in the art therapy world, there are many different art therapies doing beautiful work around trauma and PTSD, anxiety and depression, supporting those who have been in combat, those who have served in different levels and areas of work, those experiencing um uh feelings like uh of guilt or remorse. And it's it's tending to those in a safe therapeutic space where you're creating that imagery that may be haunting or intrusive images that you may naturally experience due to engaging in that line of work and supporting our country. And there's many different benefits of being able to process through and re receiving release, right? A lot of people get the diagnosis of PTSD or anxiety and depression, and thinking that all the symptoms they're currently experiencing will always remain. And that's not necessarily true. With treatment, with support, with the ability to work through, you can have a change in your symptoms and the way your brain works because it is adaptive. And so when you tend to it, just as if you tend to something else that needs work, like a barn that you know, the roof has has um has some holes in it. When you tend to it, that roof doesn't fully need to be replaced, but maybe the holes in it do. And so coming into a space like that and tending to those, you can see relief and those symptoms, you can see a difference in your outcome and your engagement in life. And many art therapists are working directly with the VA, they're working in VA hospitals, they're working in like welcome centers, um, they're working maybe with the families of military um personnel who are active or on reserve, and they're really getting strong results because we're tapping into areas of the brain and processing through the trauma or um whatever crisis or need that they have.

TammyHershberger 24:23

And in your art therapy, do they do like the art outside of the room? I mean, unless it's like little kids and then bring it back, or do you do it while you're in there with them or you're actually in there, so it's a part of the full session.

BethanyNehring 24:34

There's no deviation from um the current area that you're in. And so it's just a part of the session. So you have all your art materials around. Um, you would have a comfortable chair or couch or maybe a table, um, definitely table to do the artwork. And then after that check-in, you would engage in art making. And then the last 10 minutes of session, 10 to 15, every art therapist is different. That's the time when you're able to really process through what was created, what do you see, what's what is exists in this, what is not present, um, and what do you notice? And really using those open questions revolving around the art to better understand what we're working through.

TammyHershberger 25:19

And does each session kind of continue based off that last session, or is it just wherever you end up that time?

BethanyNehring 25:25

I think both. I think in my practice, I tend to be very flexible. If a client comes in the following week and a new um event has arised, then giving attention to where our attention is is really powerful. It's very important to go off of where we're at. But sometimes there's art directives that are implemented that take several weeks, and implementing our current experience and event into this artwork is possible. So, for example, there's a directive of mask work where we're uh creating our identity on a mask by using collage and painting and different media. And on the inside, we're showing the things that we hide, the things that we don't share with others. And that may take a few sessions. I've had a few clients take a few months with that. And it's okay to implement what's currently going on within that as well, because our identity is a part of the piece of the story.

TammyHershberger 26:25

Yeah. And I don't know if this is probably different than your stuff, but like my therapist, we did a sand tray one time, and I don't I don't even know if that's the right word for it, but and I was because I'm a perfectionist, it was so wild because I sat there and I was like terrified to mess it up. And I ended up crying, and I was like, I don't even know why I'm crying because I'm scared to mess this up. And it's interesting though, because then you can dig into that of like, oh, there's some issue there, obviously. And I eventually got something on there, but it had to all be perfectly placed, and it's so wild. So I can kind of imagine in art how that because the more I dug into it, it just it opened me up a little bit and it freed me up some. But um you had mentioned or Callan had mentioned to me that the hospice side. I didn't even know there was therapy for hospice type work. So can you tell me a little bit about that?

BethanyNehring 27:07

Yeah, and I'll just speak really quickly to sand train. Sure. Sandra is another modality that can be used and it helps us understand and illustrate what's playing out in our lives. And there can be a lot of um therapeutic meaning from that and also metaphors that come up into like I don't want to mess it up. I'm yeah, I'm nervous that I'll make a dent or or or hurt it, and it really gives us a strong insight to ourselves. I'm not currently trained in sand tray therapy, but I would definitely be interested in implementing that later in work. Um, and then you repeat the question one more time.

TammyHershberger 27:45

Um on hospice. Um, so you do hospice work. And for someone like me who's never heard of that, can you tell us what that is?

BethanyNehring 27:52

Yeah, so all hospices actually are required through Medicaid and Medicare to offer bereavement support. So that's a natural part of the process when uh individuals are receiving hospice care, that there would be individuals, whether a social worker or a therapist, who would be available to attend to any needs that would come up, whether it's anticipatory grief or it's the grief after a loved one has passed, or maybe it's even terminal restlessness and individual hospice patient dealing with their own anxiety around the dying process and end-of-life process. And so there are trained individuals who work to provide that type of support. And grief and breathing is well overlooked. I think many of our society experience grief without being supported and understanding how life-altering it is and how we can support ourselves moving forward when experiencing it.

TammyHershberger 28:51

Yeah, and so um, do you use art therapy? Obviously, you use art therapy in that same grieving process, right?

BethanyNehring 28:58

Yes, one of the modalities that I use is called what is your grief look like? And what I do is I take all different color construction papers, and the first step is I ask which color relates to your grief. And they'll pick out either one or a few or all of them. And then I ask them how much of it is present. And they can use scissors or their hands to tear and put the size of the amount of that color that they have. And then the last step is that I say, okay, out of these pieces, whether you have a few or many, use the glue and put them into one piece. So they're all connected. And then from that image, from you know, these multicolors or dual color images, we can see how much or how little of this is. Um, where are we at today? So where are we located on this? And get a better understanding of our grief, which is something that's really hard to verbalize, right? When someone says, What did your grief look like? You say, What do you mean? I don't know. It's heavy, it's difficult. Confused, I miss my loved one. But when you get a visual representation, say someone chose uh black and red, red's for the love for my loved one, and black is the grief. Well, I'm noticing there's actually more red than there is black, and I didn't realize that. I didn't realize my love was bigger than my grief. And so they're getting these visual representations that helped them understand their experience and talk through it. And when we're able to get to the source of things, it really helps us create movement and healing because we're honoring our story.

Heart Centered Healing Practice and Resources

TammyHershberger 30:32

Yeah, I mean, that makes a lot of sense. It's it's inspiring just listening to you already. I'm like, man, I can I can see how just like you said, the colors, because even when I talk about grief and my stuff, I mean, because we don't do art therapy, but it's like I've lost my mother, my grandmother, who was like a second mother to me, and my child, and I'm like, there's just so much grief there. And I remember talking to my therapist, and I'm like, I don't know how to explain that to you. Like, I don't know how to get that out. I just feel dark and you know, all these things, but what a great way to do that. I mean, so in your own work in that, what have you learned about life, grief, healing? I mean, that you could share with us.

BethanyNehring 31:04

Yeah, of course. Well, first, I just want to honor those that you've cherished and that you do continue to cherish that have passed, and just say thank you so much for bringing them into this conversation because they are a part of your life and they'll continue to be a part of our life, even if they have passed. It's helps me understand that we have this beautiful array of experiences in life. And it's not that we need to shy away from the heart or shy away from the crisis or shy away from the thing that makes us um struggle, but that we tend to it, that we honor it, that we bring it and fold it in and accept that it existed. Not that we're okay that it happened, but we understand that it happened. And when we can get to those places, we can continue forward with more empathy and understanding and we can live a more full life. It's not to say it's not without issues because life is hard, but it's also a beautiful place to be and experience and express. And when we feel more authentically ourselves, we're able to engage in it in ways that are really impactful.

TammyHershberger 32:11

I like that you said how you honor it because for me, I just hiding it because I mean, I just I don't know, the sadness, I think you just want to bury that for me at least. Um, that way I could keep going. And I love that you said honor it, because that actually feels like a better thing to do. And it makes you want to bring it out. And and I noticed a lot of people that I have in my life that have lost people and and such, they I think as people we don't know what to say to them, and then it's like, well, we just kind of want to not talk about it because we don't want to upset them or hurt their feelings or whatever. But it's like my understanding is as we go further into the healing process, it's very healthy to talk about our loved ones to other people and honor them and remember them that way because it makes even though it's sad, it brings a smile to my face talking about my mother or these people that I cared about. And I mean, would you agree with that?

BethanyNehring 32:58

I would, you know, I'm I'm recently on my own grief journey. My father passed away um just a little over a week ago. And um, just experiencing, you know, having the opportunity to say their name is very important and being able to honor them is everything because when we stop saying their name, it's like they never existed, and that's not true. A lot of times we stop our sadness because we think it will never stop. Remember, you had that question about if I start therapy, am I gonna be doing this the rest of my life? And that's fear-driven. And a lot of times in my work, I go off of is it fear-based or is it love-based? And that's the importance to figure out when you're navigating this is where is it coming from and how can we honor them? When we honor our loved one by communicating about them and about our experience and letting the sadness out, we realize there's other things there. There's feelings of love, there's feelings of of care. And it's not like letting, you know, we think it's like gonna let a waterfall go, you know, if we start crying. But I think of it as almost a beaver dam where there's logs there and you're taking them out one at a time so that the water can flow again. And there will be a point if we enter into sadness that we stop crying, whether we're whether we go to sleep or the the conversation stops, but we don't realize that there's a cycle that we need to go through. And most of us are very successful going through that cycle of grief, and we'll get out on the other side, whether it takes five minutes, an hour, a day, a few weeks. But we need to be able to cycle through this sadness, and it's it's a part of our healing.

TammyHershberger 34:46

And you would probably say by not dealing with it or talking about it or working through it, we're just delaying it. Because if I do, I mean, I experienced that 42. It came out in the weirdest places, like my anger, um, my frustration. I had no more patience. I just like had outbursts, and I was like, this is not who I am, I don't know who this person is. And it was all that stuff just it because it will, I believe it'll just bubble up eventually. I mean, I buried it for a long time, but and it wasn't in the ways I thought it would.

BethanyNehring 35:11

Yeah, it is true. Um, I see grief sometimes as a toddler and a teacher, and a toddler wants your attention, and it'll start in subtle ways at first, maybe like a little tug or or mommy or saying hello. And I I think over time a toddler doesn't go away if it doesn't get they don't get your attention, they continue and ramp up. And that's the importance of tending to our grief, is knowing that our love for our loved ones is real and our grief is just as real. I think they're like sisters, grief and love, they're related, they exist because the other one does, and it's a very powerful thing. And tending to it is very important because if we dismiss that part of ourselves, it doesn't leave us. It gets buried, like you shared. And and then it can come out in ways like irritability, shortness, temper. Um, we can have a range of emotions, we can feel out of control, we can feel like we're darting or we're we're targeting others, and it doesn't make sense, it's not who we are, because grief as a process, it isn't who we are, and when we're not tending to the process, we kind of become swallowed by it in a sense.

TammyHershberger 36:25

I like how you just said that grief is a process, it's not who we are.

BethanyNehring 36:30

And it's very important because a lot of people we think this is my life now, this is who I am, this is how I'll experience things. But that's not true. Grief is very acute and it can be very intense, and and that can make us fearful of going in and understanding it, but it is a process, it's not who we are, who we become from it is different, right? Our identity does shift, but we are not grief itself. This is a process that we need to go through.

TammyHershberger 36:58

And I kind of feel that way with anxiety and depression. I mean, obviously that stuff is really serious stuff, but it's like it it kind of lies to you and tells you you're always going to be sad, it's never gonna get better, you know, all these things. And until you can take steps to start to talk about it and shine light on it, it does stay that way. But it doesn't have to be that way forever. You know, I love that because I think it gives hope to people that are maybe struggling. Maybe they're listening and they're like, I'm just in what you're talking about right now, and I didn't know there was a way out. And I feel like this gives them a way out.

BethanyNehring 37:28

Yes, and it's also uh acknowledging that these are hardships. Sometimes we're not even in a place where we can acknowledge that they exist. And so being able to identify that and taking away the stigma, right? Our brain has many different chemicals and processes in it. And sometimes it's chemical-based, or maybe the depression or anxiety is situational based. It's really to each own experience and being able to shed light on it and know that this isn't how it has to be is really important. And sometimes it's not changing how it is, it's just honoring that it is like this is hard.

TammyHershberger 38:05

Yeah.

BethanyNehring 38:05

And just saying that is really helpful.

TammyHershberger 38:08

And so tell me, because you just you have your own practice now. Um, what is it you want people to feel when they walk in those doors for the first time? Because for me, I was just scared. I was like, I'm gonna open up a can of worms I'm never getting out of, was my fear, but I pushed through it. What is what is it that you want people to feel?

BethanyNehring 38:24

Yeah, what a beautiful question. Um, because that's very important to me. I want them to feel comfortable. I want them to feel loved. I want them to know that they have an empathic listener here and that they are going to get support and that no problem is is wrong or um we're will be judged because it's natural, it's a part of human life and we deserve healing. We deserve to be in a better place than we are and to continue to evolve and learn. And I hope to provide that a loving, supportive environment in which at whatever point in life and whatever experience we can continue to heal and tap into our natural ability to carry out our story.

TammyHershberger 39:08

And um, can you tell me? I I think you've kind of already encapsulated this, but I'm just gonna ask it direct, so in case someone didn't catch it, what kind of clients or what are people struggling with that you feel like you can help them the most to get through this with art therapy?

BethanyNehring 39:21

You know, actually a wide range. Um, there's many different mood or um behavioral disorders that people are experiencing as symptoms. Uh I help individuals who are have experienced trauma. I help individuals prior to trauma. So, how are we working on parenting and setting up the right kind of nurturing and support so that we can be proactive? I work and help support people who are grieving. There's so many different ways that I can support an individual, whether it's anxiety, depression, um, autism, ADHD, and there's so many different labels I can put out there. But really, if it's anybody who's experiencing difficulty, who would benefit from an active listening ear and processing through art, those are really my clients. Those who are ready to have healing, those who are ready to embrace the change and to navigate through it with support and to ready to feel more, you know, accessible in their life, to feel more themselves, to understand themselves better. Um, those are definitely my clients. And there's so many people I haven't met yet that I'm excited to be able to help.

TammyHershberger 40:33

Yeah. And can I ask you, and I understand there's there's like client privilege here, so don't go into any of that. But is there anything you can share with like a testimony or of how like a client you saw without specifics that like went from here to from A to B, how it helped them? Just so if someone else is listening might be inspired by that.

BethanyNehring 40:50

Yeah, of course. You know, it's really important to know that there is change available and there is a way to get, you know, from A to B. And so a lot of times I would say my five years of doing this work would really be when anybody was really at loss of hope, that there wasn't a purpose, that life didn't have meaning, and that there wasn't a way forward. And it was through the process of art, understanding their grief, understanding what happened. Um, we were creating a grief doll, which is a art therapy directive that I use where we're taking um a pre-made doll that has stuffing, and we're using felt and needle felting into the doll so that the doll can hold the grief for us, because it's very empowering when we have that type of support and we have that symbolism around us. And when the doll was able to hold it, we were able to make shifts in our physical body, relieve some of those ailments, um, not only mentally, but but physically throughout. And the client felt so empowered that they found more of their self, they gained more empathy, they gained more purpose and more understanding and grace within their own experience. And it allowed them to continue on forward to make major moves and and uh to listen to what their next passion would be and to be available and ready for it. And so I think that was one of the many powerful um client transitions I've experienced.

TammyHershberger 42:22

So if you if someone's listening and they're like, man, I am really drawn to this art therapy, I like this. Um, whether it's a client or they're thinking, hey, I like what she's doing, I want to do that kind of stuff. Do you have any encouragement to give to these people?

BethanyNehring 42:33

Yeah, reach out. Um, there are several different art therapies in different areas of the world. There's a few on the Western Slope. There's myself, Bethany Nearing, with Heart Centered Healing. And then there's also Art Light Studio, which is actually my supervisor who I went through a lot of training, and her name is Joni Beckner, and she works in um in Grand Junction. And just meeting with our therapist and working directly, it I would encourage it. I would highly encourage it. It's an underutilized therapeutic support, and it really helps you gain so much momentum and understanding around your current need.

TammyHershberger 43:13

And let me ask you, um, now I'm gonna switch gears just a little bit. I want to flip it more on you as the owner of this thing. Um, what inspired you to kind of go on your own and open your own practice?

BethanyNehring 43:25

Yeah, I'm currently working within the realm of um grief, and I appreciate this work. I think it's my life's work. And I'm also noticing there's some limitations with being specific to grief because there's not as much use in work and trauma and other ways and places that I've been trained. And so I felt like there was a need to start meeting people in other areas of their life. And underneath this heading of grief that's very specific, I'm not able to do so. And so I felt called to start to help more people in different areas and apply art therapy the way it can be. And so um, it's been very important to me to open up this practice and also tend to my own needs, right? As a therapist, we have to be very cognizant of our self-care and the way we're doing our work, and that's the most effective. If we're conscious of our own self-care and doing our own work, we're able to really best support others. Um, it's important to be able to implement what you teach and what you support. And so I find that a private practice would best support my family during this time. It would also best support me and my mental health and also help me reach areas that have been a part of my passion since the beginning, right? Since I was 21 and knew this was the line of work I wanted to go into. I want to make sure to help people in various areas and and not just grief. And I say that, you know, I don't say just lightly because grief is is ever evolving and changing, but I want to be able to be of more help.

TammyHershberger 45:04

And what does healing mean to you specifically?

BethanyNehring 45:08

Yeah, great question because everybody has a different view, right? I think there's so many different times in our life where we don't feel whole. And what I mean is like this total self. Like I understand myself and I'm able to implement myself in the world and carry out my life. And healing to me means becoming whole again. There's so many times of rupture that we naturally have in our life, whether it's the death of a loved one, a traumatic event we experienced, or you know, a mental health issue. And when we go through those, we don't feel whole. We don't feel our total selves. And when we can become whole again, it's the best way to navigate life and continue on our journey. And so for me, healing is really coming to a sense of wholeness, to a sense of of of peace or clarity or calm, of understanding who we are and how we can engage in the world.

TammyHershberger 46:01

I love that. Um, how I mean, I I can kind of imagine your answer already, but doing all of this is for as long as you have, how has it changed you personally?

BethanyNehring 46:10

Yeah, my goodness. Oh well, I I I think it's very empowered empowering to do this work, you know, to be able to help so many and to have, you know, all these people just reach back out and say, wow, you were such a difference in my life. The fact that I met you and we did this work, we created this safe bond, and we were able to go through it therapeutically, it's changed my life. And to help be a presence and a someone who has witnessed and supported this change is a part of my identity. It's part of the work I'm here to do on this earth and it's part of the work that I've been called to do. And I'm just thankful to be able to um be there in this space because it is really powerful and meaning, and it it brings a lot of joy and meaning into my life.

TammyHershberger 46:57

Yeah, I mean, I can hear it. Just you sound very passionate about, and I can tell that you love helping people. And I mean, I help people in a very different way, but that's like my favorite thing is because I've seen even the therapy side to me is because it is such a fear-based thing. So many people are scared of it or they just have this wrong view of it. And it's like if they would just step into the doors and give it a chance, it could change their life. And so I thank you for doing that, for stepping into your life's purpose.

BethanyNehring 47:22

Oh, thank you. And I'm and I want to be cognizant, you know, not all people are made equal. And so some sometimes there are therapeutic experiences where I want to honor people don't feel comfortable, they didn't feel heard or they didn't feel seen. And it's okay. We're not supposed to fit with everyone we meet. So if you have, if people listening go in and they start therapy and they have a bad experience or experience where they didn't feel like it was right fit, please give yourself agency and the right to search out someone different because it is okay if it didn't fit. And if it didn't work, there can be someone out there who can support you. And don't, I don't want to discourage you to think, oh, just that one time and it didn't work. Keep looking. It is a process, and a lot of people feel find it arduous and difficult to navigate, but it is a part of the work, is finding out who could best support me, you know, and there's certain uh qualities and individuals that we need, right? Some of us need people to really call us out, other people need us to be soft and gentle and supportive. And uh I find in my work I tend to like to be a variety and really be a chameleon in the sense. So I feel I can help a wide range of people. Um, but I think it's important to know is this a fit? And if it's not, encourage yourself to keep looking to get that support.

TammyHershberger 48:49

I love that you just said that because I because again, I do coaching and I find that, you know, my coaching can help in some ways, but there's other deeper things they need to deal with. And so I try to like let them know that maybe therapy would be a great option. And and so I have some people I'm dealing with that are looking for therapists and they always ask me for referrals, and I'm like, well, I think I can refer, but I think you need to talk to them. And so I guess I don't know if you have the answer for this, but like, what would you say when someone's because I've had one guy, he's like, Well, there's not really a lot of reviews because I mean, honestly, a lot of people don't even want to say they're in therapy. And how do how does someone do they just call and talk to them and just see if they're a good fit and then maybe do one or two sessions? Or what do you recommend for those that are wanting to do it but they're not even sure where to start?

BethanyNehring 49:30

Yes, great question. So psychology today is a great resource to know who's in your area. It's a paid um website that therapists go through to list their specialties, the insurance they do or do not take, and um their type of work and their location. So I suggest that, but also a lot of therapists do what's called the discovery call, which is 15 to 20 minutes. It's free and you're able to call, connect, see if they're accepting new clients, see if they take your insurance, go get to understand like what the process would be like and ask them questions. What's your therapeutic modality? What, what, what do you work from? What is your lens? Like, how are you trying to help individuals? And to answer that question for myself, I work on an attachment theory-based model. So I look at how our relationships with our caregivers are really important, right? We talked about that development and early age. And then I also use the lens of transpersonal psychology, which goes beyond self, the spiritual self. So, what is beyond id and ego, into how is our collective working, what is our spiritual connection, and how is that shaping our event right now? And so it's important to know what their theoretical model they work through, um, what type of issues they work through, um, what is their experience with that, right? And then also have that time to have that exchange back and forth. You can get a fine sense of does this person acknowledge, do they let me speak, do they have knowledge about what I'm working with? Do would they be of help? And you can get a sense um pretty clear, at least through the conversation. And then remember, if you're having sessions, you can always go, this isn't a fit for me. I've had three sessions, we're not connecting, or I feel like I'm just sharing my story again, I'm not getting the kind of support I need. You can always pivot. Choice is very important in life and also in therapeutic sessions.

TammyHershberger 51:27

Yeah, I love that. Thank you for explaining that because I think it'll be very helpful to those who are considering it, especially after this conversation. I think people are gonna see it a little bit differently and hopefully see how helpful it can be. So tell me, are you taking new clients right now? If I have someone like, I like this Bethany, who is she?

BethanyNehring 51:43

Yes, I am. So it's Heart Center Healing, and I I have the address 700 East Main Street in Montrose. I currently work in person and I'm taking weekend sessions. I know it's um unique, but I currently work full-time. And so for my private practice, I'm looking for weekends, so some nights and Saturday and Sunday appointments, and I take many different insurances. Um, you can find me on Psychology Today under Heart Hughes, and my name is Bethany Nearing. And my phone number, you can always call my phone number direct, 970-258-3942, to set up that discovery call and see if we would be a good fit working together. I really look forward to meeting anybody who is listening or um have really connected to the messages on here and is ready for some support.

TammyHershberger 52:36

Bethany, thank you so very much for your time today. I mean, I learned a lot. I am excited for people that I know that I I have several in mind already that I'm gonna tell about you because they're they're artists, they're struggling, they need help. And so, yeah, I will definitely be putting information on the site as well. So if anyone's out there looking, um, once this episode airs, all this contact information will be on the episode uh page itself. Uh, Bethany, thank you so very much. Do you have any final words?

BethanyNehring 53:01

Uh Tammy, I just want to say thank you so much for having me on Light Up Your Business podcast. It's been great being able to talk about the work I'm so passionate about. You've had some wonderful questions and hopefully we've lightened the load on some individuals dealing with some very serious things in life and that they feel like there's an avenue or there's a hope or a place to go to.

Final Thoughts and Contact Information

TammyHershberger 53:21

Yes. Well, thank you everyone for listening. Um, always I try to bring new interesting content, new people on. If you have someone in mind that you want to bring on, you can always email me, contact me through the show. My email is lightupyourbusinesslc at gmail.com. Again, we thank you all for listening, and we will see you on the next one. And remember, in the world of business, every success story begins with a passionate dream and ends with a strategic billion-dollar handship. Stay ambitious and stay innovative and keep making those deals at reshape tomorrow. Thank you all for tuning in, and until next time, remember Proverbs 3.3 says, let love and faithfulness never leave you. Find them around your net. Write them on the top of your department. That way you will win favor and a good name in the title and meditative. And remember, if you like what you heard today, click the follow button so you never miss another.