‘Mirrors of the Mind’ reflects creativity of psychologists

A cartooned patient sits across from a well-dressed therapist. Where there should be a face, there is a mirror instead.

The image serves as the cover of this year’s program for “Mirrors of the Mind 2: The Psychotherapist as Artist,” a two-part exhibition hosted by the Los Angeles County Psychological Association. The exhibition features an art show and a series of performances all created by professionals and students in the field of psychology. Ranging from sculptures to spoken word pieces and short films, the week-long showcase aims to reveal the creative minds and reflective thought processes that exist within the psychotherapy community.

Psychotherapist Terry Marks-Tarlow, a UCLA alumna and curator of “Mirrors of the Mind,” created the aforementioned cartoon to embody the meaning of the event as a celebration of the mirror-like art that arises from the work that psychotherapists do.

“When you think about therapy, it is a healing art,” Marks-Tarlow said. “The moment to moment practice of it is an art, the timing of it, the uniqueness of the moment, and the chemistry of the person. Art becomes a way for us to express ourselves and cross-fertilizes with our therapy.”

WhenPamela McCrory, last year’s Los Angeles County Psychological Association president, took over the outreach committee in 2012, she partnered with Marks-Tarlow. Together, they set out to plan a free visual art exhibit, but eventually opted to also include the performing arts as well. From this, the first “Mirror of the Minds” show was born.

McCrory said her belief in the marriage of art and healing is what guided her vision in creating the event.

“My interest has always been in the psychology of the creative arts and in community outreach,” McCrory said. “These two things were married when Dr. Marks-Tarlow and I discovered we shared a passion for the power of art and the importance of creativity in both education and psychotherapy.”

Marks-Tarlow said this look at the artistic minds of psychotherapists is what makes the show so multidisciplinary. While some artists stick to photography and painting, others explore the world of sign language dance or perform short vignettes about the struggles American veterans face.

The creative process of psychotherapists is what drew Robert Bilder, Director of the Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity, to the exhibition.

“Part of the mission of this program is to bring the attention of the public to the internal processes going through the minds of people who specialize in analyzing internal processes, which allows an interesting reflection into the human mind,” Bilder said.

In addition to Bilder, a number of other UCLA professors and students, as well as the UCLArts and Healing dance group, will be showcasing their work. There will also be an open mic night on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. headed by UCLA Medical Center psychiatrist Robert Carroll, who often uses poetry in his methodology for therapy.

Marks-Tarlow said this Saturday and Sunday will feature a number of exceptional performances, as well as complete access to the art gallery. She said, however, that the best day to attend would be Saturday, the day of the artists’ reception and silent auction from 6 to 9 p.m., which will bring an air of excitement to the event for the artists.

“Many of them have been doing art for years and have never had a show,” Marks-Tarlow said. “They get so excited and you can feel that energy in the room. That’s why the reception is really fun.”

In order for the audience to explore the thought processes of the artists, they each accompanied their gallery pieces with a supplementary statement explaining their own take on the meaning of their work. As the show’s curator, Marks-Tarlow compiled all these essays and photographs into a book for purchase at the event.

“It’s a peek into the psyche of therapists, which patients don’t typically get to see,” said Marks-Tarlow. “I think psychotherapy really is about unleashing peoples’ creativity, because in order to change, you have to create a process, and it makes sense to cultivate creativity as a way of facilitating that.”

While the show is free, all proceeds from the book sales, silent auction and other donations will be given to charity. This year, “Mirrors of the Mind” is supporting The Miracle Project, a program that enables individuals with autism to express themselves through art, and The Soldiers Project, which provides psychological services for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.