A Letter from Mirasol's Founder and CEO
 Dear Friends,
Occasionally, I get cards from some of the women we've treated, and I start thinking about my own recovery. Early in recovery, I found out that I was not my eating disorder — a monumental discovery! Today I earn my living as a psychotherapist and CEO of an eating disorder treatment center, but I'm also an artist. When I began recovery, it was the lowest point in my life, but I was still drawing and painting. I would go to my women’s group, 12-step meetings, attend individual therapy ... and draw.
While in therapy, I found that my drawing was what really opened doors. I was fortunate to have a therapist who believed in the healing power of creative expression. It was through drawing that I began to see (and appreciate) things about myself that I never knew existed.
Read More 
Great Art ... and Great Therapy!
There's a lot to like about working at Mirasol: the opportunity to help other people, great food, our fragrant and healing desert environment ... and incredible artwork!
Art therapy is an essential component of Mirasol's residential eating disorder treatment program, and the artwork produced by our clients is vivid, powerful and inspiring. Viewed within the context of the client's devastating illness, these drawings, paintings and sculptures can send shivers down your spine, even on what passes for a cool fall day in southern Arizona.
Two-sided mask is a bruised and bandaged face on the outside, and a torrent of words on the inside: "Numb, wears off eventually, leaving me questioning my every move, breath, bite ..."
The two-sided mask above is a perfect example. The outside is a bruised and bandaged face decorated by a string of faux pearls. The inside — the part you can't see — is a cry for help. Could there be a better description of an eating disorder?
Art therapy is as old as humanity itself. All tribal peoples believed that there was a healing spirit that could be freed from within by fully participating in music or art. For example, in traditional Navajo sand painting, the patient lies on the ground while a medicine man directs the creation of a sand painting. The medicine man asks for the yéis to come into the painting and heal the patient by restoring balance and harmony.
Read More
Recipe: Garden Brown Rice
You know summer is over when all three cats pile onto the bed at night. How can such small creatures take up so much space? The cool weather makes me crave hearty grains and casseroles. Here's a delicious vegetarian recipe that combines brown rice with savory fall vegetables:
Serves 8
2 Tbsp vegetable oil | 1 tsp cilantro, chopped |
1 medium onion, chopped | 2 small zucchini, chopped |
4 cloves garlic, chopped | 1 yellow squash |
1 large carrot, sliced thin | 2 stalks celery, chopped |
3 C brown rice, cooked* | 1 red bell pepper, chopped |
4 vegetarian bouillon cubes | 1 green bell pepper, chopped |
½ tsp salt | 1 can corn |
In a skillet, sauté onion, garlic, and carrots for 10 minutes in oil over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook another 15 minutes more over low heat or until done.
*To cook brown rice, bring 3 C water to a boil. Add 1½ C rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until for 30-45 minutes, until done.
|
