Eleen Polson, counselling psychologist and artist, talks about approaching therapy from the “creative side”, moving with and into delight, the Adriatic Sea, and longing and belonging.

1 You consider reconnecting with our bodies an essential part of holistic well-being. Could you elaborate on this?

I come from a very cognitive, scientific perspective and a very stoic, hard-working background. Looking back, every part of my life was necessary to bring me to this point today. I appreciate my ancestors doing the best they could, but in order to survive and cope, they numbed themselves and down-regulated emotions and experiences. I studied human behaviour from a scientific perspective as a psychologist but felt totally lost initially. It was only when I approached therapy from the creative side, more like an art than a science, that I began to feel my way towards the light of understanding this beautifully complex healing process.

2 When you look back, who or what has helped you get in touch with yourself?

I would probably be able to write a book full of all the little nudges from the Yoniverse, the undercover angels, and Inspired Moments guiding my journey from early on. This support helped me as an outsider or edge-walker, someone different from the mainstream, to keep on believing in the magic, the connection of everything and the infusion of the Divine.

Having said that I want to mention a few BIG things that I will always be grateful for:

• Biodanza that taught me how to loosen up, forget myself totally and then move with and into delight.

• Postural Integration and my PI-Person/therapist with whom I could do the deepest of bodywork imaginable. “Say Yes to More – en don’t resist the pain... move with it”. Actually, I don’t recall any therapy or bodywork session ever – and I did so many of them! - that did not pay off in rewarding ways. I am deeply grateful that in this day and age there are so many options for healing and growth.

• AfrikaBurn, my burner buddies: finding other odd-ball-wild-at-heart sisters and brothers from all over the world, from many different healing traditions and walks of life, using creativity in inspiring ways to make the world a better place.

• Kundalini Yoga. This regular practice helps me to maintain movement, rhythm and breathing on a daily basis. It keeps my body in shape to have deep and meaningful connections to Life!

3 You’re an artist. Tell us more about your work.

I thought I was a closet artist, always doodling with a pencil in hand. It was only after reading Julia Cameron’s The Artists Way that I could fully claim my Artist nature. Although I did “normal art” for many years as a recreation, it was only through personal hardship that I discovered the true magic of expressive arts therapy. I was so inspired that for 10 years I facilitated this life-giving modality of self-exploration for many women (and a handful of men) all over the country. Every time it was a privilege to witness that.

I understand creativity as energy that permeates all of life: from the food I cook, doodles I make, to the way I prefer to dress on certain days. It is all part of my creative expression – essential to keep me happy and healthy.

There is always a new medium to entice and bedazzle me: my first love was soft pastel creations, then alcohol inks, and now the medium of visual meditations (https://www.youtube.com/ & https://youtu.be/Ukl8NWlsFsY) .

4 What are the benefits of expressing ourselves in creative ways?

If we don’t, we might as well not be fully alive.

Eleen deel ook haar praktiese wenke oor hoe om kreatiwiteit ‘n opwindende deel van ons daaglikse lewe te maak.

5 There is something of the gypsy about you. Which experiences have stimulated this part of yourself?

I am a December baby – Sagittarius – and yes, I love to travel. I feel totally blessed and spoilt by the Yoniverse on three special occasions:

• Saving up and taking my whole family to Croatia in September 2018 – we had such magic together. I will never forget my three boys swimming down into the deep blue Adriatic sea with hundreds of golden “skertjie-stertjie” fishes...

• I presented a paper on the therapeutic value of clay in Seoul, South Korea in 2019 with my beloved Prof John Steele – a highlight of my professional career as an expressive arts therapist.

•  Just before the world forever changed, I visited Nepal and The Himalayas in February/March 2020 with my friend, Duan the Buddist Boertjie and two soul sisters. The connection to that mountain and the ancient forest is something I cannot describe in words. Truly an auspicious trip full of blessings (https://youtu.be/e34olb49BkA)

6 Give us a glimpse of your family and some of the things you’ve done together.

My first venture into the “youtube-channel thing” was actually a celebration of my past 9 year – cycle (https://youtu.be/fSjdXNp9kU8)https://youtu.be/pj81JmCVBOE) *

We really like hanging out together, doing road trips, camping, hiking and drumming around the fire. It is fantastic to have interesting humans around with nice, different music tastes and talents. We are really a little Polson clan that is still finding their space on the more interesting side of the spectrum. We did work through some early childhood stuff to get to this point, I will have to say!

 It was worth sitting everyone down a couple of years ago when I discovered Marshall Rosenberg’s work on non-violent communication. We learnt a new way of interacting. We need to practice it often because there can be hardheads, strong opinions and high emotions. We are, however, committed to continued honest communication and having difficult conversations.

Eleen introduces us to Non-violent communication - gentle and mutually beneficial.

7 Sisterhood has come to play an important role in your life. How would you define it?

I don’t have sisters, and in my childhood, I experienced acute loneliness – most probably inherited (the well-therapised self talking!). So, when I found my soul sisters, I was deeply relieved. Looking back, there would always be an ‘older sister’, sometimes my beloved Buurvrou, that would help me navigate the grey space between longing and belonging. Miraculously, in times of spiritual crisis, my wise friend Gail would just “happen to pass through town” and over a cup of tea (or glass of red wine) the overwhelming chaos of the world would disappear into manageable moments. Although I am happily married, my husband knows, that I need my sisters – and my girl-time away. I am not alone in this, as the international movement of the Red Tent shows us: we women have been supporting each other for thousands of years. It is good to overcome jealousy and competition. We are rediscovering and reclaiming our feminine wisdom more and more, and I am happy to know of many circles of women supporting each other in different ways.

Lees hier hoe jy trauma letterlik kan afskud.

8 You have recently launched an online course called SiStars. What does it entail?

Covid-lock-down has given me the impetus to put my core teaching “out there” in an online course, more accessible to more people. I often work with teenagers in my practice and see the positive effect some of the new psychological and body-mind tools can have on anxiety levels and overwhelm.

Personally, I also found online sharing circles to be very healing. Here I experienced no judgement, safety and support. Creativity was encouraged, honest sharing was welcomed and this ancient healing process is the medicine – no solutions were offered. This sister-like sharing became my star inspiration for the name of the offering based on feminine principles of sharing and collaboration.

The ‘Sistars ~ safe space for growth and healing’ is currently a 7-session on-line course covering the basics of Body-mind-work, Compassionate Communication (based on Non-Violent Communication), Creative Expression, Personality Mapping (based on Transactional Analysis and Internal Family systems), Understanding and dealing with Emotions, Growth and Forgiveness with many exercises and creative prompts to make the learning practical and fun. These basic teachings form the building blocks to co-create safe sharing groups. (https://courses.sistars.co.)

Eleen invites you to revisit your 16-year-old self and make illuminating discoveries.

9 The pandemic has changed our world. Which hopes and dreams do you have for us - and for yourself - in our “new” reality?

I am very excited about the big structures previously unchallenged being upgraded or totally replaced by something new, something more sustainable and inspiring. I dream of a totally new way of being, a new way of relating where care, compassion and beauty is valued higher than individual outcome. I am holding out for the feminine wisdom to find fruitful, creative ways of solving our current dilemmas, transforming our collective trauma into new growth and cultivating hope for lives full of peace, joy and passion.

I am so ready to be surprised by this magnificent new normal!

About Eleen

Eleen Polson is a counselling psychologist in private practice in Pretoria. She draws on both traditional psychotherapeutic techniques and the contributions of body-work, music and movement, mindfulness, visualisation, and breathing. Eleen offers expressive arts therapy, TRE (trauma release exercise) and Non-violent communication (NVC) in a group context.  

Email: eleen@polsons.info

Websites:

http://eleenpolson.com/

creativelearning4life.com

https://courses.sistars.co.za/courses/sistars-foundation

Youtube channel: google “eleen polson youtube”

Thumbnail mage: Unsplash.

Personal photographs: supplied.