Innovative Parenting: Curious, Creative, Connected

— Even the best talk-based practices in parenting can be limiting. How can art help parents temper storms of emotion, defuse sibling conflicts, get teeth brushed, and raise happy, successful kids? In The Innovative Parent, Erica Curtis and Ping Ho integrate cutting-edge research, years of clinical expertise, and their own parenting experience into a revolutionary yet practical guide to creative parenting. Plentiful illustrations and anecdotes bring concepts to life and show art in action with kids and parents. Together, Curtis and Ho let parents in on art therapy trade secrets to help children make sense of emotions, build connections with others, develop problem-solving skills, resolve day-to-day conflicts, process and retain information, confront fears and anxiety, and much more. These are complex tasks for something as seemingly simple as making art, yet therein lies the beauty of The Innovative Parent: its down-to-earth approach is simple, doable, and fun. Valeria Teles interviews Erica Curtis — the author of "The Innovative Parent: Raising Connected, Happy, Successful Kids through Art." Erica Curtis LMFT ATR-BC is a Marriage and Family Therapist and board-certified art therapist, Erica is an instructor and curriculum developer for UCLArts & Healing. She consults for the Board of Behavioral Sciences, the Foundation for Art & Healing, Loyola Marymount University, and more. Erica is a past board member of the American Art Therapy Association and past president of their Southern California chapter. Erica is an internationally sought speaker and has been cited in over 100 media outlets as an expert on creative approaches to psychological, relational, and emotional health. Erica maintains a psychotherapy practice in San Juan Capistrano, CA. To learn more about Erica Curtis and her work, please visit: therapywitherica.com     — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.