Artist, art therapist, yoga teacher, author… Jodi Rose Gonzales uses all the tools she has to help people overcome life’s challenges and uncertainties.
In this special interview for MysticMag, we asked Jodi about her work, a recent award she won and much more. Don’t miss this interview!
Your combination of creativity, positive psychology, and yoga is very interesting. How do you mix all of that to help your clients?
I am a nature-based visual artist, art therapist, and yoga teacher. My environmental sculpture is a visual narrative of ancient yoga teachings, told through the metaphor of a lone girl in the woods. It addresses contrasting themes like separateness, connection, isolation, purpose, suffering, contentment, naivety, wisdom, and ultimately fulfillment.
Yoga philosophy—and all eight limbs—informs my business plan and the way I work with clients. I’ve developed a unique fusion of art therapy and yoga techniques that I call Art-Based Mindfulness. Here, asana (or poses) may or may not be part of the work; in fact, most often it’s not. We focus on breathing techniques (pranayama), concentration and meditation (dharana and dhyana), and connection to something larger than themselves (samadhi). These inform my interventions and weave seamlessly into sessions as we work.
Art prompts help inform mind-body connection, either through metaphor and self-reflection, or through sensory aspects that are a natural byproduct of the creative process or working with certain materials. Here, clients learn how to use creativity to manage an overactive nervous system—in other words, how to use art to manage the physical symptoms of trauma or anxiety. Mindfulness is cultivated as clients stay present and engaged during artmaking, and as they process and discuss the finished work.
Last year you received the Empowered Woman of the Year Award, given by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). First of all, congratulations! I know it’s hard to credit only one thing for that major award, but in your opinion what was a big factor that enabled you to achieve that success?
I have a long line of mentors who have taken me under their wings, and I’ve worked with incredible organizations and collaborative teams. And, I’m fortunate to have an incredibly supportive husband and family. I am grateful for these.
The biggest factor, personally, is my tenacity. Over the years I’ve been accused by many of not being career-focused, but ultimately the continuing thread has been my pursuit of knowledge and experience towards establishing the business that I have today. Early on, I felt I had a calling, but it wasn’t clear what it was; also I had to overcome a gap between what I dreamed I could do and the confidence, skill and self-worth to actually fulfill that dream. I knew that if I didn’t stay true to that calling, depression and anxious and a life of “flatness” would be the result. I knew I didn’t want to look back on my life with regret or thoughts of “what if”? So I have moved slow steps forward for many years, and never gave up.
When people reach you, what are their main concerns and issues? Do you have a topic or even a condition (stress, anxiety) that is prevalent?
In my coaching practice, people come to me with a range of presenting issues, however, underneath that the consistent theme is spiritual disconnect. They might be questioning if they’re in the right relationship, the right career, or they might notice anxiety or frustration because they’re not living as an expression of who they feel they really are. I used art-based mindfulness, informed by art therapy and yoga philosophy, to help them reconnect to their inner wisdom—and, importantly, learn to trust it and act from it. I help them explore mindset, clear limiting beliefs, and design a path forward.
In my clinical practice, I work with teams comprised of other mental health professionals to help individuals in recovery from trauma, self-harm, addiction, and eating disorder. I also work with people who have autism and/or developmental delay. My clinical practice is largely youth-focused and serves the rural community in which I live.
Overall, I would say that stress, anxiety and the search for meaning are prevalent. It seems to be a natural byproduct of “the times” – too much screen time, world issues, politics, pandemic, work/life imbalance, disembodiment, etc.
Do you have a special one-on-one session that you always remember for some specific reason?
If I did, I wouldn’t be able to share, because what happens in sessions is private! That said, I really love when clients get “the hit.” In youth, it’s the a-ha moment that they realize art therapy is a great place to be curious about self-discovery, overcoming the limiting belief that they’re in therapy because there’s something wrong with them. Among adults, it’s the moment when they have an experience of deep insight and connection, a different type of a-ha moment, and it makes them hungry for more, and trusting of the process. In both cases, there is a mindset shift and the work can move forward with new efficiency and direction. It’s exciting to be a part of.
I think of myself as the rudder, offering interventions as my clients learn and gain confidence in steering their own ship. I love helping them define their destinations, and share in the celebrations when they get there.
Speaking of the adults, I’ve had clients realize that they don’t need to make any career changes, they just needed to reconnect with their creativity and they felt more at ease. In other cases, they stop questioning their relationships once they reconnect with a spiritual practice—and therefore themselves. And, in other instances, clients gain clarity and confidence to make the big leap and leave relationships, start new businesses, go to school, or make some other large life step.
Among youth, the big wins often come in the smallest of steps. I work with youth who have large mental health challenges, and art therapy offers an excellent opportunity to become comfortable with first time experiences, learn to take safely take risks, and so much more. Being a person or place to offer connection and the experience of emotional safety is something that I honor and take very seriously.
In these examples, one is not more memorable than the other: what’s memorable is being with a person in a moment in time in which they experience the world in a bigger, better, safer, embodied way.
You offer free content and resources in your website that can be really helpful to our readers. What can they find in that collection?
My free Discovery Library offers a downloadable art journal; chair and gentle yoga classes; mindset videos; and worksheets to help readers assess emotional wealth, fulfillment and work/life balance.
I also offer free on-demand courses called Trauma, Explained; The Mindfulness Experiment; and the Joy Primer. These offer brief video tutorials; downloadable worksheets; and hours of brief guided meditations. These programs are available free of charge thanks to a partnership with my local United Way office and numerous community stakeholders—and anyone, anywhere can use them.
Can you present your space, Enclave, to our audience?
Enclave is an art-and-yoga retreat space that was created specifically as a calming sensory environment. It features a 22-foot sculptural moss wall; sculptural trees; and it features characters from my sculpture series Girl in the Woods. The “nature-in” and awe created from the environment helps transport visitors from their daily lives and invokes imagination and healing. Enclave showcases my artwork and was designed intentionally as a trauma-informed healing space.
Do you have a special message for our readers in these challenging times?
I often say that I guide people through darkness. In these challenging times, ask, what do you do with the darkness? Are you denying it? Numbing yourself from it? Being worn down by it? Running in circles? Remember that our darkest times can inform the most growth.
Explore the little windows that bring you light or insight, and work from there. Notice what brings you joy, and move towards doing more of those things. The world needs us, one-by-one, to overcome our own suffering. Give yourself permission to seek support and help if you need it. And never, ever give up hope.
