Recently, Tyler's Art Education and Community Arts Practices department held a discussion and presentation given by Dr. Rachel Brandoff about art therapy with families in crisis and trauma. Rachel is the coordinator of Art Therapy Specialization and Community and Trauma Counseling at Jefferson University. We were surprised to hear that trauma is  “not the exception, it’s the norm.” After an informative talk about how art therapists work with people who have experienced  trauma, we did little art activity with Dr. Brandoff’s favorite art material – pipe cleaners. We were instructed to focus on one personal goal, could be big or small, and the second part, we have to focus on a larger community goal and how our personal goal could connect to that. Some people connected their personal goals, and others linked them to a bigger sculpture. Make sure you’re following us so you don’t miss out on other events like this!