Guna Green (Buoyancy Foundation) speaks about the benefits and process of art therapy.
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Author Archives: buoyancyadmin
The ‘Standard Drink’ game
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Drug and alcohol worker at Buoyancy, Guna Green, gave a demonstration workshop called “The ‘Standard Drink’ Game”, the aim of which is to sharpen up people’s sense of what a standard drink actually is. The term ‘Australian Standard Drink’ has been devised to indicate a drink that has 10 grams of alcohol. Obviously the size of different kinds of alcoholic drinks that will contain just 10 grams of alcohol will vary greatly. One regular pub glass of mid-strength beer will contain about 10 grams of alcohol, whereas a single nip of spirits will contain about 10 grams of alcohol.
During the demonstration, we discovered that when people hear the term ‘standard drink’, they initially assume it means ‘normal drink’, that is, the size of drink that one normally gets served in a pub or bar. In fact, one regular pub glass of full strength beer and one glass of wine, as normally served in a resturant, both contain considerably more than 10 grams of alcohol, thus each is more than the Australian Standard Drink.
Thus there may be a conceptual difficulty with having people grasp the term ‘standard drink’ and its intended use. Thus, in the ‘Stardard Drink Game’, we found that people attempted to pour a drink similar in size to that which they were accustomed to receiving in a pub or restaurant, rather than one that might have just 10 grams of alcohol.
Listen to interview with Guna Green and Adam Forbes>>
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Useful links and resources
For more info on measuring a standard drink – (external link) >>
View a chart of standard drinks – beer, wine and spirits (external link)>>
Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (external link)>>
Men’s Groups
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Satyanada Yoga teacher and Sri Ram (also known as provisional psychologist David Tries), and Adam Forbes, counsellor at Buoyancy, in conversation about the opportunities provided by men’s groups and gatherings. What are the challenges facing men at the moment? How can men give and receive the support that they need? Sri Ram runs men’s yoga retreat at the Satyananda Ashram near Daylesford. 18.50 mins
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Trauma, stress and the body….
Feldenkrais Practitioner, Naomi Richards shares her experience of working at the Asylum Centre Resource Centre and the issues around working with people who have experienced stress and or trauma as a refugee. 14.51 mins.
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Download (201)About the ASRC
Since opening our doors in June 2001, the ASRC has become the largest provider of aid, advocacy and health services for asylum seekers in Australia. We work directly with asylum seekers, both living in our community and detention, to provide direct aid and support as they seek refugee status in Australia.
We also campaign and lobby on behalf of asylum seekers and all Australians who want to change the unjust policies that Australia has adopted. Most importantly, at times of despair and hopelessness, we are there to offer comfort, friendship, hope and respite.
For more info go to - www.asrc.org.au
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Bipolar Bears
The BiPolar Bears are one of Victoria’s rock’n’roll institutions – playing their own brand of rock, reggae and blues to audiences for over 16 years. Having a serious mental illness hasn’t held the band back. They have performed hundreds of gigs from Sydney Opera House to psych wards, the iconic Espy Hotel, St Kilda festival, Federation Square, Brisbane’s Powerhouse and a myriad of other events.
Band member and manger, Phil Heuzenroeder describes how the band formed and their creative process. 8mins. www.bipolarbears.com.au
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Art Project
Collage – an intuitive process.
by Guna Green, Buoyancy Foundation
Making “Soul Cards”
To create your own personal deck of cards that reflect the many facets of your inner life, you will need;
A pile of magazines that you don’t mind cutting up.
A pair of sharp scissors.
Glue, or Glue stick.
Cardboard for backing
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- This is an intuitive process, spend time looking through the magazines and cut out anything that attracts your attention.
- It can be images, shapes colours, textures…..
- You will collect a pile of cut – out images that have no particular relationship until you sort through them and start to play around with combinations.
- Allow yourself to play around with different arrangements until something clicks. A theme will emerge and there will be a point where a concrete idea forms.
- You may have to spend a long time with the images until it becomes clear what their meaning is.
- Sometimes the meaning is just a feeling and you can’t always put it into words.
- Just enjoy the process.
- Once you feel happy with the image, glue it down onto the cardboard.
- If you want to make a “deck of cards”, cut your cardboards all the same size, and make your images to that format.
Some suggestions for the different aspects of one’s inner drama;
The angry beast, the performer, the lover, the hurt child, the greedy one, the critic, the trickster, the healer , the warrior, the King/ the Queen, mother/ father , angel/ devil………..
Other concepts such as; Transformation, Eternity, Asylum, Peace, Centre, Sorrow, Joy , Nourishment, Fertility, Friendship, courage, fear,…….. whatever you want to express.
Make up your own themes that have meaning for you.
Music therapy in residential drug recovery
John Hedigan is a music therapist who ran a very successful program at Odyssey House for recovering substance users. This is the first part of an interview, focusing on the application of music therapy in the context of residential drug recovery.
14.42 mins
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Breath/movement exercises for ATS recovery
Part 1 of a series of simple breathing and movement exercises guided by Adam Forbes, counsellor and shiatsu therapist at the Buoyancy Foundation.
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Life and Recovery at Windana Therapeutic Community
Recovery from drugs and alcohol through living in a therapeutic community . Adam Forbes (Buoyancy) meets Bonnie the cow and Caron Turner, community therapist from Windana Therapeutic Community. 15.21mins
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Listen now
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Mindfulness and anxiety
Psychiatrist, Dr Chris Walsh (member of Family Alcohol & Drug Network/ FADNet), on mindfulness in dealing with anxiety, in contrast to using drugs. Interview by Jinesh Wilmot.8 mins.
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Drug recovery through yoga
Father Joe Pererra is an extraordinary Indian Catholic priest who founded the Kripa Foundation. Kripa, meaning ‘grace’, runs 50 drug and alcohol treatment centres all over India, that combine the 12 Step approach developed by the self-help fellowship Alcoholics Anonymous, with physical yoga and contemplative prayer.
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Nothing Wrong
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A booklet on self care for those who have been abused or who abuse substances. The purpose of this booklet is to increase awareness of what happens when abuse occurs and of what self care looks like. Produced by the Buoyancy Foundation of Victoria.
Rave Safe
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‘ Rave Safe’ – an innovative approach to ATS harm minimisation with Nadine Hennequin (Buoyancy Foundation) and Paul Phillips from the Buttery
Download – Rave Safe (224)
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Melbourne Zen Hospice
Seikan, director of the Melbourne Zen Hospice, speaks about the services that he and other volunteers provide. The Hospice program is part of a socially-engaged Zen Buddhist organization based in Melbourne, dedicated to providing practical and spiritual outreach support to those facing life’s impermanence through a life-limiting illness. 25 mins
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Overcoming Crystal Meth Addiction
‘Overcoming crystal Meth Addiction : an essential guide for getting clean’ – a very useful resource written by Steven J. Lee MD
* This book is now out of print – secondhand copies available through www.amazon.com
