The document discusses a study exploring the healing power of dollmaking. It provides context for why dollmaking was chosen, describes the theories and process, and outlines the outcomes of a group of 20 women who participated. The process involved creating dolls representing protection, pain/wounds, healing goals, and an inner healer over 6 lessons facilitated online. Participants reported dollmaking helped them gain insights and work through challenges in a transformative healing process.

1. An Exploration into the
Healing Power of Dollmaking

2. • Why the study-Why Dolls
• Participants
• Theories that support the study
• The tools
• The Process
- Guardian
- Scapegoat
- Talisman
- Inner Healer
• The Outcome

3. • To develop a step by step process to
assist people in making a healing doll
• To determine whether dollmaking can
produce change and transformation
and healing
• To explore the possibility of teaching
such a process on line and create a
healing community

4. • I have been using dollmaking in my own
healing process and found it powerful.
• Students in my classes were making dolls
that was engaging them to dive deep into a
process that was offering them insight into
a challenging aspect of their life.
• I found a few people in country who were
using dollmaking for transformation
and healing and I wanted to discover what
they knew.
• Dolls have been used in medicine rituals
since ancient times.

5. Creating an art doll with the intention of healing
invites and encourages the doll creator to explore
a range of perceptions and emotions and in doing
so reach a deeper level of self understanding.
Making a healing doll can serve as a catalyst that
induces the healing process, awaken long lost
stories and creates a transformation.
Dollmaking and dolls can serve as healing tools.

6. • 30 women signed up,
20 stayed with group
• Ages 40 and above
• From US, UK and
Australia

7. • Class was facilitated on yahoogroups
as healing doll project.
• Participants join the group and sent
emails of their process, questions, and
support and photos to group
• Six lessons sent out about every two weeks,
with flexible to extend if group needed it.
• I facilitated process and coached
• Designed as three month process

8. Mindmapping
Visual Journaling.
Non-Dominant Hand Writing
Meditative Walks
Collage
Sculpture

9. Trust your intuition
Stay open to possibilities
Be willing to be in the unknown
Play with your imagination
Be inquisitive, eager to learn; ask what would happen if?
Stand back and question your beliefs
Know that creativity involves a process
Do not prejudge or anticipate where the imagery will take you
Allow yourself to learn and be guided by the experience
Remember you are not broken and do not need to be fixed
Connect with a safe, supportive other; a person who is a
believing mirror, a witness with whom you can share your
doll creations

10. Healing is often confused with curing. Curing a disease or illness is
what medical science attempts to do through external intervention,
treatment and medication. Curing cannot always occur. Healing is
always possible.
The broadest definition of healing is to become whole, regardless of
any situation or circumstance. Healing is in its very essence is a
process of transformation – from illness to wellness, from
dysfunction to integration, from breakdown to wholeness.
The task of healing is:
to strip away layers of physical and emotional numbness;
to bring movement to what has become stuck;
to respond to rescues from the body mind;
to reclaim the riches of the feeling world;
to find our deepest level of integrity.
from Visual Journaling - Ganim

11. ART THERAPY
The fundamental principal of the art therapies is that they provide opportunities
to make concrete objects representing feelings and thoughts that are elusive,
hidden and mysterious.
EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPY
This emphasizes the artistic process as a means of emotional expression
and release. The artwork is not used as a diagnostic tool because it is believed
that only the person who created the work knows the meaning inherent in it.
STRESS REDUCTION
Art heals by changing a person's physiology and attitude from one of
stress to one of deep relaxation, from one of fear to one of creativity
and inspiration.
GATE THEORY OF PAIN MANAGEMENT
The fundamental basis for this theory is the belief that psychological as well as
physical factors guide the brain's interpretation of painful sensations and the
subsequent response.

12. PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY
The underlying theory of this science is that the body, mind and spirit are
interconnected and that one cannot treat one without affecting another.
It also suggests that the ultimate healing must come from within the
individual; that we all have a mind and a soul that influences and creates
who we are - even our illness.
IMAGERY AND HEALING
The work of the relationship between the body and the imagination.
NARRATIVE PSYCHOLOGY
The stories we tell about our lives contain all the clues for what we
believe, what afflicts us and how to heal.

13. Designate or create a journal to use for this process
Practice mindmapping
Practice writing with your non-dominant hand
Set an intention
Choose a witness and meet with her or him…….
Do the journal activities about symbols and metaphors
Read about feelings and do the feeling face assignments
Make at least ten feeling faces in any medium

16. - Think about what you want to heal.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind
when you think about this?
- I want to heal ____________________
- Then complete the following sentence.
Healing for me will be ______________________
- Consider how you and your world will be
different once you reached this goal.
How will you and your world look, sound,
move, feel like, smell and taste?

17. • Examples
- “I intend to heal the fearful child within.”
- “I intend to focus my healing energies toward accepting who I am.”
- “I intend to focus on healing my broken heart.”
- “I intend to heal my self-worth, to focus on healing energy toward
accepting my body.”
- “ I intend to let go of the shame and guilt for being the spiritual
person I am and not what others want me to be.”
- “I intend to focus healing energy toward claiming my power.”

18. • Self esteem, love and acceptance
• Depression
• Fear
• Letting go of shame
• Relationships with men and mother
• Self image, taking care of self
• Illness, disease

19. Symbols will emerge.
Identify colors, shapes, forms, patterns,
and textures
Identify personal story, myth and
archetypes

20. One of the most important aspect of healing dolls.
Feelings are messengers that deliver essential
information about what’s going on inside of you.
Dollmaking helps express and release feelings.
Feelings are meant to be felt, understood and explored
and then released.
The more you try to hide from or ignore a feeling the more
persistent it can become.
Stuffing them doesn’t make them go away just pushes them
into your physical energetic system which could end up in
illness or disease.

24. 1. Set an intention
2. GUARDIAN: Make a doll that represents protection
3. SCAPEGOAT: Identify the pain/stress/ wound/
problem that is blocking getting intention
4. Release the block through the dollmaking
5. TALISMAN: Make a doll that represents healing goal
6. INNER HEALER: Make a doll that is the inner healer
- focusing on lessons learned
In 2011 I added a fifth doll – Loving Kindness
to bring in compassion during the process

25. Represents protection,
safety, compassion, hope,
possibility and
encouragement.
Stands witness and is
always present while
dollmaker is making the
other dolls.

26. Symbolizes what is getting
in the way of the healing
goal.
May be the most important
doll in the process – opens
up the most potential for
healing.

27. Offers an opportunity to
create a balance in the story
of the pain.
Strong and powerful doll that
can pull dollmaker from the
past into the present and
future.
Symbol of healing intention.

28. An image that reminds the
dollmaker that all healing
resources are within.
Reminder that painful
experiences can offer
insight, compassion and
pathways to the imagination.

29. My intention to dark to love myself, ultimately to heal the fearful child
within.

30. I intend to focus healing energy towards the expression of my female
power, and the creation of the next phase of my life.
I believe healing for me will be about learning to trust my intuitive
more each day, and to maintain balance on this walk.

31. My focus will be on love and compassion and acceptance of
myself - especially my hurt, little girl self. I don't think I have ever
given her very much kindness. I have treated her just the way my
mother did, always disappointed, thinking that she wasn't good
enough

32. INTENTION: I want to focus my healing energies towards that frightened
little girl. Healing will mean that she will be able to come out into the
light and not give herself away piece by piece. Healing will mean that
she integrate responsibility for her OWN CARE into her life as important
and critical and learn to love herself piece by piece

41. I have been called a fearful person. I have always felt such shame
in that. And yet I have come to know that this inner world that our
group is entering so deeply, so freely, so courageously is a land that
most people, including those who have accused me, absolutely fear
to tread. I have come to know that it is ok to accept some fears in
myself and reject others as too restrictive. The fears that I can
accept have lost a great deal of their power over me. It's not that I
no longer fear bears for example, it's that I am no longer shamed by
it. The fears that I have deemed too restrictive, that interfere with
my life in a way that is not ok with me, I can work on now without
shame. The shame factor totally changes the energy of fear into a
much bigger, badder thing. A nearly impossible thing to work on.
Take away the shame and it is not such a big deal after all.
Debi K.

42. I found the artist in me, and discovered that I could do some
things that I never knew that I could do before. I found places
in me that I didn't know existed--creative places. My hands
became free to explore and discover using materials--fabrics,
paints and clays- in ways that I had only admired in others.
Working with the materials, especially the clay brought a sense
of peace. and comfort. I learned that I need a strong creative
process in my life. One that allows me to work with my hands--
engaging me physically as well as mentally. visually an outlet
that becomes a physical representation of my feelings and
emotions. When I'm done, I find I can breathe.

43. This is a very special place that Barb has created to go deeply and be held by those on a similar journey
at the same time. It is amazing what can be done on the Internet! If you have found this group you are
meant to be here".
Lisa Victoria, Australia
"Barb is a fabulous teacher who loves to share her many years of experience making whimsical and
soulful "dolls". Her doll sculpting process is a form of creative expression that engages the psyche and
brings healing and insight.“ Val Olson, Minneapolis
"She is not only unique, but compassionate, funny and knows exactly how to make learning about
yourself a fun experience!“ "Her work is archetypal and inspiring as artwork for meditation and reflection
too.“ "The workshops I took with her were life transforming.“ "She is great at encouraging others to trust
and believe in themselves."
"Her work is accessible, BEAUTIFUL and surprises viewers into their opening up and healing their own
selves."I can trace the beginning of my own career as an artist back to the day I spent with Barb in 1994,
where her intuition and creativity helped me see all the possibilities within me."
"If you have the opportunity, read through her site, she is a wealth of information and a kind, generous
soul, who really helped me learn and love more about ME. “ Sharon
"Barb is a creative genius who goes out of her way to produce innovative, quality products. I cannot say
enough for her skills and her work ethic! Her skills have helped countless people around the world."
Kelly Guinan
www.celebratingpeace.com

44. This is our answer: our language is poetry. Do you understand?
Our language is signs, symbols, sacred objects:
we are sacred people.
We have magical properties.
There are many things to be done,
people to be healed, houses to be built.
It is not a time to be together.
It is a time to be separate,
to learn what it means to be alone.
We tell you this: we are doing the impossible.
We are teaching ourselves to be human.
When we are finished,
the strands which connect us
will be unbreakable; already
we are stronger than we have ever been...
Thus we move: silently, separately;
our name is buried in various sacred spots all over the land.
We are waiting until it is safe to claim it.
Though we move silently, separate,
can you hear our joint voices singing,
singing our women's songs in ever widening circles?
Listen. We are making ready.
Hear our music across the dying land...
from Tribes by Martha Courtot, published by Pearlchild Press.