For New Iowa City Business, Creative Arts and Tapping a Means to Personal Transformation

A new Iowa City business will offer workshops in tapping and creative arts as a means to unleash the mind's power for personal transformation.

The business is called Creative Transformations: Integrated Approaches to Healing and is based in the Washington Street Wellness Center, 505 E Washington St.

"Megan and I are both really creative people, in visual arts, both long-time journalers," said Angela Amias, a co-owner. "We realized in grad school these creative outlets were great for coping with stress, school, family. We liked energy and synergy from the group dynamic."

Amias is opening the business with long-time friend Megan Matthews. They each are psychotherapists and have private counseling practices. The focus of Creative Transformation will be group sessions.

The first endeavor will be a workshop called Visual Journaling, which runs weekly for six weeks beginning on Sept. 20. These "transformational workshops," also including visioning, creative journaling and creative visualization, are in group settings.

Creative arts allows people to dive deep in their minds and discover feelings and thoughts that they otherwise might not be able to get at when using words.

"It is really surprising to us how visual journaling by passes the logical part of the brain to get at deeper issues you may not have been thinking about," Amias said.

The workshops are "pro-active" sessions for anybody. The purpose is promoting health rather than curing illness.

"Everyone needs skills to learn about themselves and reduce stress," Matthews said.

A second pillar of the business is a technique called Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT. Some people also know this as tapping or acupuncture without needles.

Also in a group setting, participants tap on pressure points as a way to promote healing.