Hello, folks!  We’ve had a good week here at common art and Boston Warm, so let me catch you up!

The card game Uno has been a big hit on Fridays at Boston Warm.  For several Fridays in a row, we’ve had two large groups playing during the entire program time . Now, you might be thinking, “Alex, aren’t you an art-therapy intern?  Why are you updating us on card games that are getting played?”

See, on the surface, Uno is just a fun card game.  There are, however, a lot of therapeutic insights and benefits that can arise from playing it in a community setting such as Boston Warm. In fact, many therapists use Uno in their own clinical practice to build a strong client-therapist rapport while also helping individuals strengthen their interpersonal-communication skills and develop a higher frustration tolerance (among other coping skills). Each week, as I play a hand or two, I notice these skills developing and strengthening among members, one “Draw 2” at a time.

This game demonstrates community building in action. Each week new connections are being made, new friendships are forming, and (dare I say) joy is spreading. When you are not at the Uno tables, the laughter and lively banter emanating from them is infectious. Last Friday, many members who were not playing gathered around the table to watch a game and join in on the friendly smack-talk and inside jokes. It’s been wonderful to see something so simple as a card game bring so much meaning and fun to our Friday mornings at Boston Warm.

That’s all for this week, but stay tuned for next Wednesday, when I will facilitate my first session in an 8-week art-therapy group! I am excited to share more about the process and progress with you all soon.

–Alex Shoemaker