A Compassionate Healer Advocating Art Journaling
Sherry Lou Canino is a Holistic Trauma Healer, coach, and writer who is working towards helping people heal from narcissistic abuse, amongst other issues. An author of the books “The Silent Abuse” and ” Reclaiming Your Life”, a step by step guide to healing from Narcissistic Abuse, she is empowering survivors by writing and coaching.
Born and raised in Baldwinsville, Central New York, Sherry was the youngest of her eight siblings. She earned her degree in accounting, and for the next 20 years, she found her expertise in the same field. Simultaneously, her passion led her to run a successful art business, which even earned her recognition in Syracuse Women’s Magazine.
With her venture, she also facilitated art therapy groups for individuals with eating disorders, a cause which she always wanted to work towards. Eventually, she relocated to Hurley, South Dakota, a town with a population of around 500. She lives a tranquil life there with her three horses and a pug. Currently, she is working as a Holistic Trauma Healer, with her main focus on supporting survivors of narcissistic abuse. This came straight from the heart as using her journey as fuel; she is healing others who had to deal with narcissistic abuse. She has made it her life’s mission to raise awareness for this cause and is also developing online courses for the same, with a main focus on those raised by narcissistic parents. She has also written the book ‘The Silent Abuse’, which is a memoir of her journey from childhood to healing from Narcissistic Abuse.
Sherry is also an ardent advocate of art journaling, which she feels is a transformative tool that can be used as a channel for expression, self-discovery, and empowerment. Art has been touted as a source of emotional and psychological healing. People who have trouble expressing their innate thoughts and feelings often find it very difficult to communicate verbally and let go of emotions.
She stands out among other coaches in that she doesn’t use one healing modality. She says, “In my 12-week healing program called “Rebranding of Self” ©️, I don’t just use talk therapy, I use art therapy, energy work, compassion statements and somatic healing. This is very unique to other programs that solely focus on one healing modality and most are focused on talk therapy that often keeps survivors in a loop of re-traumatization and not being able to heal. Many people have approached me through social media and clients have said other coaches don’t have much to offer and they got nothing out of their sessions.”
She has spent the past 2 years studying nothing but narcissistic abuse, and she continues to keep studying and taking courses to help her clients better. Also, unlike other online coaches, she practices “holistically” treating the mind and body as a whole and, therefore, helping clients connect physical symptoms to their emotional traumas. She recently completed the online class called the “root cause” (which is meant for practitioners )by Tracey Stevens and and incorporated some of her techniques into her practice.
Art journaling is basically, as the name suggests, a form of self-expression where anyone can write, draw, paint or even make collages that come from their heart. It’s about filling the pages of a journal and not focusing on making a perfect art piece but rather putting a piece of the self on the paper. This creates a powerful medium to express unheard or unacknowledged feelings and put them out in the open without fearing judgment. Sherry describes this as a private sanctuary where you can scribble, tear, paint over your feelings, or let your emotions flow without constraints.
In a study by Newman, researchers divided the participants into two groups who were given the hepatitis vaccine along with two booster shots. One group had to write their daily events, while the other group had to journal their feelings, traumas, and impactful incidences. It was found that the group that journaled showed that the participants had higher antibody levels and a better immune system.
Sherry’s own inclination towards art journaling started during her healing journey. Growing up with a narcissistic mother and then receiving narcissistic abuse in relationships, she always struggled to find her voice and footing. When she turned to art, she found a release and a safe space to pour her emotions without hesitation.
Sherry feels that the regular tools of expression don’t cut through for abuse victims as they often feel voiceless. But art journaling gives them a space to paint out their inner feelings and reconnect with themselves in a very positive way devoid of any judgment.
The question then arises: can people who feel that they are not artists or are artistic in any manner seek help through art journaling? In this case, Sherry suggests the easiest thing to do is ‘Just begin’. She feels that the journal does not have to seek perfection; rather, it should become an effective tool to reclaim one’s voice and power. In retrospect, many victims feel that this creative outlet has become more of a lifeline and a tranquil sanctuary where they feel empowered and heard.
She regularly conducts workshops and coaching, which she feels has had a very big impact on trauma survivors. Through her workshops, she has seen clients who have never picked up a paintbrush in their lives actually paint something meaningful to them, which has created a lasting impact on their emotional well-being.
Now, Sherry is in the process of developing online courses in which art journaling is the highlight, coupled with holistic trauma-healing techniques. She wants to advocate this far and wide and make it accessible to survivors around the globe.
