Let Your Pen Soothe Your Soul - Vol. 5

Mental Health Awareness Month serves as an annual reminder of the importance of nurturing our mental well-being and brings it to the forefront of our collective consciousness. However, the journey cannot be confined to a mere thirty-one days of focus. Our mental health is a fundamental part of who we are and deserves care and attention all year long. Bijou, and all of us at ZHQ, encourage you to continue to nurture and care for you!

As we wrap up Bijou Be Well 2025, we have two more stories from our CZTs to share. Today we hear from, Judith Adriaanse and Pamela Atwood, who each make a big impact by sharing the Zentangle Method. Enjoy!

Judith Adriaanse writes...

As a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT), I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how the Zentangle Method can support mental health.

Personally, it helped me to embrace a step-by-step approach during a particularly challenging period of my life. I was a single mother, self-employed, and suffering from a frozen shoulder—which meant I couldn’t even dress myself and was in constant pain. By slowing down and taking things one step at a time, I was able to recover, both physically and mentally. As a gift to myself, I attended the CZT seminar for my birthday—truly the best present I’ve ever received!

Since then, Zentangle has become the focus of my work. I’ve been teaching groups since I became certified in 2022. Before that, I taught art in schools and at local festivals, but nowadays I work with companies and in healthcare settings—such as Art on Prescription. Here in the Netherlands, we have a government-supported program called Kunst op Recept (Art on Prescription). Through this program, general practitioners refer people to me, and I work with them in small groups using the Zentangle Method. One of the most touching stories is about a young woman who struggled with suicidal thoughts. Through Zentangle, she rediscovered her passion for creativity and is now able to reconnect with her family.

Everyone who participates experiences something meaningful—whether it’s simply a moment of calm or a deeper transformation, as they begin to view life one step at a time. Each session is a unique and powerful experience.

(Photos by @DanielleBooneFotografie)

Pamela Atwood writes...

People can find the zen in tangling when they find it no where else in their lives. As a psychotherapist and neurocognitive disorders specialist AND a CZT, I can tell you clinically that Zentangles helps my clients. In therapy, we encourage clients to utilize positive coping strategies to ease the symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and other kinds of emotionally distressing experiences. I have so many stories that demonstrate the symptom improvements using Zentangles. I use this method in therapy practice. One client was so haunted by her traumatic experiences that we needed to do sessions sitting on the ground. She found profound relief during the times she could focus, one stroke at a time, on Zentangles. I also used the method this week with a couple I work with; in addition to his fronto-temporal dementia, the wife's caregiving stresses were increased by the death of their son-in-law and the health of their daughter who is now hospitalized; and that the wife fell down several steps (74 years old) the day before our session. Through tears and "I just don't know how much more I can take," I gently asked for some plain paper, any old pen and a pencil. I didn't share the greater concepts. I just let the process wash over her. Having never tangled before, she found she could calm herself making orbs and Bijou and Crescent moons. And she found a way for her husband to channel his intense OCD. The entire house was calm, "for the first time in weeks" she said.

Breathe. It's the first step to mental health. It's also essential in Zentangle method. The dots and string are a grounding strategy that give us a core focus for our strokes. Art used in mental health counseling helps a client experience the process ~ and with ZT the product is beautiful also. But it's not just good for the clients. As I also find the zen while supporting my clients, I decided to share the method with counselors at the CT Counseling Association Conference. Self-care is essential for people with risk of vicarious trauma. Zentangles helps us disconnect, yet stay grounded. I'm so grateful to share this method and all of the therapeutic ways it enhances mental well-being.

Thank you to all of our CZTs who spread the power of the Zentangle Method. This month, and every month, we send our gratitude and appreciation for all that you do.

And thank you for joining us on this 21-day tangling journey! All of us at ZHQ send our gratitude and appreciation to you, as well!

Be Well, Be You, Bijou