We want to see children totally healed from mental illness, trauma and mood disorders.
We want children surrounded by joyful community, safe people who are glad to be with them, even in their pain while expecting imminent victory.
We need people who will protect joy as well as promote play and other skills that build relational joy and better connection.
We want children to have ways to express and effectively work through pain.
We want children to live abundant, thriving, connected and joyful lives!
Some of the traditional therapies for childhood trauma, mental illness and stress are cognitive behavior therapy, play therapy and medication.
Cognitive behavior therapy is reported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as the most effective way to treat children with PTSD. In this therapy the child recalls and talks about the trauma. It aims to reduce fear and other hindering belief systems.
Play therapy offers an alternative to cognitive therapy and is especially useful for younger children who have difficulty processing directly. Having another “language” available that has more fluidity in the pain zones of our memories is useful for expressing things that words can’t. That language could be play, art, music, dance or movement.
The American Dance Therapy Association, established in 1966, defines dance/movement therapy as the, “use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration of the individual.” DMT, Dance/Movement Therapy, empowers people to express feelings nonverbally.
Flagging can be a Type of Dance / Movement Therapy and a Way to Build Joy.
Flagging is a language that enables us to communicate conscious and subconscious feelings. It can help us unlock things that we feel inside that we may not have words for or even consciously know about. As we unlock those things we may feel relief. Try asking yourself a question when you’re not sure what you’re feeling and flag it out. You may notice your body has something to say, and as it says it through motion, that tension is released.
Flagging is about motion, movement and sometimes playful expression. It is the song of your body, the words of your child’s heart, the dance of your gestures and the story untold. What would you ask your JOYA flag? What is the movement it would reveal?
The color for National Childhood Mental Awareness month is bright green. Purchase a light green flag directly from our store.
 Wilder, E. James, Khouri, E. M., Coursey, C. M., & Sutton, S. D. (2014) Joy Starts Here. East Peoria, IL: Shepherd’s House Inc., p.7.
 Mona Martin, Christian Dance Academy (Search Facebook, “Christian Dance Academy” or, “Mona Martin”). Interviewed 10/19/2016.
Annemarie loves interior design and learning new things she can build with her hands. She is an avid entrepreneur and writer living in Redding, CA.