I had the privilege to meet a client I had been working with for about a year, in person, for the first time since the pandemic started. I decided to bring the touchstone activity into our space to help break the ice of working together in person. It truly was such a beautiful moment to be in the room together with art supplies, the touchstones, and my client got to play some of her favorite music as we created together.

Over the last year, we had been working through the tragic loss of her brother, moving through a lot of grief. The day we met in person happened to be just a month before his birthday. She had been moving around, trying to find another space that could feel like home. In the process of creating the touchstones together, she decided to create one with his name on it while I created one with the drawing of a home, to gift to her at the end of the session. We collaborated together to create physical reminders that no matter where she goes she has her brother with her, and she gets to create the home that she wants for herself with his memory.

What was initially supposed to be an ice breaker activity turned into a deeply important day of healing. As months have gone by she still keeps the touchstones with her.