Canadian Institute for Studies and Art in Nutrition Education

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Michelle Kwan's TEDTalk at Ryerson University on Arts and Health Communications

I saw Michelle Kwan, Ryerson U graduate and soon-to-be dietetic intern at the 4th International Critical Dietetics conference in Chicago last week (www.criticaldietetics.org...in 2015 in Chester, UK) and she told me about her TEDTalk. It is inspiring! I am excited, in talking to Michelle, that she can foresee how to integrate her background in fine arts with her future work in nutrition and dietetics.

Michelle J. Kwan: How the Arts Can Enhance Health Communication
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNmunNMzybI

Some of us who were at the CD4.0 conference were talking about creating a performance presentation next year for the conference related to the as-yet-not-announced theme. If that sparks your interest and you are interested in participating, please be in touch!

Catherine/Cathy/Cath

Tuesday 12 August 2014

What are arts-based approaches to nutrition education?

Arts-based approaches to nutrition education builds on the tradition of integrating the arts into health and human services practice, research, and preparatory education. The field is vast and has the same potential for application in nutrition education.

'The arts' can refer to performatives (e.g., drama, music, film, dance, etc.), written work (e.g., creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, etc.), and presentations/shows of works that are made in 2D (paintings, murals, wall hangings, photographs, etc. ) and 3 D (sculpture, carvings, installations, woodworking, jewellery, etc.).

The arts can be used in sharing experiences (either one's own or those of a group of people), coping strategies, research findings, and for instruction or awareness raising and advocacy. These approaches might also be used to interest people in forming a community-based participatory research group.

Suggested resources are:

Arts Health Network Canada (http://artshealthnetwork.ca/)

Special Issue of Forum: Qualitative Social Research on Performative Social Science
http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/issue/view/10

International Journal of Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice (Cheryl McLean, Editor)

and Art Crossing Borders (Cheryl McLean's blog)

Cheryl is the co-editor with Robert Kelly of:

Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice (2010)

Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change
(2011)

Creative Arts in Humane Medicine (2013)

More links to come...about to board a flight to the 4th International Critical Dietetics Conference in Chicago!

Additional Salon dates?

Additional Skype Salon dates? ...this is a question I have had since launching CISANE.

Why sure - additional dates are possible!

If you have a group of colleagues who would like to arrange a Salon Series at another time than those scheduled, then please be in touch. Likewise, if you are not connected to a ready-made group, be in touch to suggest a time and I will try to accommodate you and extend the invitation to others.

In selecting the Salon dates/times, I tried to select those that would be convenient to colleagues living in different parts of the country, and those with and without children (understanding that those with young children often have Saturday activities).

I am situated in Nova Scotia so early morning in the west of Canada is midday here, so I am very open to finding times that suit those who are interested in the Salons.

Thank you for your interest.
Catherine

morley.cisane@gmail.com
902 684 0174

Friday 8 August 2014

About CISANE and the facilitator

I have been imagining CISANE for many years as a means to building and supporting a community of people interested in exploring the nature and practice of nutrition education in order to optimize counselling experiences for clients and those engaged in nutrition counselling work. My primary interests are how meanings of eating and feeding influence eating behaviour and relationships, and the potential for arts in nutrition education practice and research, and in dietetics pedagogy. These interests infuse every aspect of work that I do related to nutrition education.

Throughout my career, I have worked as a clinical dietitian, a clinical nutrition manager, in public health, and as a nutrition education consultant to NGOs, professional associations, health authorities, and governments. I now have a faculty appointment at Acadia University. I qualified as a dietitian with an Nutrition degree from the University of Guelph, and a Dietetic Internship at Vancouver General Hospital. I hold a Masters degree in Adult Education (UBC), a PhD in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies/Educational Research (University of Calgary), and a diploma in Textile Arts and a certificate in Documentary Film (Capilano University).

Where it all started…

Having had little instruction or role modeling on how to approach nutrition counselling/education in my own training, when I started practicing as a clinical dietitian, I did what I thought I was supposed to do – I provided basic nutrition information and practical ‘tips’ with little attention to the relevance of this information for the people who sought my advice or who had been referred to me. All the while, I felt that this approach wasn’t really meeting client needs ...but I did not know what else to do.

The inspiration for my doctoral studies was my sense of ‘I am not being effective - I have to learn how to do this job better’. I had not understood at the time that what had seemed to me as ‘odd’ or confusing comments and questions from clients and their family members were the results of their efforts to sort through dietary cacophony (Fischler, 1993), the contradicting and confusing messages about food and eating, and how their changed health status had affected their relationships with and through food.

The Organizational Framework for Exploring Nutrition Narratives© emerged from my doctoral studies; it is a way of thinking about the purpose of and how to approach nutrition education that I have since integrated into my work in counselling, research, and teaching, and that is the foundation for the Salon Series on Developing Comfort with Nutrition Counselling.

Why art school?
I did the Textile Arts program at Capilano University in North Vancouver for fun (because I was bored with the fabrics that were commercially available for sewing projects) and I wanted to explore another of my interests (as I had worked in dietetics for a long while). I did the Documentary Film program to learn how to use film to extend the reach of research findings, that is, to get nutrition education research findings to the public more readily so that they could apply them in their own lives. While engaged in these studies (2007-2010) I stumbled onto the possibilities that exist to use the arts in health and nutrition practice, education, and research, and the wonderful organizations that had been promoting these ideas for decades (e.g., Global Alliance for Arts and Health; Arts Health Canada).

Vision for CISANE:
The vision is that CISANE will serve to connect dietitians and others working in human services who are interested in studying and advancing the practice of nutrition counselling and education, and the use of the arts in these endeavours. The first offering in Fall 2014 will focus on nutrition counselling skills development. Future plans are to offer opportunities to explore arts-based approaches in nutrition education, and to create works with and for the public.

Catherine Morley, PhD, PDt, FDC
morley.cisane@gmail.com
902 684 0174

Announcing the launch of CISANE

I am delighted to announce the launch of the Canadian Institute for Studies and Art in Nutrition Education (CISANE), an organization I have long-imagined as a means to support dietitians and others interested in exploring the nature and practice of nutrition education in order to optimize counselling experiences for clients and those engaged in nutrition counselling work.

Catherine Morley, PhD, PDt, FDC

Director/Founder, CISANE

CISANE’s Misson:

CISANE exists to support and encourage exploration of the nature and purpose of, approaches to, and the use the arts in nutrition education.

Announcing CISANE's first Skype Salon Series on

Developing Comfort with Nutrition Counselling

Facilitator: Catherine Morley, PhD, PDt, FDC

Educator, practitioner-researcher, writer, editor, filmmaker, textilian

Dates (Fall 2014):

Tuesdays 4-6 pm Atlantic time:
Series 1 (T1): September 9, 16, 30
Series 2 (T2): October 7, 14, 28
Series 3 (T3): November 11, 18, and December 2

Saturdays 130-330 pm Atlantic time:
Series 1 (S1): September 6, 13, 27
Series 2 (S2): October 18, 25 and November 8
Series 3 (S3): November 22, 29 and December 13

Fees:
Launch Special Rate (Fall 2014):
Practicing Dietitians: $165.00 for three sessions
Dietetic interns/students/unwaged: $65.00 for three sessions

About the Nutrition Counselling Skills Salon Series:
The primary target group for the Salon Series is dietitians who may be wondering about the conversations and issues that arise during nutrition counselling sessions (typically, NOT about the body, how it uses food, and nutrient information) and who have experienced the limits to focusing on changing eating behaviour as the counselling outcome.

The Salon Series consists of 3 two-hour Skype sessions during which a maximum of six participants from different parts of Canada (and perhaps beyond?), and with different types and amounts of experience will connect and learn together. The intent of the Salon sessions is to create a community of practitioners who ‘speak the same language’ related to nutrition education and counselling work.

During the Salon sessions, participants will explore ways to interpret nutrition narratives with the view to offering whatever help will help – whatever is consistent with a client’s learning and support needs at the time and place they are at. Participants will explore the notion that people seek nutrition information and advice for a myriad of reasons, not always to change eating behaviour.

Sessions:
Salon 1: Participants will be oriented to and discuss synthesis of three conceptual frameworks (ways of thinking) developed to help nutrition educator/counsellors interpret clients’ nutrition narratives.

When applied, the frameworks serve to focus counselling and education efforts to optimize relevance and effectiveness.

Salon 2: Participants will deconstruct sample narratives and discuss questions arising.

During Week 3, there will not be a Skype Salon. Instead, during this week to prepare for Salon 3, participants will apply the conceptual frameworks in practice.

Salon 3: Participants will share their experiences applying the frameworks.

See Post on Background on CISANE and the facilitator for more information.

To register for a Salon Series:
1. Send an email to morley.cisane@gmail.com containing the following information:

Name:

Address:

Telephone(s):

Email address:

Area of practice:

Series code (e.g., S1 for the Saturday sessions offered in September)
Note: Should a series be full, provide 2nd choice series.

2. Click on the appropriate button below to pay fees via PayPal.

When your registration and fees are processed, you will receive an email confirmation with instructions for participating in the Salon Series and background materials.

Questions? Contact Catherine at morley.cisane@gmail.com or 902 684 0174.