#168 Hoarding, healing, and the art of kintsugi with Dr Jan Eppingstall of Stuffology

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Today, I'm with Dr Jan Eppingstall, a Melbourne-based counsellor, about the fascinating art of kintsugi and how it connects with hoarding and trauma recovery. We explore how this Japanese tradition of mending broken pottery with gold has lessons for us about the therapeutic journey and the beauty in imperfection. We also discuss how these concepts apply to overcoming perfectionism in hoarding and highlight the empowering process of creating, destroying, and rebuilding.

• Introduction to Kintsugi and Dr. Jan Eppingstall
• Explanation of kintsugi as a Japanese art form of repairing objects with gold.
• Kintsugi and the connection to recovery from trauma.
• Kintsugi as a Metaphor for Healing
• Importance of acknowledging the process of healing without oversimplification.
• Reference to Amy Price's article about kintsugi symbolising care and time.
• Discussion of Tomas Navarro's book and the importance of action in healing.
• Psychological and Therapeutic Implications
• Metaphor in therapy for expressing complex emotions.
• Application of kintsugi philosophy in mental health contexts, including trauma recovery.
• Relation to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), acceptance, and resilience.
• The real-life application of acceptance and self-compassion.
• Creation, Destruction, and Rebuilding
• Create, destroy and recreate art as part of personal healing.
• Parallel with kintsugi in wabi sabi / finding beauty in imperfection.
• Personal Empowerment and Resilience
• Empowerment through courage and resilience using scars as a metaphor.
• Resonance with Leonard Cohen
• Idea of imperfection as a means for transformation.
• Contrasts with Modern Consumerism
• Kintsugi and wabi sabi's focus on the beauty of imperfection and impermanence.
• Reference to Beth Kempton's book on creating serene, beautiful spaces.
• Addressing Perfectionism and Hoarding
• Application of kintsugi principles to address perfectionism in hoarding.
• Exploration of creating, destroying, and rebuilding as a therapeutic exercise.
• "Wreck This Journal" to overcome artistic perfectionism.