Clear Seeing

As the Local Recovery Coordinator and Clinical Psychologist within the Salem VA Health Care System, I have an opportunity to support Veterans in the process of recovery through the therapeutic benefits of photography. Through the process of picture taking, Veterans gain experience more fully connecting with both their internal and external worlds. The application of mindfulness to the art of photography fosters “clear seeing.” This allows the ordinary to become extraordinary as one slows down and has the opportunity to “see” things that are missed when not connected to oneself and the environment. As an individual in recovery from mental health struggles, I complete assignments alongside the Veterans I serve. The sharing of my own experience of recovery through photography offers hope for what is possible. Instead of avoiding my internal world, I now approach this realm with curiosity, acceptance, and gratitude. Likewise, the disconnect felt in relationship to my external world has been replaced by “clear seeing” and the many gifts that come from mindfulness of the otherwise ordinary. These are samples of photographs that illustrate my experience of fully showing up to the world around me. They were taken on a Galaxy S20 FE phone.