Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 33

Toys, Films Capture Becker Aft Fancy By Helen Haggle The door is a bit stubborn and the stairs are narrow and steep. But the effort is worthwhile, for awaits the visitors at 228So. llth. The light, "airy and spacious rooms at the top of the stairs comprise the studio of Shelley Becker, which she shares with Rod Lamberson. There Ms.

Becker and Lamberson, who also teaches architecture at the University of wooden toys under the trade name of The Cat and the Fiddle. But that's'not all Ms. Becker does. She also is a free-lance designer and illustrator under the name of Rainbow Studio. All Facets And even critics admit she is good at these and other facets of art.

"I have been interested in art since my first conscious moment," Ms. Becker said. "I was drawing before I started to school. I really don't know where I got the idea of being an artist My parents may have reinforced the thought." As for The Cat and the Fiddle toys, they came about after she and Lamberson talked about it years ago. She said the toys with drawings are hers; those without are Lamberson's.

"When we took them to Sheldon Art Gallery, they (the Sheldon staff), said we could put them in the art shop there," she said. They did and things began to roll. Since that time, the toys have been exhibited in art fairs in Kansas City and St. Paul, winning honorable mention at the latter. Often the wooden toys are purchased as art objects, Ms.

Becker said. She said that in addition to the mass-produced figures, some are custom work ordered by persons who want individual styles. Ms. Becker, who works many long hours at her job, stressed that one of the most difficult things for young artists to do is to start earning an income. "I always have commercial work fo do, and, after all, I am in the design and: illustration business for the money.

It's how I make my living. The toys do not make money." She blames the lack of profit on the toys' high costs. "Labor is expensive," she said. "We have people working for us, cutting, sanding and assembling. Then, too, materials, printing and other overhead expenses are very high." Though other people help with the toys, Ms.

Becker and Lamberson do most of the work. She is as adept with the electric power saw and drill used to make the toys as she is with her pencils and colors. "It's really not that hard once you get used to it. But Rod usually does the machine work," she said. A native of Lincoln, she has her bachelor of fine arts from UNL where she was most interested in lithography and printmaking.

During her college years, one of her drawings was in a student traveling show sent to colleges and universities in other states. She also is represented in the Sheldon Art Gallery print collections. Design Teacher Since her graduation in 1973, Ms. Becker has taught one semester of design and graphic design at the University as a visiting instructor. Another facet of her art interests is making animated films, and she has spent some time in Los Angeles and New York City visiting animation studios.

What about painting? "I really am not a painter. I am more interested in drawing and design. But I won't say I will never change," she said, smiling. Shelley Becker (above) draws the personality of one of her toy creations. She and business partner Rod Lamberson found toy making was a creative and unique art form.

Most of their toys are made of wood (far left), but some, like this cloth doll (left), are silk-screened and stuffed. January 25, 1976, Lincoln, Neb. ID Brief Therapy Dares Adolescent to Do Good By Linda Ulricn Coordinator Dorothy Walker Suppose a child is suspended from school. If the parents don't know what to do, professional counselors might. Since adolescence is a time to push against authoritarian figures and structures, a therapist reasons, why not use that rebellion, redirecting it to be positive and useful rather than destructive and demoralizing? Thus, the therapist's approach is to ask the child if he or she wants to let the principal get away with thinking the child "doesn't have the stuff" to stay in school.

The principal doesn't think the child has the initiative, the academic intelligence and the seriousness of purpose to stay in school. "Are you going to let the principal get away with thinking that?" the therapist asks. Positive Rebellion And the child satisfies his need to rebel, getting back at the principal by following through on assignments. That's one example of how brief therapy, which is being used as a demonstration research-service project at Lincoln's Child Guidance Center, can work in real-life situations, According to Dorothy Walker, project coordinator, and Dr. Burt Zung, one of the therapists working with the project.

Brief therapy is a time-limited modality of therapy designed to rapidly resolve family problems. Created by a group of psychoanalytically trained psychotherapists at Palo Alto, brief therapy is "radically different from what is usually done in therapy," Ms. Walker said. Unique Plan And she believes the treatment is not being used anywhere else in the Midwest. Because it is short-term and time-limited, people know how long they're going to be involved in therapy when they come, she said.

"Because of the shorter period of time, clients work harder and we (therapists) also work harder." Ms. Walker thinks brief therapy is a good alternative to more traditional kinds of therapy. She said it has the potential to save clients money by enabling them to make change more efficiently. The initial focus is on "concrete behavioral things," Zung said. "The overriding question is 'how does the problem interfere with day-to-day Small Changes And there are premises, he continued.

The first is that "you don't need to change a person's character instead concentrate on small changes." Another premise is that there is no truth only points of view, Ms. Walker said. "While the client and therapist might have differing points of view, no one is right or wrong." And, "we assume most goals are reasonable ones," she said. Adverse Feelings In addition, this mode of treatment takes into account the adverse attitudes and doubts people may have about counseling. And "we use the resistance toward change to change," Zung explained.

Brief therapy works this way: A team of two therapists works with the family. One interacts with the client or clients while the other observes what is happening through a one-way mirror, outside the observation room. The therapists use telephones so the therapist acting as the "auxiliary eye" can call in and share his other perceptions of what is happening, the sessions are taped and the therapists review their notes and audio tapes after the session, a timesaving feature of the therapy. Family Sessions The therapists ask as many family members as possible to attend the first session, and the most influential person or persons are asked to attend subsequent ones. After hearing the clients' points of view of the problem, the therapists try to clarify for them what the problem is and how it might best be dealt with.

The therapy may include specific "homework assignments." The procedure is explained in advance to the clients and thus far, "it has been received fairly positively," Ms. Walker said. In addition to Ms. Walker and Zung, the brief therapy team includes Shirley Rold, Maureen Valkenaar and Reid Held. If the project results are positive enough, Ms.

Walker hopes it will be incorporated into counseling programs at various community agencies throughout the city. STAFF PHOTOS BY HARALD DREIMANlS Therapist Dr, Burt Zung.