Unlock Your Creative Potential with Expressive Arts Therapy.
Are you seeking a therapy experience that goes beyond traditional talk therapy?
If you’re all talked out, having a hard time identifying and talking about your emotions, or feeling overwhelmed by your thoughts and inner world, Expressive Arts Therapy can help.
What is Expressive Arts Therapy?
Expressive Arts Therapy is an integrative and person-centered form of therapy that encourages self-expression through various art modalities, such as:
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This approach involves utilizing the visual arts—such as drawing, painting, collaging and sculpting—to work through emotions, thoughts, or experiences. The four main elements of therapeutic visual arts are expression, imagination, active participation, and mind-body connection. Engaging in artistic exploration offers clients a safe space to manifest their inner landscape through images, colors, and textures, revealing unseen connections and fostering a tangible sense of personal empowerment. This process allows clients to externalize their feelings, gain new perspectives, and transform their inner world into tangible works of art.
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This type of therapy involves utilizing physical movement and dance to help people cope with trauma, anxiety and stress. It uses primarily nonverbal communication and somatic awareness to restore/deepen mind/body connection and embodied healing
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Melodic vibrations resonate within the soul, igniting the power of healing through music therapy. Using rhythm, tone, and melody, music therapists guide clients on a journey of self-discovery (ie: listening to music, creating playlists, read/writing lyrics, etc), allowing them to explore and modulate their inner emotional states. Just as different rhythms evoke distinct moods, music serves as a mirror for clients to identify, process, and manage their inner vibes, offering solace, release, and connection in a way that transcends words.
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Through the lens of a camera, individuals embark on a visual journey that transcends words. Phototherapy offers a medium for clients to capture their experiences, emotions, and narratives, enabling them to explore and express their innermost thoughts. By curating personal images and reflecting on family photos and other visual material, individuals gain insight, create meaning, and construct a coherent narrative of their lives, fostering deep self-awareness and emotional growth.
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Through the art of play and pretend, clients gain more perspective to their current situation by using their own real-life experiences to practice new and more effective roles and behaviors.
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Among the expressive arts, poetry stands as an enigmatic catalyst. Through its lyrical essence, poetry unlocks the profound connection between language, emotions, and the human experience. By composing verses that encapsulate their innermost thoughts and feelings, writing in a journal about their life or composing fictional stories - individuals harness the transformative power of poetic expression. Poetry offers a medium to explore the labyrinthine depths of one's psyche, giving shape to abstract emotions, and fostering self-reflection and introspection.
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Words possess profound therapeutic potential, and bibliotherapy harnesses the innate power of literature to curate one's inner vibes. By engaging with carefully selected books, clients immerse themselves in narratives that mirror their experiences, providing solace, guidance, and companionship. As clients relate to characters and their journeys, they gain insights, perspectives, and tools to navigate their own personal challenges and conflicts, nurturing growth and fostering a deeper understanding of self.
Expressive arts therapy bridges the gap between the conscious and the unconscious mind.
Unresolved emotions lead to unhealthy behaviors and shape our actions, often without awareness. These patterns become habits that define how we interact with our environment. EXA helps us explore our psyche, understand our repeated patterns, and develop coping strategies through creative activation.
What does an EXA session look like?
During an expressive arts therapy session, clients actively engage in art-making or other creative processes to help deepen their self-awareness and identify hidden inner resources that can be drawn upon during challenging times.
No talent or experience in the use of expressive arts is required. Some techniques or activities may include:
Looking at, posing for and taking photos & portraits
Journaling, Poem Writing & Reading
Songwriting, listening to music, creating playlists & reading lyrics
Art journaling, Zine Making & Altered Bookmaking
Role-playing & Improvisation
Collage-making & Mosaic Painting
Filmmaking or watching movies & relevant shows
Sketching & coloring
Benefits of Expressive Arts Therapy
Self-exploration and expression | Tapping into resiliency | Creative coping mechanisms | Reducing Stress and Anxiety Levels | Improved communication | Enhanced social skills | Release & process stored trauma | Identify blocks | Unearth other subconscious material | Externalize challenges | A sense of control during transitions | Awaken imagination | Sparks creative process & inner artist identity | Self-regulation and Grounding Skills
Check out this article for more info on the benefits of EXA.
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If you are currently or have ever experienced the following, then Expressive Arts Therapy might be a great fit for you:
fear of the unknown, have attachments to how things should be and feel anxiety and control come up when things don’t go according to plan.
that things are falling apart and that you are deeply ungrounded
a deep attachment to “should” surrounding your timing, your path, your process, how life “should” look and experience impact when things unfold otherwise. Or you look at life circumstances outside of your control and/or are unexpected are something to fear, a threat to your life, your wellbeing, your plan.
challenging family dynamics and chronically unfulfilling relationships
feelings around not being enough and struggling with self-compassion and self-care
stuck in old behavior patterns, reactions, beliefs, thoughts that are impacting you in the present
feeling that something is missing, unfulfilled or feelings of being lost, alone, or desperately wanting something different.,
a lack of deep inner knowing and connection to self, others, to your passion, your path and your purpose
Identity of being highly sensitive, an empath, or a healer, and experience the challenges associated with that such as depletion, burnout, and carrying others energy.
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Expressive Arts does not use psychological frameworks to interpret artwork. Instead we stay grounded in the present moment noticing what is occurring in the lived space. We pay close attention to the artwork, sensations, emotions, thoughts, and reactions that are happening as we engage in the space together. From this perspective we identify resources that you can apply back into your everyday life.
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Not at all! Everyone is invited, all that you need is a willingness to engage with your creativity. No prior experience or fancy art supplies are necessary – just an open mind, an open heart and a willingness to really show up as yourself, explore the world and share your thoughts, feelings and stories.
FAQs
Ready to get started?
Drop me a note to schedule your free 20-minute phone consultation and learn if my approach could be a good fit for you and your goals. Or if you have any questions, feel free to drop them here as well!
* Please Note: This contact form is not designed for crisis or immediate services. If you are currently experiencing a psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room. Otherwise, I will get back to you within 24-48 hours.