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Expressive Arts Therapy
Sometimes using our artistic creativity can also help us approach challenges in life creatively. Expressive arts therapy uses art-making in a therapeutic setting to help foster insight, self-expression, personal growth, and healing.
I use expressive arts with clients when I believe it may help deepen or broaden their experience in a counseling session, and when the client is interested in doing so. Perhaps a client has difficulty putting something into words, struggles with perfectionism or self-criticism, or has doubts or fears around trying something new. An opportunity to experiment and play with painting, drawing, collage, free-writing, poetry, movement, or sound can give clients a new perspective on their situations, and perhaps even a new perspective on themselves.
Some of us may feel a little nervous about the idea of art-making, especially in the presence of someone else. Many of us have received a lot of messages throughout our lives about whether we’re “good at” art or whether art-making has any value in the first place. Let’s clear up a few misconceptions.
You do not have to be “good at” art in or have formal artistic training in order to engage in expressive arts.
Art-making is for everyone. Yes, even you. Even if you’ve been told you’re “not creative” or think you’re “bad at” painting. Even if you haven’t touched so much as a crayon in decades or the thought of writing a poem makes you squirm. All you need is an open mind and willingness to try. Art-making is for everyone.
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Expressive arts therapy is not about a therapist judging, analyzing, or interpreting your art for you.
It’s about what your creations mean to you. Sometimes your art’s meaning may be profound and clear as day to you; at other times it may be confusing, may evolve over time, or may seem downright absent. All of that is completely okay, because it’s yours. My job as an expressive arts therapist is to help you approach art-making with openness, curiosity, non-judgment, and perhaps even playfulness. You may just find that you start to bring these qualities into other areas of your life, as well.
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Expressive arts therapy is not about ending up with a product that is “pretty” or “good.”
It’s about the process of creating. The thoughts, feelings, and sensations we experience as we engage in art-making can be inherently therapeutic. Whether the end result is something you want to keep forever or something you want to toss in the trash, you can gain a lot by simply paying attention to how it feels to make it and what your art work has to say.
Photo by Trust "Tru" Katsande on Unsplash