EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPY
“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily lifes off our souls” ~ Pablo Picasso
Juggling with careers and personal lives has made us lose the connection with our souls. To be satisfied and content with ourselves in this fast-paced world, it becomes more important to build a deeper connection with ourselves and Expressive Arts Therapy helps us to do so.
What is Expressive Arts Therapy (and What it is not)?
Human beings are creative beings. In therapy, engaging in creative expression can lead the way to unravel the transformative power of the Arts that we hold deep within our core.
Whether it is creating art or just observing it, both can be therapeutic. You do not need to know any of these mediums to experience the benefits of expressive Art Therapy. You can experience the therapeutic benefits of art from the comfort of your home but many times guidance and support are all we need in our mental well-being journey.
Expressive Arts Therapy can include:
- poetry/creative writing,
- Moving, dancing/movement
- drama,
- painting, sculpting,
- playing musical instrument
- water play and sand-tray
It’s about expressing the emotions/feelings we hold inside us but are unfamiliar with and thereafter healing ourselves.
Can Expressive arts therapy be provided Online? Therapy is great and gives out amazing results but sometimes experiences can be hard to talk about or describe.
Curious about what happens in an Online Therapy session? Check out more about it here
Conditions treated with Expressive Arts Therapy
Expressive arts therapy is used as a part of the treatment strategy for a large array of behavioural, emotional, and mental health conditions.
These include:
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity
- Developmental disabilities
- Eating disorders
- Traumatic brain injury
- High levels of stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Post Traumatic stress
- Chronic medical illnesses
- Social challenges and many more…
Benefits of Expressive Arts Therapy
Expressive arts therapy is efficient because it revolves around curing mental health issues through its process of creating/observing art forms rather than beautifying the outcome.
Its core points of focus are self-exploration and creation. People have the opportunity to explore themselves differently, and recapitulate their past, and working together with your expressive arts therapist also helps in the faster resolution of conflicts.
“The field of expressive arts is closely tied to the work of therapeutic change. As well as being beneficial for the individual or small group, expressive arts therapy has the potential for a much wider impact, to inspire social action and bring about social change.” – Art In Action: Expressive Arts Therapy and Social Change by Ellen G. Levine, Stephen K. Levine
1. Self-Awareness
Because art comes from a deep emotional place inside you, creative endeavors enable you to undergo a profound process of self-discovery and understanding.
2. Emotional well-being
Expressive Arts Therapy involves the creation of different art forms while exploring our inner and outer worlds through multiple senses. The outcome of the art forms is used to analyze and reflect upon your problems.
It helps you to familiarise yourself with your emotional blocks/ problems which were not previously available and promotes feelings of self-love.
Self love can be tough to begin with but we are always here to support you. Check out easy ways to practice self love here.
3. Healing
Everyone is in a battle with their mixed emotions and feelings most of the time. Not being able to know your choices can cause stress. And if you are always dreading deadlines then you can barely get a chance to heal and grow.
Expressive Arts Therapy provides you the calmness and quiet space to listen to the emotions deep in your soul. Acknowledging your feelings is the first step toward healing
4. Self-esteem
Not achieving your desired results at work/study or whichever task you are trying to accomplish can lead to lower self-esteem. There can be something you want to improve at but overthinking about failures can become a blockage.
Communicating with your inner self will show you the right path to pursue to overcome your shortcomings at any task
How it works and What to expect
Throughout the session, the therapists will help you explore and learn more about your feelings using various tools of this therapy.
With creative self-exploration being the core reason behind expressive art therapy activities, it doesn’t focus on what art comes out at the end of the session but on what revelations it is making for you.
- The therapists will help you communicate with your inner self.
- You don’t have to have any prior experience in any of the art forms
- It’s a non-verbal language of communication that helps you understand your inner feelings
As Expressive Arts Therapy uses creativity as the leading pathway to self-discovery and understanding, the therapists you consult have to have high ethics and high standards of professionalism in this field.
We, at GoodLives, are always there to support you in your mental health journey. We are striving hard to provide you with affordable therapy with the best therapists and mental health services suited for you who can understand your mental health state.
Want to learn more about Expressive Arts Therapy before taking up a session? Reach out to us at Contact@goodlives.in or Contact us here.