What are Expressive Arts Therapies?
Expressive Arts Therapy is a form of therapy that helps you reconnect with yourself.
Expressive Arts can include dance, writing, music, drama and visual arts. Expressive Arts Therapy gives you a different way of processing the challenges in your life. It can help you access emotions and memories that aren't always easy to talk about out loud or put into words. Expressing yourself through art can also give you new ways to express those feelings or memories in ways that don't feel as scary or overwhelming as speaking them aloud might be. Expressive Arts Therapies are used in both individual sessions with an art therapist and group settings – such as when teaching kids how to make art projects together at home or at school.
You don’t have to be an artist to get the benefits of Expressive Arts Therapy.
Expressive Arts Therapy is an umbrella term for all the expressive arts therapies. These include dance, writing, music, drama and visual arts.
A distinction should be made between these different disciplines and the use of creative expression in general. Creative expression is any activity that involves making something new or doing something differently from how it has been done before (and usually with pleasure). It's a way of thinking about how you live your life; how you show up in the world; how you connect with others.
The difference between expressive arts therapy and other forms of creative activity is that it's goal-oriented: there's a specific purpose for engaging in any given technique or process—whether it be sharing one’s feelings through dance movement; writing a poem; playing an instrument; performing on stage; working collaboratively as part of an ensemble—that will ultimately lead to some kind of change in someone’s mind-set or behavior
Expressive Arts Therapy gives you a different way of processing the challenges in your life.
Expressive Arts therapy can be used to express emotions, thoughts and ideas. It can also be used to reprocess painful memories, feelings and and trauma. Expressive Art therapists make art with their clients so they can explore how they are feeling in a different way than talking about it. Expressive Arts Therapy can help you work through overwhelming emotions, help you calm down your nervous system, and be more present in your life.
Expressive Arts Therapies can help with a number of physical and emotional challenges.
Depression
Anxiety
Stress
Trauma, loss and grief
Self-esteem and relationships (familial/romantic)
If you are feeling any of these things, Expressive Arts Therapies may be right for you!
Your creativity is worth it and is healing.
You don't need to be a professional artist to benefit from expressive arts therapy. You don’t need to have a PhD, or even a college degree. In fact, many of the participants who I've worked with and who have benefitted from therapeutic art didn't know how to draw before coming into treatment.
Expressive arts therapy is for everyone! The benefits are available for anyone who wants them—you don't have to be an expert artist (or musician). It's about exploring your creativity, cultivating self-expression and getting in touch with your inner child.
You don't need training or skill to benefit from expressive arts therapy.
The beauty of expressive arts therapies is that you don’t need any training or skill to get the benefits. Anyone can use art as a way to express their feelings. Expressing yourself through painting, drawing, sculpting and more gives you the opportunity to reflect on your own thoughts and emotions and can help improve your mental health by helping you become more aware of yourself.
Expressive Art Therapy can also help with physical ailments such as pain management or chronic illnesses like arthritis or fibromyalgia by allowing people who have trouble communicating verbally due to physical limitations another way of expressing themselves.
There are many ways you can use expressive art therapy on your own at home.
Expressive Art therapy can be a great way to express your feelings, creativity and thoughts. You can use expressive art therapy to calm down your nervous system, express your feeling, work through complex decisions, or learn how to play and have fun as an adult. You can also use expressive art therapy to help process traumatic experiences that often time leaves our brains, bodies, and emotions stuck in a loop that’s hard to break out of.
Expressive Art therapy can help with a variety of issues in new and enriching ways.
You’ve maybe tried talk therapy and gained some new skills to apply to your life. But, you may still feel a little stuck. Expressive Art therapy can help with a variety of issues in new and enriching ways. It’s been used to treat everything from depression and anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Expressive Art therapy can be used in many settings, including hospitals, schools, prisons and private practices.
When using expressive art therapy for therapeutic purposes, it is important that the therapist has training in this area. This includes understanding how the creative process works and how best to support it so that the client reaches their goals. For example, if you want to be able to paint more confidently or generally improve your self-esteem through painting as an activity then it would make sense that you would want someone who knows how these things work!
Conclusion
Expressive Art therapy is an excellent way of exploring your emotions and processing your thoughts. It can be used in a variety of settings, whether it’s at home or being used as part of a more formal treatment program. Expressive Arts Therapy can help people manage their symptoms, work through challenges in their life and even find new ways to express themselves creatively.
Anyone can do it. You deserve to be seen, heard, and seen!
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