Expressive Arts Therapy

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Expressive arts therapy combines psychology and the creative process to promote emotional growth and healing. Expressive arts therapy uses our natural desire to create as a therapeutic tool to help initiate change. For some people who have a hard time articulating what they are feeling, self-expression through art can be useful. Expressive arts therapy draws from a variety of art forms, and this integration of methods can help patients access their emotions. 

Expressive arts therapy is for EVERYONE! Expressive arts therapy can be used with both children and adults, as individuals or in groups, to nurture deep personal growth and transformation. Research has also shown that expressive arts therapy can be beneficial for several different mental health conditions. Some conditions or concerns it can help with include:

• Anxiety
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Bereavement or grief
• Brain injuries
• Chronic medical conditions
• Depression
• Developmental disorders
• Eating disorders
• Emotional issues
• Interpersonal issues
• Low self-esteem
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Stress

Expressive arts therapy can be accomplished via the creation of different art forms; the commonality is the use of multiple senses to explore your inner and outer worlds. A therapist or counselor helps you communicate feelings about the process and accomplishment of making art, and together, you use the creative process to highlight and analyze problems and difficulties. The therapeutic work is based on the creative process, not on the final result, therefore, it is not necessary to have a background or training in the arts to benefit from this expressive therapy. Throughout the process, you learn new and different ways to communicate inner feelings that were not previously available to you by simply thinking or talking about them.