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How effective is expressive arts therapy?
Effectiveness. Research suggests that the use of the expressive arts for therapeutic purposes offers several benefits. A few of these include developing strengths and skills, personal growth, symptom reduction, improved communication, and making meaning of personal experiences. The expressive therapies are defined in this text as the use of art, music, dance/movement, drama, poetry/creative writing, play, water play and sand-tray within the context of psychotherapy, counselling, and/or rehabilitation. Expressive therapies are approaches that incorporate creative processes (e.g., art, drama, movement, music, writing, play, etc.) into the counselling process. Topics included in this Advanced Study Major include: The rise and evolution of expressive therapies. Engaging with some form of artistic expression can help to alleviate feelings of psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety. Doing art has also been linked to improving memory, reasoning, and resilience.
What are the characteristics of expressive arts therapy?
Expressive arts therapy uses various arts—movement, drawing, painting, sculpting, music, writing, sound, and improvisation—in a supportive setting to facilitate growth and healing. It is a process of discovering ourselves through any art form that comes from an emotional depth. It is not creating a pretty picture. In expressive arts therapy, each client is encouraged to use multiple forms of creative expression to articulate their inner world, including drawing and painting, photography, sculptures using a range of materials from clay to paper mâché, music, drama and role-play, poetry, prose, and dance and movement. The expressive therapies are based on the assumption that people can heal through the various forms of creative expression. Expressive therapists share the belief that through creative expression and the tapping of the imagination, people can examine their body, feelings, emotions, and thought process. The difference between expressive arts therapy and art therapy is that expressive arts therapy draws from a variety of art forms such as writing, psychodrama, dance, movement, painting, drawing, sculpting, play and music (or a combination of them), while art therapy is based on one particular art form. The field of Expressive Arts Therapy (EXA) was founded in the early 1970’s by Shaun McNiff, Paolo Knill and others at Lesley Univeristy Graduate School in Cambridge, MA. It emphasized an interdisciplinary or “intermodal” approach to the use of the arts for healing, based on an established psychological framework.
What is an example of expressive therapy?
In an expressive therapy session, a trained therapist guides you through the process of expressing yourself through art. It’s usually a mix of different activities, but sometimes therapists focus on just one. For example, writing or keeping a journal might be better for someone who is new to therapy. Therapists may be able to help people with mental health conditions or emotional difficulties. It is important that people choose a therapist whom they feel comfortable with and can trust. A good therapist should communicate well, be nonjudgmental, and have a license. Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, can help those with mental disorders or emotional difficulties. It can lessen symptoms and help individuals function better in their everyday lives. This kind of therapy is often used in combination with medication or other therapies. In summary, the goal of psychotherapy is to facilitate positive change in clients seeking better emotional and social functioning to improve their feelings of satisfaction and the overall quality of their lives. Psychotherapy helps clients live happier, healthier, and more productive lives. Anyone can enjoy the benefits of therapy, whether you want to set life goals or establish healthy relationships. You don’t need to be in a debilitating crisis to get support. If people are proactive about their mental health, they can prevent their concerns from festering into a larger problem.
What are expressive therapy tools?
Journaling, storytelling, reading literature and poetry, as well as making life maps, videos, and memory books are all forms of expressive art therapy; this can help more mature clients review and make meaning of their lives; this is a way to tell their life stories, as well as work through and heal from traumatic … Benefits of Art Therapy Adults experiencing severe stress. Children experiencing behavioral or social problems at school or at home. Children or adults who have experienced a traumatic event. Children with learning disabilities. Expressive Movement Therapy (EMT) is a unique approach to self-exploration, self-discovery, and self-expression. EMT is based on the belief that movement and personal art expression have the power to reveal, heal and transform our bodies and our psyches. Art is an expression and response to our emotions; it depicts our innermost thoughts through an aesthetic experience. A person’s innermost feelings are reflected in their art. Art is a way of looking at life, which is why people with artistic abilities and knowledge tend to be sensitive and insightful.
What is supportive expressive therapy?
Supportive-expressive group psychotherapy was developed to help patients with cancer face and adjust to their existential concerns, express and manage disease-related emotions, increase social support, enhance relationships with family and physicians, and improve symptom control. Supportive psychotherapy has helped many people feel better and lead more productive and healthy lives. The evidence supporting its effectiveness is greater than many people would predict. Helped reduce pain, decrease symptoms of stress and improve quality of life in adult cancer patients. Improved ability to deal with pain and other frightening symptoms in children with cancer. Reduced stress and anxiety in children with asthma. Stimulated mental function in older adults with dementia. It encourages the development of healthy coping strategies. Therapy can facilitate insight, empathy, and acceptance of other’s life challenges. It is capable of promoting problem-solving skills. Art therapy is capable of exploring, managing, and providing insight into traumatic experiences. In fact, therapy can be harmful, with research showing that, on average, approximately 10 per cent of clients actually get worse after starting therapy. Yet belief in the innocuousness of psychotherapy remains persistent and prevalent. Empathy. Counselors help people through some of the most difficult and stressful times of their lives. They must be able to display empathy – the ability to feel what another person is feeling. Empathy means that you are truly able to imagine what it’s like to stand in someone else’s shoes.
What are the goals of expressive arts?
The aim is to provide learners with opportunities to explore, refine and communicate ideas while thinking creatively and engaging their imagination and senses. The aim is to provide learners with opportunities to explore, refine and communicate ideas while thinking creatively and engaging their imagination and senses. Creative expression helps children articulate their feelings and thoughts. They think critically about their world and practice visual communication. Young children learn colors, shapes, and sounds during creative play. They begin to understand cause and effect. We can write our thoughts down privately into journals, stories and poems. But, we can go beyond words and express through paintings, drawings, doodles, and photographs. We can express through music, dance, and song.