Table of Contents
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 … 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. Expressive arts therapy integrates therapeutic tools and techniques from many different art forms. The approach is described as “integrative” when different techniques are used in combination with traditional medicines to improve health and well-being. Modern expressive arts therapy emerged in the early 1900’s when psychiatrists began categorizing the spontaneously created art works of asylum patients. The field of psychology has a long and unfortunate history of stigmatizing mental illness.
What is the importance of expressive therapy?
Expressive arts awaken a child’s imagination and creativity to help him discover who he is and how to engage his senses. They also bring a sense of calm to the body and positively impact mindset, interpretation of surroundings and emotional state. Expressive arts therapy involves a multimodal integration of varied elements of the creative arts therapies into psychotherapy and counseling. Creative arts therapies include art therapy, dance therapy, music therapy, drama therapy, and writing therapy. Develops emotional intelligence, non-verbal communication skills, creativity and productive imagination through body movement, gestures, facial expressions and music. The expressive therapies continuum (ETC) is a model of creative functioning used in the field of art therapy that is applicable to creative processes both within and outside of an expressive therapeutic setting. There is clear, usage-based evidence of the positive effects of expressive therapies in helping treat children and adults who’ve experienced trauma, cancer patients, people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dementia and more.
What is the process 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. 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. 14 types of therapy. Therapy is a form of treatment that aims to help resolve mental or emotional issues. There are many types of therapy available. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, involves a person speaking with a trained therapist who can help them understand certain feelings and behaviors. 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.