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Who benefits from expressive arts therapy?
This type of therapy has also been shown to help children – and adults – deal with negative situations, disabilities and trauma. Through rehabilitation, education and communication, art therapy helps an individual release and express feelings they may not know how to let go of otherwise. 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. Visual art, music, dance/movement, drama, and expressive writing are the primary expressive arts modalities used in counseling. The creative arts offer both the clinician and the client an opportunity to move beyond the expressive limits of talk therapy. Both Expressive Arts Therapy and Art Therapy are creative therapies. Though there are many different ways to practice within each discipline, the main difference is that Expressive Arts (ExA) uses all the disciplines of art: visual, movement, music, drama and writing/poetry. The Expressive Arts is made up of three subjects – Music, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. Students develop knowledge and skills in each subject.
What is the difference between art therapy and expressive arts 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. 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. Art therapy can reduce pain, anxiety, and tension, as well as enhance the emotional, spiritual, cognitive, and physical well-being. It is often used to improve the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma. 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 expressive therapy used for?
Expressive therapy uses forms of creative expression such as art, music, and dance to help people explore and transform difficult emotional and medical conditions. Psychologists use this type of therapy in a variety of settings. It’s often used in combination with more traditional psychotherapy techniques. 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. Expressionism is a style of art in which the creator is trying to depict their subject matter in terms of emotions, rather than making it entirely realistic. The goal is to make the viewer think and feel, rather than simply observe. “The Scream” is one of the most famous examples of expressive painting in the world. In an ideal world, emotions create feelings that flow naturally. But oftentimes they get dammed up. Whatever you’re feeling these days, it can be a lot to carry. Expressing emotion through art is an incredible way to release those feelings before they get too deep and begin to create other problems. Artists create art that conveys to us how they think and feel about things. Artists use different lines, shapes, and colors to express their feelings. Every artist chooses their own colors, lines and shapes that are meaningful for them. Learn more about Expressionism as an artist movement HERE.
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 goal of this unit is to introduce students to the basic elements of art (color, line, shape, form, and texture) and to show students how artists use these elements in different ways in their work. 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. It expands self-expression, self-knowledge, self-actualization and self-efficacy. Play reduces stress, anxiety and the feeling of being lost in their thoughts. It connects children to people in a positive way, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, regulates emotions, and boosts confidence (Landreth, 2002).
What is expressive therapy theory?
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. One view, the expression theory, asserts that expressiveness can be attributed to art works only where there is this discharge of feeling, and because of it: art works are expressive because they stand in relation to artists’ occurrent emotions as do tears to sadness, as both arising from and revealing the feeling. Smiling, laughing, shouting, crying, and pouting are all expressive. So is art, whether it’s music, sculpture, or writing. This is a word that applies to things that communicate. Good storytellers use expression to make a story come alive. Composers use expressive elements to make music come alive. Expressive elements are articulation, dynamics, and tempo. Articulation is how notes sound – smooth, short, etc. Krupa Jhaveri, PhD – Founder, International Expressive Arts Therapist – Sankalpa: Art Journeys | LinkedIn.