Expressive Arts Therapy

Expressive Arts

What is expressive arts therapy?

Expressive arts therapy is a form of therapy that uses dance, drama, music, poetry, and art to enhance one’s overall well-being. The arts are used to let go, express, and to release. Expressive Arts Therapies, also known as Arts Therapy, Creative Arts Therapy and Expressive Therapy, are used in a therapeutic, rehabilitative, educational, and community setting to foster holistic health, communication, and expression (National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations, 2010).

People have been using the arts as tools for healing for many centuries. In the early 1940’s Expressive Arts Therapy became formally recognized and has since provided meaningful therapeutic experiences for people of all ages in a variety of treatment settings. There is no right or wrong way in the arts which encourages the clients to be free with self-expression. Expressive Arts Therapy is not about interpreting color or images, and is not necessarily used for diagnosis, although it can help assess an individual’s needs or progress. The focus is on the process of making art and exploring what the piece means to the individual, not on the aesthetic outcome (American Art Therapy Association, 2010).

Natalie Rogers, an Expressive Art Therapist, says “our feelings and emotions are an energy source. That energy can be channeled into the expressive arts to be released and transformed. The creative connection is a process that brings us to our inner core or essence which is our life energy (Creation Spirituality, 1993).”

 

Through the arts, people can communicate ideas and feelings that may be hard to put into words, such as negative memories, anger, stress, and other personal experiences. It has been shown that use of the arts can aide in emotional conflicts, self-awareness, developing social skills, managing behavior, reducing anxiety, and increasing self-esteem. A free form of expression gives the client pride in their own work by reducing the need to compare themselves to others, an unfortunate problem seen today. Arts Therapy does not require artistic ability or previous experience (National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Associations, 2010).
http://unh.edu/health-services/ohep/complementaryalternative-health-practices/expressive-arts