Art Therapy
Art therapy combines creative exercises with traditional talk therapy as needed, facilitating self-exploration and understanding. Art therapy can be of benefit to those who want to unlock their growth potential, as well as for those who want to facilitate deep healing following traumatic events or experiences. It is a guided therapeutic modality whereby the therapist attunes to your needs throughout the process to help facilitate a transformative session intended to deepen self-awareness and ignite change. Using imagery, colour and shape as part of this creative therapeutic process, thoughts and feelings can be expressed that would otherwise be difficult to articulate. Art is a unique movement therapy that can tap into areas of our brain that store emotional and body memory that can be at the root of unhelpful patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. In bypassing the cognitive realm, guided art directives can help to uncover our unconscious beliefs about ourselves and others, leading to profound self-discovery and the potential for lasting growth.
The benefits of art therapy include:
- Expression Beyond Words: Art therapy can aid you to articulate experiences and emotions that are hard to put into words. This can be particularly beneficial for those who find it difficult to express their thoughts and feelings verbally, such as children, youth, trauma survivors, folks on the neurodiverse spectrum, or individuals with mental health conditions. It can also help those who find themselves to be too in their head or overly cognitive or anyone who has tried talk therapy in the past and felt they got little relief.
- Integration of Trauma: Art therapy can transform the way that trauma memory is stored in our brain and experienced in our bodies. It is known as a bottom-up trauma therapy approach. This means that trauma is released, and new meaning is made, as opposed to simply rationalizing experiences with little to no physical release. By creating visual representations of your experiences, you can gain new perspectives and make sense of your trauma.
- Regulation and Safety: Engaging in artmaking can help regulate your emotions and create a sense of safety. It is a learned tool that can extend outside of the therapy room once you experience the benefits within session. The process of creating art can be calming and grounding, which is beneficial if you struggle with emotional dysregulation.
- Creative Expression: Creative expression can activate the Vagus nerve, which is the branch of our nervous system associated with regulation. In other words, it can switch off the activation in our bodies and lead to a state of calm, curiosity, and connectedness. Art therapy allows individuals to explore and express feelings that may be buried or outside of present-day awareness, which can lead to greater self-awareness and healing.
- Safe Space for Exploration: Art therapy offers a safe space for you to explore and confront difficult emotions and experiences. This safe space can be crucial for those who have experienced trauma and may feel overwhelmed by traditional therapeutic approaches.
- Mind-Body Connection: Art therapy engages both cognitive and sensory processes, which can help integrate and process trauma on multiple levels. This can lead to a stronger mind-body connection allowing you to feel more grounded on a day-to-day basis.
- Non-Verbal Processing: Trauma is stored in the body and mind in ways that are not easily accessible through verbal therapy alone. Art therapy provides a way to tap into these non-verbal aspects of trauma, allowing for more holistic healing.
- Empowerment and Agency: Creating art can empower clients by giving them control over how they represent and reinterpret their experiences. This sense of agency can be particularly important for individuals who have experienced powerlessness in their trauma.
- Visualization and Transformation: Art therapy can help clients visualize and transform their trauma. By externalizing their experiences through art, clients can gain distance from their pain and begin to reframe and heal their trauma narratives. This can make trauma treatment more tolerable and can allow you to pace your healing, as well as reduce overwhelm throughout the course of your therapy.
Are you interested in learning more about the healing potential of art therapy? Contact us today to book a free consultation with our Registered Art Therapist.