People around the globe are slowly understanding the uses and benefits of therapy, especially after the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. People of all generations have realised how incredibly important it is to take care of one’s mental health, and one of the most beneficial aspects of that is to seek therapy.
However, as opposed to the common therapy technique, which only includes speaking your mind to an expert and getting befitting advice and a diagnosis for a problem, there are other ways. One of which is known as expressive arts therapy.
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What is expressive arts therapy?
Anjika Shukla, a Counselling Psychologist and Expressive Arts Therapy Practitioner, defines this as “a form of therapy that integrates different forms of creative expression to promote healing and personal growth. This modality of therapy incorporates the visual arts, music, dance, drama, poetry, and other forms of creative expression as part of the therapeutic process.”
She adds, “The goal of expressive arts therapy is to help individuals express their feelings and emotions through creative activities rather than relying solely on verbal communication. By using different art forms, clients are encouraged to explore their innermost thoughts and feelings and find new ways of expressing themselves.”
Other than this, Shukla adds that expressive arts therapy can be tailored to a client’s individual needs. “It allows individuals to engage in the creative process at their own pace and in their own way. The therapist provides guidance and support, but the client is in control of their own creative expression. This allows individuals to feel empowered and in control of their own healing process.”
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What are the different types of expressive arts therapy?
When it comes to expressive arts therapy, there are different modalities within it. The best thing about all these modalities is that any individual can use them in any form for their growth and development.
Art therapy
When it comes to art therapy, individuals and clients can use different kinds of materials and techniques to express their thoughts and emotions. They can try drawing, painting, sculpting, and collage-making, among other mediums.
Music therapy
This form of therapy includes individuals using music as their medium to express physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. This can include singing, listening to music or different sounds, or even playing an instrument of choice.
Dance and movement therapy
In this form of therapy, individuals use dance or movements to promote emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration. This can generally include choreographed movements or dance pieces, body awareness exercises, and any sort of movement.
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Drama therapy
This uses theatre and drama to help explore and understand one’s feelings. For this, one can consider using role-playing, improvisation, and other theatrical techniques that may benefit an individual.
Writing therapy
This may be one of the most common forms of therapy, and at one point in time it was suggested to anyone seeking therapy. In this, individuals use writing or poetry to express their emotions and feelings. This can involve writing poetry, journaling, and doing creative writing exercises.
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What are the benefits of expressive arts therapy?
The best thing about expressive arts therapy is that it can be used by both adults and children. Other than that, it has several therapeutic benefits in addition to helping with mental health conditions.
Helps with ADHD
People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. However, this form of therapy helps with focus and concentration. Over time, it also helps people with this disorder to pay attention to one thing at a time.
Improves self-esteem
People who are particularly going through a phase of low self-esteem can find this helpful. Not only does this form of therapy help an individual freely express their feelings in the form of art, but through it, one can find a hobby they actually enjoy doing. This also helps people with low self-esteem understand their strengths, which can help shoo away those negative feelings.
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Helps reduce stress
One experiences stress in their day-to-day workings. However, stress can be harmful if it starts affecting one’s life. This form of therapy is beneficial as it can provide a healthy means of escape from anything that is stressful. Instead of someone coping with unhealthy habits like drinking or smoking, this can help one escape by creating any form of art and expression.
Helps reduce anxiety
A 2020 study titled “Colouring Activities for Anxiety Reduction and Mood Improvement in Taiwanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomised Controlled Study” indicated that colouring activities and focusing on drawing and painting significantly reduced one’s anxiety and also helped in improving the mood of those with anxiety.
Helps with eating disorders
Eating disorders are not only about food; they are basically using food as an outlet to cope with other mental problems. This form of therapy can not only help people with this disorder find a new way of expressing themselves but also help them understand that they can have a healthy sense of control. This is basically to help people understand that they can control their lives without using food as a means to do so.
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Ajinka Shukla also adds several other benefits to this form of therapy. “One of the advantages of expressive arts therapy is its flexibility. It can be used as a standalone therapy or in conjunction with other forms of therapy, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy or psychoanalytic therapy. This allows therapists to tailor the therapeutic process to each client’s individual needs.
“Another benefit of expressive arts therapy is its inclusivity. It does not require any specific skills or artistic talent and can be used with individuals of all ages and cultural backgrounds. It also provides an opportunity for individuals who may have difficulty expressing themselves verbally to communicate their thoughts and emotions in a non-threatening and non-judgmental environment”, she adds.
This form of art therapy has been becoming increasingly popular. Not only does it discover the power of creative expression in promoting healing and personal growth.