“If you’re waiting for perfect, you’ll never make the play.”
— Joan Bauer in Young Adult novel, Squashed
Expressive Arts
Do you sometimes wish you could get support for what’s troubling you, but you don’t feel comfortable talking about it? Especially not in a formal office setting …
If so, Expressive Arts Therapy is a group of techniques that can help you find a form of expression beyond talking. It’s an integrated approach that combines a variety of therapeutic arts—most commonly visual arts, music, writing, movement, and drama (including improvisation and role play).
The above can be used on their own—e.g., Art Therapy. But Expressive Arts Therapy integrates many of these techniques. It incorporates a variety of tools, instead of being limited to a single approach.
These may include:
- Collage, scrapbooking
- Clay sculpting
- Mosaics (Something that shattered becomes useful, beautiful, and whole.)
- Painting
- Singing, listening to and/or playing music
- Role-playing, improvisation
- Mandala drawing and/or coloring (Ancient; very calming.)
- More on our Other Activities and Community Projects pages.
Expressive Arts isn’t the same as taking an art class, for example. You don’t need to be “artistic” and your focus isn’t learning art techniques. Instead, it’s about your inner emotional experience as you engage in the artistic process, either in a receptive (e.g., listening to music) or creative (e.g., painting) manner.…
When you can’t find the words to communicate difficult feelings, the arts can speak for you. The arts are a language beyond words. Creating and completing a creative piece can provide a nonverbal way to communicate, solve problems, express yourself and your emotions, and positively cope with life challenges.
Try it!
Training to be an Expressive Arts Therapist requires at least a Master’s degree in Counseling, with a concentration in Expressive Arts Therapy from an accredited university. Project Oasis welcomes qualified professionals to contact us and consider joining our staff.