On Expressive Arts Therapy
Expressive Arts Therapy (EXAT) is a broad term that intimidated me when I first learned about it. What does it mean to be “expressive” with my art, and how does that connect me to my therapeutic work? How can drawing or journaling or dancing or drumming be intentional so that I become increasingly self-aware of my own internal, unconscious experience?
These were the questions I asked when declaring my concentration in my graduate program at Appalachian State University, where I paired a focus in Body-Mind Connection with a certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy. In short order I was thrust into the experience of creating art, where I used these pieces to make meaning of deeper emotional process.
It is an amazing transition, one that is intentionally facilitated by a trained Expressive Arts Therapist. Often art modalities (painting, drawing, dance, drum, journal, meditation, etc) are layered on top of each other to ‘decenter’ ourselves, and thus create space for unconscious exploration. An hour-long EXAT experience would often involve up to three or four modalities, followed by a debriefing circle where we shared our work. I found within myself a depth of engagement similar to when I was a child, totally absorbed in my doodles or playing in my imagination.
When debriefing (optionally sharing our work), the focus was not on ‘how good our art looked,’ but rather what we made. Comments from my peers and facilitators would sound like: “Oh, I see you used green paint here, and there is a dark streak going across the drawing. What was that about?” And, “I noticed in the drum circle that you maintained a fast beat the entire time. What were you feeling?” And “In the poem you shared I heard this. I can see how that pairs with your drawing and the prompt we started with.” By making the reflections about what we made, not how well we made it, it took the pressure off to create something that ‘looks good.’ We are focused on the what, and the why. Without judgement, without critique.
I love bringing EXAT into my sessions with clients who are interested in this technique. I find it can transcend the conventional roles of talk therapy, and lead to deeper depth and meaning-making in session. Because our time is often contained to our hour session, many times I will ‘assign’ homework of making art during the week, and sharing this art in our next session together. Sometimes this art will be traditional – make a painting and write a poem on the side – and other times I might ask a client to go for a hike in the woods without technology, collect pieces of the forest, and make a collage. This is something else I love about EXAT: there is no prescriptive way to do it. We have the space to be flexible and free with our creation.
If you have questions about Expressive Arts Therapy, feel free to reach out to me on my Contact page, or at reese@livewildcollective.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
