“Living is a creative act, with self-determined making or producing at it’s core.”
-Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Expressive Arts Therapy online.
It feels like you’ve tried everything, but words alone fall short.
Maybe you’ve been to therapy before, but found little improvement. Sometimes verbalizing past traumas and exploring emotions to heal isn’t always the right fit. This is where Expressive Arts Therapy (EXA) may be a good option. In EXA you don’t have to talk in depth about all of your deepest wounds. EXA is a creative approach that utilizes movement, visual arts, music, drama, writing, or dance as alternatives to fostering healing and growth that language can’t always achieve alone.
How Expressive Arts Therapy can help:
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EXA is a creative “bottom-up” approach. This means that we start with experiences in your body and emotions rather than your thoughts. When we start with sensory experiences, we are able to tap into feelings and memories held deep in our nervous system that talk therapy alone can’t access.
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You don’t need to be an artist or good art in any means. EXA is anything that allows you to express yourself. This can a movement, a sound, or a mark made on paper. If EXA sounds like a good fit then we may explore creativity that feels comfortable to you.
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EXA is known to help release stuck emotions, process trauma, and gain insights. You may start to notice changes in your body and mood first and then gain new perspective.
Is EXA the right fit for you?
EXA therapy can help you bypass words when they’re not enough.
Expressive Arts Therapy works by integrating creative practices to foster healing. EXA is a sensory experience starting with the body and emotions instead of traditional therapy where thoughts direct the session. This process of creating can help access memories and insight stored in the body that talking can’t reach.
EXA is for anyone who feels that traditional talk therapy isn’t enough for processing emotions and life comlexities.
What you’ll gain
With EXA, you can…
Improve self-awareness and insight.
Promote self-regulation.
Learn coping skills.
Promote creativity and play.
Reduce stress.
Engage in mindfulness.
Facilitate healing from trauma.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
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We all hold the potential to be expressive. While our creativity may differ we are not in this space to be “artists”. This is for expression for deeper insight to promote healing.
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Nah! EXA is for anyone who feels it may be helpful for healing. This includes children, teens, young adults, adults, and older adults. If you can expressive yourself you can participate in EXA.
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No need! This is the fun part we can get creative with it! Maybe its just a pencil and paper or the movement of your body. You don’t have to have an art studio to do this work, just an open mind to allow yourself to be expressive.
discover your authentic self
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discover your authentic self —