“Expressive therapies”. Maybe you’ve heard the term – it has certainly appeared in Phenix content before. However, you may not have clarity on what that means. So what is it exactly? It is the use of creative arts as a form of therapy. This can include art, music, dance, drama, etc. Unlike the formal practice of art however, expressive therapy focuses on the process of creativity versus a final product. This form of therapy has gained popularity due to the fact that clients often have very well developed defense systems in place to protect them from cognitively/verbally facing their pain. Even clients who enter therapy with full intention to deal with what needs to be tackled can find themselves struggling to access their history and its attendant feelings. Enter expressive therapies which utilize non-verbal forms of communication. Drawing, painting, writing, dancing – these activities access a completely different part of the brain than talking does. Thus, the results are often quite different. Since most of us are not accustomed to communicating in this manner, we have not developed the complex systems of defenses we have mastered verbally. As we awkwardly fumble through expressive assignments, we’re just trying to figure out how to follow the instructions, leaving us often unaware of the emotions and stories unfolding through our expression. This provides a valuable window into our subconscious, undefended world.
What we produce in expressive therapy can be very enlightening: a poem or song composed, a picture painted – these pieces capture our often unknown world and together, the therapist and client step back and analyze what has been created. It is a wonderful way to pursue the knowing of self that has been referred to on this blog before. However, as we have discussed, this can be wonderfully fun and terrifying at the same time. We are generally not used to the clarity of self that expressive therapy brings so facing the realities uncovered can bring difficulty. We discover hidden strengths, but also carefully avoided shadows. Though it is the product that is being analyzed, the process of discovery that this analysis entails is the true focus of the therapist.
Overall, process is the key to expressive therapy. What the client feels and thinks during the activity matters. What is happening physically is observed by the therapist. All of this provides key insight into the emotions, history and meanings underneath client experiences. These insights are what allow understanding to emerge regarding destructive patterns and provide the empowerment needed to change them. It’s all about process which is a stark contrast to the product-focused society we live in. Participating in this form of therapy often brings an entirely new dimension into the client’s life. When its power is observed in therapy, there is a natural move to incorporate a process focus into the rest of one’s life as well. What we have here is a win-win result!
An important aspect of expressive therapy has to do with information that we are just beginning to learn in the field of neuropsychology. New information about the workings of the brain comes out every single day and while this is an exciting age, I often caution my students to maintain a humility with this exploding field…based on the fact that there is still so much we do NOT know. That said, what we are finding so far is that trauma experiences affect the physiological tissue and workings of the brain. This impact has been shown to correlate with physical illnesses as well as behavioral and cognitive patterns. The race is on to develop a system of categorizing these brain changes and creating brain-based interventions that will address this physiological root of client struggles. In the meantime, expressive therapies have shown early signs of healing effects upon the limbic system – parts of the brain responsible for emotions, survival instincts, and memory. Traditional talk therapy does not seem to have the same power in this area of the brain!
Overall, expressive therapy provides a valuable tool in the therapist’s kit for accessing aspects of trauma impact that other modalities fall short with. The same logic applies to brain-based modalities like EMDR, ACT or EFT. My personal approach however is holistic which means I do not ascribe to a one-modality approach. It is my firm belief that deep and long lasting healing requires a complex process that attends to the many facets of human functioning: verbal/non verbal expression and exploration of meaning, brain based interventions, as well as physical health – sleep, nutrition and movement. I also firmly believe that all of this must take place within the confines of a healthy and connected therapeutic relationship because it is this connection that opens up the brain and heart to true transformation. Stay tuned next week for a look at a related form of therapy that Phenix will be expanding into soon!