Have you ever felt like you can’t express your emotions/feelings by just talking them out? Have you felt like you have all those emotions/feelings pushed down and that if you were to release them verbally they would spill out and cause more harm than help you? It’s not easy taking time each week to focus on ourselves. Expressive Arts Therapy allows YOU to do just that.
Expressive Arts Therapy is something that can help you work through some of those emotions/feelings and help you alleviate that deep down gut feeling, such as dread. Utilizing Expressive Arts Therapy alongside Talk Therapy allows you to control what and how you share your story.
Examples To Try Today
Write
Take that sticky note or get an index card. Draw or create something that completes this sentence: I am.... OR I choose...
Draw
Draw what anger looks like and/or feels like. Remember it looks different for everyone. What colors did you use? How do you feel when you look at it? Can you define it without a dictionary?
Stand up
If able, take your hands and reach high above you but don’t lift your feet off the ground. Feel that pull, breathe in through your nose, exhale through your mouth, and release. Do this a few times to help refresh the body. Do you feel something inside your body? How can you describe it?
Music
What’s your favorite song? Is there a version out there that allows you to just get the instrumental part? Create your own version (words) to the song that represents your feelings throughout this past week. You don’t have to share it to process it. Learning ways to utilize music to express ourselves help us move in a forward direction.
Its not about the art
We as humans get stuck on the idea that “I am not an artist” or “I can’t do that, it won’t look good.” Expressive Arts Therapy is about the process, not about the art. Expressive Arts allows YOU to connect with something other than words. Expressing ourselves in different ways allows us to reconnect with our bodies, souls, and find the words to express ourselves.
Now is the time, as the holidays are approaching, we get tied up in the hustle and bustle, we forget to focus on ourselves. Reach out if you are interested in learning new ways to work through and process past events, in a different way!
Meet The Author
LEE ANN WEILER
MAC, LPC, CCTP, EAT (Q)
Meet The Author
Lee Ann is a Clinical Therapist at Sea Glass Mental Health. She works with teens, adults, and couples. Lee Ann specializes in PTSD, trauma, and women’s issues.
