Expressive Art Therapy is a technique that combines art, movement, drama, music, writing, and other processes to create personal growth and acceptance. By using this integrative approach, we can access the emotional side, which brings clarity and healing. During my sessions, I am not using just art or just journaling or just talk therapy. I am weaving you through your subconscious through a combination of these modalities so you are able to discover your blocks, confront your negative thoughts and write your story. Because your story belongs to you!
How and why does this work? Well, let’s think back to our childhood. As a child, we all played. We laughed, we sang, we danced and we created and we were not worried about who was watching us. We allowed our bodies to move the way they wanted to move we made funny noises with our mouths. All of these modalities were intuitive to us and they helped us release our stress and our anxiety.
Then around the age of six or seven we were told to sit still, stop making noises, don’t be so loud and we stopped. Since then our body has been holding stress and worry and trauma and it is time to release it!
Music allows us to explore thoughts and feelings. It can also improve our mood and help in concentration. Through music, we are able to express our frustrations, anger, or pain.
Guide meditation can help give us pause and pause is so important. In our society today we are bombarded with information coming to us from the tv, our computers, and phones. It is a healthy way for us to ground ourselves and be able to process.
As children, we were all artists. We created from our heart and soul without thinking about color, composition, or comparing ourselves to others. Our own art gives us meaning, insight, and self-awareness.
Offering trauma-informed counseling, expressive arts therapy, and sound healing in Alpharetta, Cumming, and Peachtree City.
Lei Rhyne, LPC, NCC, CHt 