Expressive therapy – also referred to as Expressive Arts Therapy –is a creative and experiential form of psychotherapy that’s actually comprised of several different therapeutic modalities including Art Therapy, Drama Therapy, Psychodrama, Music Therapy, Poetry Therapy, and Dance Therapy. As the name suggests, expressive therapy focuses on the use of artistic self-expression as a powerful vehicle for things like:
*Processing Emotions
*Resolving Conflict
*Healing from Trauma
* Improving Problem Solving Skills
Expressive therapy is based on the premise that all individuals have the inherent ability to express themselves through creative outlets. In fact, the strong non-verbal aspect of most types of expressive therapy makes them especially beneficial for individuals who find it difficult or impossible to articulate their thoughts and feelings through words alone.
Creative arts allow children the opportunity to grow and develop self-awareness through self-expression. This has been shown to reduce stress and accelerate psychological and physical healing. Participating in these activities can help boost Self-Esteem and gain Self-Confidence. Although expressive arts therapy is unique, the clinical goal is similar to other mental health professions. This goal is to facilitate the child's growth and positive change. Expressive arts strive to integrate the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning to enhance their self-awareness.
8 Benefits of Expressive Therapies for Children:
• Allows children to communicate what is sometimes difficult to put into words.
• Helps children feel understood. Children gain skills and a sense of achievement, providing ownership of their successes.
• Encourages children to build trust in a safe environment.
• Increases their self-esteem and self-respect.
• Assists children in gaining a new, more objective perspective on their challenges or difficult life circumstances.
• Provides a safe outlet for feelings such as fear, guilt, pain, rage and anger.
• Encourages children to make positive choices and to gain hope for the future.
•Build skills which helps children manage difficult emotions and circumstances.
The benefits of expressive therapy in types of situations which are stressful and disturbing can help as children can tend to become withdrawn or shy, or who, for some reason or another, have a difficult time functioning within social situations.
Basically, the benefits of expressive therapy can be quite broad. It can improve lives by helping improve the Mental, Emotional, and even Physical States. The benefits of expressive therapy make it worth exploring as a catalyst for healing for your child.