Expressive Arts Therapy
Inner Landscapes
Movement, Painting, Writing, Voice
I would love to live like a river flows
Carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.— John O’Donohue
Sara's Approach
Expressive arts therapy is a form of therapeutic support in which a person, or a group, will explore an issue or problem through the lens of artistic expression. It puts an emphasis on both the creative process and the intermodal use of expressive arts. Making art is at the heart of the process mobilising creative expression in the service of our healing potential.
Whether you are looking for an answer to a problem, you want to feel less anxious, depressed or stuck, you need to find meaning in difficult events or you simply wish to explore your creativity, expressive arts therapy will take you there.
Method and process:
You are first invited to become more present through some gentle body work, then we enter the creative process with an artistic form chosen by the therapist. This could be moving to music, or drawing, writing… No matter your level in these disciplines the most important is the openness to whatever arises. What is revealed is what needs to be integrated in this safe space.
Once we find your key for inspiration, the process then unfolds. We start to feel more alive and aligned as we develop tools to interact with our surrounding therefore becoming the artist creating our own life.
Working with a group of residents in a protected care unit. Creating a space in which each participant, independently of his/her abilities, has the opportunity to express freely his/her choices, feelings and needs while cultivating a sense of group cohesion. We use gentle movements to connect to the body and visual art as the main forms of creative expression.
Working with a group of primary school pupils aged 6. We first explored the theme of emotions together, then the children created a collective drawing and finally told the story born from their drawing. They practiced collaborating, communicating and listening to each other. Skills than can then be transferred in the classroom.
