Creative Therapy
A different way of expression!
Creative therapy may seem daunting if you don't see yourself as "arty" or "creative" but you don't have to be the new Leonardo da Vinci or Vincent van Gogh to benefit or enter into creative therapies. It might even be that you come for 1:1 therapy and something captures your eye or speaks to you in that moment - an image, a metaphor, a figurine, some stones, the sand tray... Using creative tools in therapy takes many forms. It might be that being creative is already a big part of your life or it might be that in our sessions, it helps you express yourself and explore what is happening for you. There is no pressure to express yourself in a certain way - think of it as a way of expressing and connecting to what is happening within you in that moment. A space to connect with your experience without or with words.
Using creativity in Counselling
Counselling can be both a challenging and uplifting experience. It can provide a space to let out what might feel trapped or that you are trying to keep out the way in order to manage. This might feel like a release but it can also be challenging to bring difficult memories and emotions to the surface.
Using creativity is helpful in many ways. Firstly, being creative calms the nervous system and potential overwhelm when we are processing difficult thoughts, memories or feelings. It brings the focus from the overwhelm to the creativity. It reassures the nervous system that you are ok in that moment.
It can also help us when we feel a sense of being stuck or not being able to finds words to match what is happening for us. It might be that it is too painful or that there isn't a word for what is happening. The creativity becomes a different form of expression and exploration separation to the use of words alone. It allows for our thinking to be less rigid because we are finding a way of expressing ourselves beyond words. This expands our self awareness and can lead us to consider different approaches, meanings or perceptions of what we are exploring.
