Expressive art therapy combines all of the arts – applied, visual and digital, music, theater, movement/dance, fairy tales, poetry.

Creativity and healing are rooted in the same movement towards balance, they each strive to be in tune with the flow of life,  in connection with the environment,  to find meaning, to increase the life energy.  Transformation is inherent in both  therapy and the creative process. Both require trust, risk, courage, love, hope, faith, sensory and emotional expression. The arts offer an indispensable space of freedom, pleasure, safety, relaxation and sincerity in which we can shape and explore our questions and themes, the familiar and the unknown, and increase our awareness.

The use of the arts is not intended to create an aesthetic product but to support people in their expression, to help them live with what is, to overcome difficulties and transform themselves, to shape and make sense of their world, to be with others.

Expressive arts therapy uses phenomenological approach – it works with whatever unfolds in a session, gives emotional freedom and supports the coping mechanisms of individuals. It uses the art product (a painting, a dance, a theatre act, a text, etc.) to give a possibility to look at a topic from a distance, and at the same time serves as a “container” for the emotional process supporting a transformation. This is an approach accustomed to the individual needs of each client, activating their resources and using low-skills but high sensitivity to bring awareness.

No previous experience is required. One might gain some artistic skills in the process of art therapy, but does not need to have any skills. The art process is used as a reflection.

HOW IT WORKS

The expressive arts therapy uses the creative process and the artistic product for therapeutic purposes. Expressive art therapy uses the creative process and the creative product for therapeutic purposes. Traditional methods of psychotherapy and counseling are used, such as sharing, research, feedback, as well as non-verbal ways of expression through various art modalities: drawing, sculpting, music, movement, theater, poetry. Art therapy is a process that includes the qualities of authenticity, wholeness, beauty, and playfulness. It’s a means to explore, to find meaning, to have a material which serves the process of contemplation and self-awareness. 

We use imagination as a way to find alternative solutions, to go “away” from our topics, so when we return, to see the issue with a new understanding. Art helps us to step where we have not dared to go before  in a careful, gentle and resource-oriented way.

If we feel isolated, detached from ourselves and unable to cope with a particular life situation, expressive arts therapy provides a safe framework for both children and adults alike, to explore, shape and find new ways of being. We are changing in and along with the process of creativity.

Expressive arts therapy supports our natural ability to take steps towards recovery and make the necessary changes in our lives, including the whole body and all of the senses by tapping into the creative resources in us,.

Expressive arts therapy IS SUITABLE for:
• For children of all ages - from the youngest (2-3 years) to adolescents. Art therapy is the easiest way for children to access and transform their inner world. The sessions are mostly based on practical exercises (creative tasks) that build up skills, develop motor abilities, increase their imagination, and support their social- and emotional maturing.
• For adults of all ages – no age limit! There is art therapy even for patients who are bedridden - at home or in hospitals, art supports us to reconnect with our resources. All kinds of topics can be explored through this creative approach.
• For social workers, child and clinical psychologists, resource teachers - in addition to their already established practice of working with people.
• For parents, couples, and families - as a tool for interaction and communication

Art therapy is used in many different clinical and personal themes:
• Depression, low self-esteem, communication problems
• Sleeping problems (nightmares and insomnia)
• Difficult relationships (parent-child dyads, couples, etc.)
• Divorce and separation
• Adoption
• Recovery from injury, post-traumatic stress disorder (violence and abuse)
• In addition to a medical treatment with prolonged stay in a hospital
• Great support for children in the autistic spectrum
• Self-discovery

If you wish to book an individual session, please contact us by phone + 359 888 802 383
or email: info@artstherapyinstitute.bg