—>Head<—

What is Expressive Arts?


Art Helps-Art Heals

Using Art

to Heal and Change

Bring me your stress or challenge

and I will offer you art.

I will offer you the chance to play and relax!

To paint,

to dance,

to sing,

to write,

to act…

and through this 
you will create change
 in your life!

No previous art experience necessary.

What is Expressive Arts Therapy and Coaching?

Expressive Arts is a discipline of helping and healing that uses the arts as its basis for discovery and change. All five disciplines of the arts: visual, dance/movement, music, drama/theater, and writing/poetry can give you a richer vocabulary to work, play and grow a life you love living.

You do not need to be an artist, processes are simple and no previous art background is needed. Simple low skill art making in these different areas (visual art, music, movement, writing and drama) help open the senses and access our imagination so we can find our own resources that we hold within ourselves and that our art brings to us.

The arts have been an integral part of life for humans throughout history. We painted caves and painted our faces and bodies. We danced around the fire singing and playing drums and flutes. We gathered, told stories of our day, of our ancestors, of our dreams through words or actions. Shamans used the arts to heal their communities, through the use of dreams, singing, dancing and stories. Spiritual pursuits throughout history used song, dance and visual arts as a community activity. It has been only in recent times that we as humans have become so separate from art, we began looking at art rather than creating it ourselves. Expressive Arts offers a safe place to reconnect to our art making.

Sand play, sandtray, sandplay a therapuetic art for everyone.

Sand tray or sandplay, art in the sand with figures, characters, objects and natural items.

Expressive Arts @ 32nd & Thorn specializes in working with people who are afraid of doing art or need to unblock or reconnect to artful expression in their lives. We also help people who are or have been in “survival mode” to begin to see the world through creative lenses and integrate beauty into their every day life.

Is Expressive Arts Therapy the same as Art Therapy?

Both Expressive Arts Therapy and Art Therapy are creative therapies. Though there are many different ways to practice within each discipline, the main difference is that Expressive Arts (ExA) uses all the disciplines of art: visual, movement, music, drama and writing/poetry. Unlike some forms of Art Therapy, ExA does not interpret the art and add meaning like, “you drew this so it means this.” The artist can apply meaning to their work if they want, and we may help them reframe their interpretation or ask questions that take it in a different direction. ExA is also rooted in the arts versus being rooted in psychology though we are trained to work with the medical model. At Expressive Arts @ 32nd & Thorn we focus on growing creative expression and creative confidence and seeing how that can change our life.