What is Expressive Arts Therapy?

What is Expressive Arts Therapy?

Expressive Arts Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses creative expression to support emotional healing, self-understanding, and psychological growth. It is not an art class, and no artistic skill is required.

Arts therapy is suitable for people of all ages and can help with a range of mental health and wellbeing issues including, anxiety, grief, trauma, abuse, neglect, depression, school refusal, bullying, self identity and other psychological, social and behavioural concerns.

ABOUT ARTS THERAPY

Arts therapy recognises that some experiences, particularly trauma, are difficult to express through words alone.

In arts therapy, creative processes such as drawing, painting, clay work, collage, sandplay, and symbolic image-making are used to help people express and explore complex thoughts, memories, and feelings that have been stored inside, unable to be heard and made sense of. The creative processes used in therapy allows feelings, emotions and memories to emerge safely and gently, providing opportunities for meaning making and healing.

Expressive Arts therapy is especially helpful for individuals who may struggle with traditional talk therapies, or find it difficult to express their experience through words alone.

Benefits

Bypass internal blocks or shame
Provide a sense of control and choice
Allow difficult experiences to be approached indirectly
Strengthen identity and personal voice
Be calming, empowering, and deeply revealing — without requiring immediate verbal explanation
Lets the senses tell the story
Soothes and engages brain and body
Promotes self-efficacy
Enhances non-verbal communication
Rewrites personal narratives
Creates new meanings
Restores mental health and wellbeing

What happens in a session?

Sessions are client-led and move at a pace that feels safe and respectful.

Depending on your needs, we may work with a range of creative materials and processes which may include:

Drawing or painting
Clay and tactile materials
Collage, mixed media or up-cycled objects
Sandplay and symbol work
Mindfulness and body movement
Outdoor exploration and natural materials
Storytelling and gentle reflective conversation
Photography and digital applications

Sessions are not restricted to the indoors and sensory requirements are always considered. There is no pressure to use modalities that may be activating or cause discomfort.

Many people think that they have to be an artist to participate in arts therapy. This is not the case. Arts therapy is about expression and communication through art-making. There is no pressure to produce something “good.” The focus is on the process, not product.