Expressive Arts Therapy
Creativity as a pathway to healing, clarity, and self-connection.
Expressive arts therapy invites the deeper parts of you to speak — not through pressure or performance, but through color, symbol, texture, and imagination. It’s a gentle, grounding way to access emotions that may feel too tangled, overwhelming, or wordless to articulate. You don’t need artistic skill, special materials, or experience. Just curiosity, presence, and the willingness to explore.
In my practice, expressive arts is integrated into both weekly therapy and IFS-informed EMDR intensives to support deeper nervous system regulation and emotional insight. Creativity becomes a bridge — helping you connect with the parts of yourself that have long held your fears, stories, or hopes.
Why Expressive Arts?
Many clients find expressive arts healing because it allows you to:
- Access emotions that live beneath the surface
- Connect with your inner world through imagery and metaphor
- Process trauma gently and nonverbally
- Create space for self-compassion and self-expression
- Reconnect with creativity after burnout or people-pleasing
- Make sense of experiences your nervous system couldn’t put into words
Expressive arts is not about the “art” — it’s about giving your system more ways to communicate and release.
How Expressive Arts Is Used in Therapy
Each session is tailored to your nervous system and your internal parts. Depending on your goals, we may use:
- Simple drawing or symbol-making
- Guided imagery or creative visualization
- Color work for emotion mapping
- Collage for internal parts exploration
- Gentle movement or embodiment cues
- Creative journaling or prompts
Everything is optional and collaborative. You choose what feels right for you.
Expressive Arts in EMDR Intensives
A supportive way to prepare, process, and integrate deeper work.
In IFS-informed EMDR intensives, expressive arts becomes a grounding companion to the deeper processing that happens in extended sessions. Creativity helps your internal system feel resourced, supported, and understood before and after EMDR work.
How Expressive Arts Supports an Intensive
1. Pre-Processing (Preparation)
- Mapping protective parts
- Exploring nervous system patterns through imagery
- Identifying anchors, inner resources, and symbols of safety
This helps your system feel steady and ready to begin deeper EMDR work.
2. During the Intensive
- Quick symbol-making to track parts
- Color shifts that mirror emotional shifts
- Drawing or visual metaphors that help you stay connected to your Self
These creative cues help your system stay regulated without interrupting the EMDR flow.
3. Integration & Closure
- Reflective art or journaling
- Creative grounding exercises
- Visual mapping of insights, calm, and clarity
This helps your nervous system settle and supports longer-term integration.
Who This Approach Is For
Expressive arts therapy and expressive arts–integrated EMDR intensives are especially supportive for clients who:
- Feel disconnected from their inner voice
- Struggle to express emotions in words
- Carry trauma responses, anxiety, or burnout
- Enjoy symbolic, creative, or imaginative work
- Want a gentle, non-pathologizing approach
- Benefit from mind–body–creative integration
If you’ve ever felt “stuck,” “frozen,” or “overwhelmed” in traditional talk therapy, expressive arts may offer a new path forward.
Session Format & Availability
Expressive arts sessions and expressive arts–infused EMDR intensives are offered virtually for comfort, accessibility, and flexibility. Materials used are simple, accessible, and often things you already have at home.
If you’re not sure where to start, expressive arts can be gently introduced into any therapy session.