Arielle Houghton
Ash to Creation
What is Expressive Arts Therapy?
Expressive Arts Therapy (EXA) is a therapeutic approach that integrates talk therapy with the creative process to transform challenges into opportunities for growth. Unlike traditional methods that rely solely on verbal exchange, EXA invites you to engage with your subconscious through various non-verbal"languages" of expression.
A typical session might look like this:
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Attunement: We begin with a brief dialogue or a reflection prompt to identify a current challenge or feeling.
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Decentering: We gently shift our focus away from the challenge and into the creative act. This might involve visual arts (painting, sculpting), movement, creative writing, drama, or sound. Arielle will offer suggestions but the client will have the autonomy to choose which artistic modality they feel called to in the moment.
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Reflection: We hold space for what emerged. By looking at the piece and the process we are honouring the act of creation. In this stage we are intentionally noticing what was supportive, or challenging, and where we feel attracted. This deepens our insight and allow the wisdom of the subconscious to surface.
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Bridge: Finally, we reflect on the connection between the creative process and your life, allowing new perspectives and solutions to emerge naturally over time.
Why Choose Expressive Arts?
Traditional therapy is excellent for understanding the "why," but sometimes we run out of words, or trauma can make verbal expression too painful and triggering. EXA is particularly effective when you feel "stuck" or are looking for new ways to integrate or approach a challenge. By moving from talking to dancing, or from painting to poetry, we break the patterns of the analytical mind and tap into a deeper, more resilient source of healing. Read on to explore more about Expressive Arts Therapy.
My EXA Principles
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Low skill, high sensitivity - No art experience required. All activities are designed for low skill (entry level) and allow for "high sensitivity" to allow us to connect with our embodied wisdom.
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Feel it to heal it - bottling up emotions leads to health issues down the road. There are moments to focus on the task at hand, but that should not come at the cost of making space for your feelings when the time is right. The arts can be a gentle way of accessing feelings or memories stored in the subconscious. All emotions are welcome in this space.
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Let the art hold it - you don't have to do it all alone. Letting the art hold your experience and emotions allows a safe distancing so you can decide how you want to relate to the topic.
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The client is the expert, the therapist is the witness/companion - We are walking this journey together, but the client makes the decisions. From which colour to use, or what sound is resonating, only the client can know what is truly happening in their internal and external world. In this way, the client is the expert, and the therapist is there to support their journey, not tell them what to do or where to go next.
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The senses bring us into presence - When the world or feelings feel overwhelming, our sense of sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound ground us in this moment. Here is where we breath. Here is where we are truly alive.
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Find what satisfies, find what pleases - Have you noticed a propensity to focus on what is NOT working? Let's shift that for a moment, and find what excites, what draws us closer, what energizes us. This becomes our guide. We don't only move away from what we don't like, but towards what brings us pleasure.
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The ugly holds wisdom too - The "ugly" is something that evokes strong emotions and our emotions are our guides, a barometer, helping us navigate uncharted territory. Sometime the ugly needs an exit point so we can move closer to beauty. The ugly is part of our becoming.
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Yes, and - There is your truth, and there is always space for something more, something new, something expansive to emerge.
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Repeat to regulate - Structure and repetition are supportive to nervous system regulation. Each iteration allows us to go a little deeper into the practice and discover unseen insights.
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Pace and space for what's needed to emerge - Life moves fast, let's slow it down a bit so we can let what wants to be seen to find it's way back in.
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Exa-ploration - Everything we do is exploratory. Exploration can be messy and new, but rarely perfect. Give yourself space to make mistakes and discover insights. Exploration is a growth mindset.
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Focus on resources/feed what you want to grow - You may not always think it or feel it, but your a wealth of resources. Your experiences, abilities, skills, relationships, even objects, all of it can support you and help you build resilience, if you notice it!
Who is Expressive Arts Therapy for?
In my experience, Expressive Arts Therapy is especially effective for those who have an open mind and a desire for growth. No art experience is required, but an openness, interest or sensitivity to any art form is required. Expressive Arts (EXA) is especially suitable for folks who are looking for a new or different way to move through challenges in their life, and willing to allow that experience be fun or playful. Because of it's indirect nature, EXA can be especially supportive to those with traumatic experiences, neurodivergence, youth or those drawn to embodiment practices (somatics) because of their willingness to try something other than talking about their difficulties.