Description

Expressive arts therapy is an approach to psychotherapy with roots in indigenous cultures and a rich history of evolution within modalities such as Jungian, person-centered, and Gestalt psychotherapies. Defined by its emphasis on the multi-modal process of healing (exploring many combinations for creativity rather than relying on just one art form), the strategies of expressive arts psychotherapy can prove useful to trauma therapists practicing in a variety of modalities. In this dynamic, self-paced course, participants are oriented to the fundamentals of expressive arts therapy history and approach. Participants are then instructed in how to facilitate an expressive arts process to teach the clinical concepts of grounding and managing emotional affect through widening the window of distress tolerance. Both grounding and widening the affective window of tolerance are vital practices in trauma-focused care. Participants will develop an enhanced respect for how to foster client creativity in working with these concepts and their clinical intricacies. The role of creativity and the practice of making art are also discussed as mechanisms of action in processing traumatic experiences and promoting post-traumatic growth.

The content is then directly translated to EMDR therapists for implementing expressive arts strategies in EMDR therapy Phases 2 and 7 with specific focus on how dual attention stimulus can be used to strengthen connection to expressive/creative resources. The great volume of writing and case material on using creativity to developmentally tailor the standard EMDR protocol for children is also reviewed and referenced in this discussion. Participants will brainstorm how to implement content from the overall workshop to EMDR therapy case conceptualization and treatment planning within the scope of the AIP model.

Objectives

After this course, participants will be able to...

1. Describe the origins of expressive arts therapy (e.g., indigenous traditions, historical threads in Jungian analysis, person-centered psychotherapy, and Gestalt psychotherapy)
2. Define expressive arts therapy and explain its nature as a multi-modal, multi-art process
3. Explain the concept of grounding and why teaching it to clients is relevant in trauma-focused care
4. Implement an expressive arts process to teach grounding in a clinical setting (individual or group), using at least three creative art forms
5. Explain the concept of distress tolerance and why teaching it to clients is relevant in trauma-focused care
6. Implement an expressive arts process to expand distress tolerance in a clinical setting (individual or group), using at least three creative art forms
7. Develop a treatment plan appropriate for the clinical setting in which the participant works, utilizing expressive arts approaches alongside the participant’s primary approach to psychotherapy
8. Implement at least three art forms in the expressive arts tradition in Phase 2 for the purposes of grounding and widening affective window of tolerance, strengthening skills with dual attention stimulus as appropriate
9. Define mindfulness and explain the justification for teaching clients mindfulness skills as part of EMDR therapy preparation
10. Apply no fewer than 4-6 mindfulness strategies to clinical practice, respecting the idea that expressive arts practices can be done mindfully for added creative variation in adapting to client needs
11. Explain how mindfully applied expressive arts strategies can assist EMDR therapists in managing abreaction and dissociation within EMDR therapy sessions
12. Briefly summarize the literature and case studies reviewed in the course on the value of implementing both mindfulness and expressive arts therapy strategies into execution of the standard protocol, especially as an assist in working with complex trauma
13. Strategize how to include expressive arts therapy approaches into individualized closure (Phase 7) plans for clients, explaining how the process can be vital for managing affect in between sessions and overall distress tolerance/containment
14. Explain and implement how creativity and expressive arts approaches can be used to developmentally tailor the standard EMDR therapy protocol for children