art therapy

Art therapy is a distinct profession that combines creative processes, active art making, psychological theories, and human experience to promote self-care, transformation, and healing. We engage the visual languages of metaphor, symbolism, and instinct as built-in resources to create additional paths to wellness.

what to expect in art therapy…

 
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Orientation

We will review the art materials available and some of the principles of art therapy. You can’t do this wrong.

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Direction

Together, we will identify a theme, question, or area for exploration using art materials and our instincts.

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Exploration

You will receive structured creative prompts to help you notice and respond to your nervous system.

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Reflection

We will reflect on the process and witness your imagery together as it relates to your area of exploration.

 

"The only way I have ever understood, broken free, emerged, healed, forgiven, flourished, and grown powerful is by asking the hardest questions and then living into the answers…and transmuting it into creativity".

~Sue Monk Kidd , author of Dance of the Dissident Daughter

benefits of art therapy

 

Hands-on sensory engagement helps us to regulate our nervous systems and tune into our body’s natural rhythms.

 
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We grow our abilities for self-expression and develop new ways of responding to the unexpected.

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We develop increased comfort with uncertainty, while reclaiming an ability to experiment, play, and find a sense of flow.

 
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Art-making allows us to externalize beliefs/ideas that we have inherited and to actively create new meanings for ourselves.

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Art-making presents us with choice and power as the art becomes the container for difficult emotions and experiences.

 
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Experiential activities help us to stay grounded in the present, allowing us to explore the past or future with intention.

 

art supplies

There are usually a lot of materials around the house that can be used creatively and I have a well-stocked home studio for in-person services. If you want to try something new, thrift stores and dollar stores provide some great options. Additionally, Bow Valley Basics has a great selection locally, or you can order online from Delta Art & Drafting Supplies. If you’d like to receive an Art Therapy Discovery Guide with more information please contact me.

Our brains are wired to be creative, and the only thing stopping you from expressing the creativity that is your birthright is your belief that there are creative people and uncreative people and that you fall in that second category.

~ Shelly Carson