Expressive Therapies
Healing children through creative expression.
ART. MOVEMENT. DRAMA. MUSIC.
Imagine: Your child picks up a paint brush or a ball of clay and the session begins.
In the expressive therapies, emotions and imagination find expression in the flow of one art form to another. A painting may lead into a puppet play, and could be followed by an expression on the drum.
Expressive therapies is about “letting it out” and allowing for the hidden and buried to surface. Being angry or hurt is not always easy to put into words but a child can put the feelings into a painting and make it easier for themselves and others to understand. As emotions emerge, they begin to evolve. The possibilities for healing and growth deepen.
This type of therapy gives your child an outlet for their internal world through a flow of enjoyable activities; meanwhile healing is quietly taking place. This is the subtle yet potent healing power of the interplay of the arts. And this is the very experience and essence of the expressive therapies.
CONCERNS
Parent/child relationship
Grief and loss
Social/emotional challenges
Anxiety/depression
Developmental challenges
Autism spectrum
Gender identity
Separation and divorce
Foster care/adoption
Learning challenges/disabilities
Speech
Trauma
MY Work
At Victoria Expressive Therapies children are comforted in a safe and nurturing environment. I believe that a child possesses the inner wisdom to find their own unique way to balance and well-being. Thus I step back, follow the lead of the child and intervene intuitively to direct when needed.
My work addresses the unexpressed, deeper experiences and emotions that underlie a child’s challenges. As the child begins to move through inner conflicts, the arts serve to contain their emotional patterns and memories.
With younger children, I actively involve the parent in our sessions. The arts allow for deep connection. It is essentially a healing space filled with potential for positive change. Strengthening and repairing attachments and exploring new patterns of interaction are part of the therapeutic journey.
BENEFITS OF EXPRESSIVE THERAPIES
The expressive arts have great effects on normal development. They can improve overall well-being, lower stress, improve self-esteem, strengthen coping skills and regulate behaviours.
The expressive therapies also help children cope with life’s bigger challenges. They can help release feelings, allowing the child to move to a place of peace and explore new and healthy ways of being.
Often children who have not had success with other forms of therapy find breakthroughs with the expressive arts.
Expressive arts moves children from surviving to thriving. They emerge more balanced, happy and resilient. Families are strengthened and more at peace.
PARENTS
Parenting is a hard job. We all feel frustrated and overwhelmed at times, not knowing what to do. Imagine new possibilities for you and your child.
Working closely with parents is an important part of my work. We will work together to identify and achieve your treatment goals for your child.
Your role in your child’s development is pivotal. I see parents as therapeutic agents for change in their children. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, emotional healing and improving family dynamics are ultimately a team effort.
As part of the therapy, I offer practical guidance and recommendations to help you move past your family’s challenges. Together we will create positive change in your home.
Curious? Get Help for your child now.