Creative Recovery: Art as Therapy

In this article, we will discuss expressive arts therapy by explaining the interventions used and the difference between expressive arts therapy and creative arts therapies. You will be introduced to expressive arts therapy techniques and ideas for your psychotherapy and counseling sessions, both with individual adults and groups. Expressive arts therapy is a multimodal holistic health intervention that mobilizes creative expression in the service of healing both mind and body. CBT exercises in a group setting can be invaluable in relapse prevention. Most addiction treatment programs use this form of evidence-based behavioral health therapy. Art and other creative expression group activities provide people in recovery with an outlet for self-expression and emotional release.

Creativity for Addiction Recovery?

No matter the feelings, experiences, traumas, or mental state, you have the ability to express them through art. By spending a few minutes to focus on an art project, people will gain a sense of accomplishment and perhaps some insight into their thoughts and feelings. art therapy for addiction Each of these art projects is a great part of a journey toward recovery and can be completed in a residential treatment center. If you or a loved one are suffering with substance abuse or addiction and want further help, Contact Steps Recovery Centers.

Create and Meditate with the Lighthouse Activity

Some pre-linguistic symptoms from trauma, grief, addiction, and anxiety may be inaccessible to conventional language processing. New neural pathways can be built through creative expression, which is a much more potent approach than talking. Group activities are a common part of addiction treatment plans because they help clients foster healthy relationships and grow their support network, promoting relapse prevention and long-term sobriety. And some recovering addicts might want to stay away from “having fun” because having a good time might have meant drinking or drug use in the past.

How Art Impacts Community

Moreover, art therapy has been shown to raise self-awareness and improve confidence levels. This is important because living with addiction often leads to negative self-talk that erodes self-esteem over time. Through art therapy, individuals can explore positive aspects of themselves or parts of themselves that need improvement without feeling judged.

What is Expressive Arts Therapy?

It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. Experiential therapy uses expressive techniques and activities to help adults re-experience and process situations from the past. As adults participate in the activities, they begin to identify and experience emotions linked with past experiences that may be negatively impacting them in the present day. As repressed emotions are released, individuals can experience positive feelings in the present. Art and music therapy can be helpful for individuals struggling with a wide range of addictions, including drugs, alcohol, gambling, and food addiction.

Music Therapy

She then asked us to create small visual images on paper for each of the important things we kept in there. This activity allowed us to explore the parts of ourselves that we were holding onto, both positive and negative. Let me just say, when it came time to process as a group, things got emotional. This simple yet powerful art therapy directive works well for clients who are struggling to define who they are.

• The first mask represented how they felt on the inside and the things they hid from others.
• As a tool for those struggling with a mental health or substance use disorder, art can be a way to express trauma, pain and emotions in an entirely new way.
• Art therapy helps to create a calming environment where individuals can work through difficult emotions through art instead of through verbal expression.
• These people aren’t here to judge but can help you interpret what you’ve expressed, share their own artistic works, and more.

Therapeutic Activities To Do in Recovery

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others through CBT, this collection contains 17 validated positive CBT tools for practitioners. Use them to help others overcome unhelpful thoughts and feelings and develop more positive behaviors. The best place to get started with expressive arts, is by learning more about it. Have a look at the following selection of courses, spread out over the globe.

Join The Echo Community

So we brainstormed other creative ways we could still support the addiction recovery and sober community, but could give back in other ways. Most people with substance use disorder are likely to suffer from mental health conditions. If you also have a dual diagnosis, you must follow a collaborative treatment plan that can simultaneously address both disorders. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ For many in addiction recovery, a coping mechanism can help individuals cope and deal with specific challenges. Similar to a worry stone, mindfulness beads can become a cornerstone for dealing with anxious and negative emotions. With thank you cards, participants can also paint, draw, or even craft their cards to put a more personal touch on them.

Guided Journals to Use in Therapy

I came up with this art therapy directive while working with a parent who was stuck in a pattern of self-defeating thoughts and behaviors. Her meaning around her ability to be a good mom was wrapped up in guilt about her past drug use. Her immense guilt seemed to rule her decision-making more often than not, and it seemed to extinguish any instincts she may have felt with regard to self-care. In my experience, it’s most helpful to leave some parts of the activity open-ended. In other words, don’t specify what kind of bridge or body of water they should depict. This version of the bridge drawing technique comes from the Handbook of Art Therapy, from the section on clinical application with adults.