CREATIVITY AND THE EXPRESSIVE ARTS
It can be really difficult to describe your feelings using words. Sometimes things feel impossible to say out loud. Sometimes you may not even know what's wrong, just that something is.
As well as more traditional counselling and psychotherapy, where we work together through talking, I also offer more creative ways of working together. We can work with drawing, images, collage, expressive writing, the use of miniatures, or gentle movement. While this may sound daunting, especially if you don't consider yourself to be "artistic" or "creative", it can to help you express yourself, and to gain a deeper understanding of your thoughts and feelings. Working in this way can lead to important shifts within yourself, releasing difficult feelings that may not be possible with words alone.
An opportunity to use drawing and colours to express feelings and thoughts
A selection of the miniatures I use in therapy. Does one represent you? Or someone else?
It is your choice whether we work in this way, or through more traditional talking therapy. If you would like, we can use a mixture of both, and many clients who like to work creatively will do this. We can experiment with what suits you, finding a pace and an approach that you feel comfortable with. It is most important that you feel comfortable with the way we work together, and either way is right.
You do not need to be "creative" or "artistic" to benefit from working in this way. The creative "product" is not important, what is important is how it reflects and helps you to express your experiences and feelings. I will not judge or interpret any creative processes, but will work with you to explore the feelings expressed and any meaning or insight that may arise from it.
An example of expressive drawing used to express feelings about a situation.
An example of the use of miniatures to describe the relationships within a family.