Expressive Arts…. Another Way of Healing
Healing through expressive arts
If you have been at the Two Roads Wellness Clinic University Avenue location, occasionally you will hear the sound of my steel tongue drum and wonder: “what is going on in that therapist’s room?” My interest in expressive arts therapy started a couple years ago when I was co-leading a group that focused on using expressive arts to promote healing at the University where I was working.
Fast forward to today, and the need for healing continues, as our community has gone through a pandemic that we are still facing and seems nowhere near the end. I started my journey of expressive arts training in January of this year, and should be certified by the end of this year. As I am completing my certification, one of my homework assignments requires me to conduct an expressive arts activity with a group and allow for the group to experience what expressive arts can bring forth for them.
As usual, our ever friendly Two Roads staff came to my rescue. During our most recent staff meeting in March, I provided the attendees with a prompt: “Once upon a time, there were two roads.” From there, the staff co-created a story for themselves using round robin style. After the activity, each staff gets the story from the original prompt created by seven other staff. Through the process, some staff members shared that the story-making activity invoked a sense of connectedness, while they also discovered how the new story revealed itself to them in a way that was very relevant to their personal life right now.
Staff at our University Avenue Office, enjoying the round-robin activity.
Below is an example of the stories:
“Once upon a time, there were two roads. Anna came and decided that she is going to take the one on the left. She looked towards the mountain on the left and saw the sun setting. Anna originally felt good about her decision, but as the sun began to set, she started to worry. Then, a polite fairy named Felicia came to help guide her. The fairy gave Anna two options. She could grant her 3 wishes or get a lantern. Anna thought for a moment but began to feel an anxious pressure to make a decision. She settled on 3 wishes in hopes she could kill 2 birds with one stone. Anna wished for a lantern then decided to pause before moving forward with the next two wishes. She knew she must decide carefully how to proceed. The Fairy Felicia smiled a knowing smile and said “Now Anna, you must use your wishes before moving on.” Anna sighed and slowly responded “...” I wish for a canteen of water.” The water was cold and refreshing. She sat for a moment and took in the sights, smells and view around her. She noticed in that moment that she had everything she needed. As the water quenched her thirst, Anna realized there was no need for further wishes, as all her needs were satisfied in the present.”
Besides expressive arts for the staff, I also created an expressive arts station at the waiting area and invited clients to participate in the story-making process while they enjoy a mandala inspired cookie and create their own mandala while waiting for their sessions. Why mandala you may wonder? “Mandala” is Sanskrit for “sacred circle”. It is a gentle reminder for all of us to reflect on how we have all been separated since the beginning of the pandemic and how distant and disconnected we might have been from each other. Mandala are present in many cultures and is a symbol of healing and art form. When we engage in Mandala making, our left brain (the logic side) can “let go” and we enter into right-brain function where we evoke the relaxation response of healing and well-being.
The Expressive Arts station in the waiting room.
A co-created story
Below is an example of the co-created story collected from our expressive arts station together with the cookies and paper for clients to engage in making mandala.
“Once upon a time, there were two roads, one path was very straight forward and plain, the other was dark and mysterious winding about intricately. It would have been objectively easier to take the plain path, but where was the fun in that? A tree grown tall and it’s roots dig deep strengthening it as it fights the storms of life. Whatever road is taken, I root myself, I trusted myself to take the one that was best for me. It is not going to be an easy journey, but growing is not always easy. I trust that I am on the correct path”
Using expressive modalities
The expressive arts process uses all expressive modalities: be it sound, movement, visual arts or writing, to create a space that allows for deeper meaning in seeking clarity and healing. It incorporates the creative expression into an integrative intermodal approach which is not focused on artistic outcomes but rather on the process of creating. Oftentimes many of us may feel afraid of the creative arts due to our own inner critic about who we are. Engaging in expressive arts does not have to be complicated; anyone and everyone can participate in it.
An example mandala, made by staff.
Trusting the creative process
Putting away our inner critic and trusting the process of creating can be hard. For anyone having difficulty, setting up services at Two Roads is just a phone call away! Whether you schedule to come in or try it out at home, I invite you today to put that inner critic to rest and use some time to enjoy creative expression by trusting the process!
About Two Roads Wellness Clinic
At Two Roads Wellness Clinic, we want to help you find the path that makes a difference in your life. We’re an integrative health clinic offering a vast array of services including, mental health treatments such as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), expressive arts therapy, family therapy, medication management, primary care, integrative nutritional support including genetic nutritional counseling, life coaching, massage therapy, physical therapy, infrared sauna services, community education and outreach, and more.
The Two Roads Wellness Clinic team of therapists, medical and nutrition staff, massage therapists, life coaches, physical therapists, and emotional support animals are ready to help you find an integrated approach to your wellness. To schedule an appointment, visit our contact page, to get started at one of our convenient locations in Champaign, Danville, or Mahomet.