ABOUT ART THERAPY

“Art therapy combines the creative process and psychotherapy, facilitating self-exploration and understanding. Using imagery, colour and shape as part of this creative therapeutic process, thoughts and feelings can be expressed that would otherwise be difficult to articulate.”

Canadian Art Therapy Association website: www.canadianarttherapy.org/what-is-art-therapy

While Art Therapy focuses on using the visual arts, Expressive Arts Therapy and Creative Arts Therapy employ all the arts (visual art, writing, music, drama, dance and movement). All/any of the arts are powerful tools people can use to access emotions that they may have had a hard time identifying previously. They may serve as a stepping-stone to being able to speak articulately about feelings and thoughts. This helps clients process their feelings about the changes or challenges they are experiencing. 

International Expressive Arts Therapy Association website: ieata.org

Mindfulness: The awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment with no judgment. By focusing on the breath, the idea is to cultivate attention on the body and mind as it is, moment to moment, and so help with pain, both physical and emotional.

Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that teaches us to reduce reactions to stress, slow down racing thoughts, let go of negativity, and calm our mind and body. By inducing our relaxation response and lowering our heart rate, we reduce anxiety and encourage positive thought patterns and attitudes. Practitioners of mindfulness meditation aim to cultivate self-awareness, and a non-judgmental, loving, compassionate feeling toward themselves and others by fully focusing on "the now".