What is Expressive Arts Therapy?

Expressive arts therapies involve the use of visual arts, dance, movement, drama, poetry, and music in the context of counseling. However, any personal practice that allows us to express ourselves authentically can be considered a form of expressive art. Viewing expressive arts in this light allows us to expand what healing looks like on an individual level and include practices such as gardening, cooking, and meditation. In clinical terms, expressive arts includes sets of individual approaches:

At Luna Soul Counseling we ascribe to the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association’s (IEATA) recognition that no one individual “invented” expressive arts therapy. In 2017, IEATA held a conference honoring the practices identified as healing by our first nations and explored the indigenous roots of expressive arts therapy.