Creativity in Therapy

Inspiring therapists and counselors to be more creative

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Family Values Collage

When they come in to therapy, a lot of families want to focus on the problems. On one level, the makes sense – the problems are the things that they want to change, the reason that they are needing outside help from a therapist. But focusing on the problems alone – whether in talk or in art therapy – is usually not enough to really strengthen and heal the family. Doing a family values collage is one way to help bring the family together, shift their interactions, and help them build on their … [Read more...]

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The Power of Hope-filled Art

This past week I worked on my postcards for the Hope-filled Art Postcard Exchange, organized by Gretchen Miller and Nancy Lautenbach and part of 6 Degrees of Creativity. Participants create three art postcards about “hope” to mail out and will receive three in return. You can learn more here: https://6degreesofcreativity.wordpress.com/2016/08/29/creative-deed-project-art-filled-hope-postcard-art-exchange/ (And be sure to follow Art Therapy Alliance and 6 Degrees of Creativity on social media … [Read more...]

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Creating Tissue Paper Collages

Tissue paper can be a great art medium to try in therapy. I find that it helps to encourage playing with colors and materials, experimenting with new techniques, and focusing on the process. For myself, I have always enjoyed that working with tissue paper forces me to be more abstract and less focused on achieving a certain outcome. I have been using tissue paper in some of my groups lately and playing with it in my own art, so I thoughts I would share some ideas for using it in therapeutic … [Read more...]

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Listening to Your Feelings and Needs — Art Therapy Ideas

I recently got a great handout from a training, and I have been using it in a lot of my sessions as a starting point for discussion, a tool for clients to take home, and a prompt for art therapy interventions. The handout is a list of feelings and needs from www.wiseheartpdx.org and is used as part of the Non-Violent Communication method. I haven’t received more than a brief introduction to NVC, but this handout seems to be a great tool for anyone to use as a way to enhance identification and … [Read more...]

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How to Talk to Kids About Their Art

 If you’re like most caring adults, when a kid shows you their artwork, your natural response is to say something nice to them about it – “Good job!” or “That’s so beautiful!” As well-intentioned as these comments are, they actually NOT helpful if we want to encourage creative expression in kids, both at home and in therapy. If you’re surprised by this, here are a few things to consider… Children should make art based on their own ideas, interests, and creativity. Providing praise … [Read more...]

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