Creative Arts Therapy
Creative Arts Therapy is an evidence-based mental health specialty and an individualized process within the context of a therapeutic relationship that practiced by an expert creative arts therapist* who uses various art forms (drama, art, dance & movement, music, poetry, photography etc.) as a path toward growth or healing.
The arts therapies provide a holistic approach to health and well-being, fostering a person’s creativity as an integral resource for change, and supporting connections between body, mind, emotions, and spirit in order to help people encourage them to realize their potential fully.
"An expert creative arts therapist is a person who completed their academic education and specialized in this field, and is registered to an international professional association."
Why is Creative Arts Therapy?
Talk therapy focuses on verbalizing thoughts and emotions, while arts therapy uses various arts forms as a means of expression. These arts forms can be drama, storytelling, art, dance, photography, music and more… Arts therapy can provide a way to access and explore emotions that may be difficult or even impossible to express verbally. Having said that you do not need to have any artistic skills. Arts therapy is for everyone.
Our identities are shaped by the stories we tell about ourselves and the meanings we make of our lives. Especially in drama therapy, we create various roles and stories. The freedom to subconsciously explore our roles and stories helps us reflect and examine them.
During this process our shattered life stories begin to lose their meaning and the creative process inspires and empowers us to recreate and rewrite them. Allowing us to become active participants in our own life stories encourages us to become ourselves.
If you have any questions or would like to understand whether this is for you, or would like to explore this process with me please feel free to book a free online introductory session.
I would be honored to be a part of your journey to becoming yourself…
Where and for Whom is Creative Arts Therapy Used?
For the most part, anyone without age restriction can benefit from creative arts therapies. Globally, Creative Arts Therapy is used in hospitals, especially in the departments of psychiatry and oncology, clinics, family health and therapy centers, non-governmental organizations, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, private offices and various other institutions and organizations, schools and companies in many countries.
Who can practice arts therapies?
In order to be a Creative Arts Therapist, it is essential to get an academic education, like every professional field. It is requisite to have a postgraduate degree in at least one of the creative arts therapy branches (drama therapy, dance movement therapy, music therapy, art therapy or intermodal). Or as an alternative track, a Board-Certified Trainer can also provide education and training that is equal to an academic education. In general, a curriculum in creative arts therapy programs include both psychology and arts classes and provide both theoretical and practical education in 3 or 4 years. As a part of this education, there is also a compulsory 1000 hours of clinical internship and supervision.
Graduating from these programs is not enough to be an Expert & Registered Creative Arts Therapist. For expert candidates, it is also required to register to a professional association (drama, dance, music, arts therapy), have additional clinical and supervised experience for a certain amount of time, and also fulfill other necessary criteria. To be able to train other professionals in this field, it is also required to become a Board-Certified Trainer (BCT).