Art therapy gives clients the opportunity to express themselves non-verbally through using art-based mediums (e.g., drawing, painting, collage, sculpture-making etc.), which may support them in making deeper connections compared to traditional talk-based approaches alone. When clients engage with art-making in a therapeutic context, they are better able to bypass the higher order processing/intellectual portions of their brains (i.e., the pre-frontal cortex, temporal lobes etc.) and to access the more primal/instinctual regions (i.e., the brainstem, the limbic system, the basal ganglia etc.). For those who have experienced a traumatic event(s), these ancient, survival-based systems and responses often become over-activated as a self-protective mechanism. The stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system's fight-or-flight mode can become chronic, persisting long after a threat has been eliminated and safety has been restored. This is why those with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often experience flash-backs and other psychophysiological impacts to their overall functioning and well-being. Art therapy can serve as an invaluable tool in rehabilitating a client's traumatized brain and nervous system and in helping them to feel more empowered.

 

The creative process can disrupt this vicious cycle of nervous system over-activation by allowing trauma survivors to access a flow state, which is a form of mindful immersion in a task that can support an increase in present engagement and feelings of ease. Art-making can therefore be used to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which involves the rest and digest modes (i.e., safety-oriented rather than threat-oriented). When a client is able to attune to their here-and-now experience with nonjudgemental observation, curiosity to sensory experiences, and an openness to creative exploration, they can start to rebuild an embodied sense of safety. This serves as a necessary foundation for clients to develop increased feelings of centredness and to access greater possibilities for growth. In a nutshell, these techniques can all be utilized to support emotional regulation, stress management, and trauma-recovery.

 

No prior art experience or skillset is required to participate in art therapy. These exercises are intended to be process rather than product-based, which can support clients in being more self-compassionate. The completed piece can also be used as a springboard for therapeutic dialogue between client and counsellor, which often elicits useful insights for making healing connections.

 

My clients have the added benefit of being able to participate in art therapy in the natural setting of the Namastables farm property. Clients can either make art indoors in the office space or outdoors at the picnic tables, in one of the set-up stalls, or at any number of other available spots. The warmth of the sun, the sensation of light breezes, the chirping of birds, and the various sounds of the resident farm animals can further assist clients in engaging in mindfulness and achieving relaxation.

 

Clients of any age group can participate in art therapy and it can be utilized to address a vast range of clinical concerns. Those who are neurodiverse or younger in age may particularly resonate with this treatment format since it provides outlets for non-verbal modes of communication and eliminates the often rigid or even intimating face-to-face structure of traditional talk-based formats.