Creativity and artistry in the therapy room

Today I thought I would share some information on our online journal regarding an area of clinical practice which I am passionate about.

For me, it was inevitable that creativity would be part of my practice. Since I was a child anytime when I’ve been prompted to write down my personality strengths or traits, I would consistently identify myself as a ‘creative’ person. Whether this was through my love of art (painting and drawing), music (listening, more so than instruments, although I have dabbled), other crafty mediums or just trying to problem solve and adapt to situations in a flexible way. 

What I find wonderful about creativity is that it provides an opportunity to self-express, explore, and have fun. I would say that creative pastimes are my preferred method of self-care as a way to get inspired and connect with my most zen self. I tend to think about painting specifically when I think about when I reach a natural state of ‘flow’, where things fall into place and I typically lose my sense of time as I find myself focused on the activity at hand.

Creative pursuits are also a source of connection with others, as sharing creative hobbies can be an opportunity to express inner thoughts, feelings and values. This may be topics of conversation and sharing tastes with others up to finding a sense of belonging as people come together. For instance, have you ever felt that moments of connection and synchronicity to others in a crowd whilst listening, singing, dancing (and perhaps head banding) to live music? If so, you may understand that it can be a rush of sheer joy and catharsis.   

To me, it made sense that as I enter my therapy room I can also bring this part of myself into sessions rather than just ‘leaving it at the door’. This also applies to people entering the therapy room, who may also find that creative practices are a big part of their life and they may introduce their ‘creative self’ into sessions as part of their therapy journey. However, just because you have creative pastimes does not mean that this always has to be the case either. It comes down to tailoring the experience to each individual and what works for them, which I would argue is a brilliant advantage of working with practitioners with their value base set in humanism and a one-size-does-not-fit-all approach. 

What can creativity look like in therapy? 

I guess the short answer here is that creativity can look like anything you would like it to. It’s autonomy, freedom and openness in sessions.  

For creatives, such as artists, musicians, writers and so forth, they may want to bring in art (paintings/drawings, photography, songwriting, poetry, etc.) to digest in therapy, whether it’s their own work or something they have resonated with. Yes, we are open to having a conversation why that particular song lyric feels as if it is “about you”.  

It may also be drawing things out in session, using a whiteboard, a pen and paper or even describing experiences through useful metaphors that clients connect with. This can help to express the positions that we fit ourselves in our lives, or the sensations that run through our bodies associated with our feelings.  

For others, creativity can still be useful despite not necessarily identifying as a ‘creative person’. It may be used in a less obvious way. For instance, some people find it useful using guided imagery exercises helpful in aiding relaxation and mindfulness techniques, or even using our five senses to stay grounded. 

In my role, the opportunity to explore these thoughts and emotions dynamically is a privilege. Sharing these parts of ‘the self’ in therapy may unlock a deeper insight into personal values and deep-rooted feelings that have been difficult to process. This is because art has a unique ability to transcend language expressing experiences that may be difficult to put into words. What this means is that it can be used as a tool or a starting point to explore and find a way into another person’s inner world. For practitioners this can mean meeting someone at relational depth. For clients this can mean feeling understood and seen by your therapist.  

While traditional talk therapy methods do hold value, integrating creative techniques and experiential methods in the therapy room can help us to access emotions. It can also help us connect with ourselves, bringing joy and playfulness into the room which ultimately fosters the healing in an empowering manner.  

What can Counselling Psychologists offer? 

To understand why I think Counselling Psychologists are uniquely suited to including more holistic approaches in their practice which are inherently creative, it may be useful to consider a pluralistic philosophy. We are taught and practice more than one therapeutic approach and understand that each approach has its own value. This means that we explore different ways to deliver talk therapies and try our best to adapt and tailor our approach with our client's needs. This means working collaboratively with each individual client to determine what therapy may best suits them. Ultimately, regardless of the chosen therapy,  we try our best to inspire curiosity and self-reflection in sessions to boost self-awareness. As we become more self-aware we can begin to understand the movement towards change, including opportunities and obstacles towards growth. It is hoped that this process can be used to build resilience and empower client’s to navigate life’s challenges.  Thus, there is a space for including creativity and artistry in our practice.  

At MAPP Psychology our Counselling Psychologists and Psychological Therapists are flexible in their way of working. If you are interested in working through your problems in an open and potentially creative manner please contact us for a free consultation.  

For any Counselling Psychologist or trainee Counselling Psychologist readers, if you would like further information or a chat about this topic. I’ll be presenting my research about the development of Creativity and Artistry in clinical practice in the form of a poster presentation at the Division of Counselling Psychology Conference in July this year.

-Corinne Tatem