Creative Arts Therapies: Healing Through Expression
In my last blog I wrote about Narrative Therapy, and how I believe it can help support clients to find that new way of being. I find it to be even more effective when combined with Creative Arts Therapies. Let me tell you why.
Sometimes, words aren’t enough, or they can’t be verbally expressed in a way that truly reflects how we feel. But in those moments of overwhelm when grief or anxiety makes it hard to speak, or when you’re searching for meaning in a period of distress, creative expression offers another way forward. This is where Creative Arts Therapies come in, therapeutic approaches that use art, music, movement, drama, writing, and other creative processes to help you explore your experiences, express your emotions, and discover new ways of seeing yourself.
Creative Arts Therapies are approaches that use creative processes within a therapeutic relationship to support emotional healing and personal growth. They include:
Art Therapy: Expressing feelings through visual art forms like drawing, painting, or sculpture.
Music Therapy: Using listening, creating, or performing music to explore and regulate emotions.
Drama Therapy & Psychodrama: Working with storytelling, role‑play, and performance to process experiences and try out new ways of being.
Dance/Movement Therapy: Exploring feelings and body awareness through movement.
Writing Therapy: Using journaling, poetry, and therapeutic letter writing to gain insight and re‑author your personal story.
Expressive Arts Therapy: Combining multiple art forms for deeper exploration.
While each therapy is unique, they all share a core purpose: to help you connect with yourself and your emotions in a way that feels safe, meaningful, and deeply human.
I have long been a believer in the healing power of creative expression, and I like to use three, in particular, to complement my narrative and cultural approaches:
1. Music Therapy
Having written about it in a previous blog, my belief in the efficacy of Music Therapy is no secret. It connects us to our inner selves in a way that words often can’t. There are many facets to Music Therapy but in my integrative approach, it can involve listening to pieces that resonate with your experience or exploring songs that hold personal meaning, helping you connect with memories, values, and emotions. It can help with emotional regulation, processing trauma, building resilience, and even reconnecting with your cultural or personal identity.
2. Drama Therapy & Psychodrama
Sometimes, it can be easier to step outside ourselves when struggling with emotional expression and healing happens through acting it out, rather than talking it out. Drama therapy uses storytelling, role‑play, and improvisation to explore experiences in a safe, supported way. Psychodrama goes a step further, allowing you to revisit key life events, try out different responses, and even imagine alternative endings. These practices can be especially helpful for releasing stuck emotions, exploring relationships from a different perspective, building confidence, or even envisioning new possibilities for your future.
3. Writing Therapy (Journaling, Poetry, and Compassionate Letter Writing)
Writing is such a deeply personal means of expression, helping to bring clarity, relief, and insight. Journaling helps to explore your inner world and track emotional patterns while poetry offers a creative way of expressing complex feelings. Compassionate letter writing, to yourself, a loved one, or even a part of your life story, helps to foster understanding, forgiveness, and closure. Writing Therapy helps you make sense of experiences, re‑author your story, and connect with your values and hopes.
Engaging with Creative Arts Therapies isn’t about producing art or performance for others. It’s about reconnecting with yourself, your emotions, your resilience, your story, and discovering fresh ways to move forward. These tools help you to explore and express yourself in a way that may feel less challenging, less confronting, helping you to build a story of healing, hope, and growth. Now that deserves a round of applause.
Mind yourself.
Alan.