Creative Therapy: Types and Benefits

By Khrystyna Leskiv

Key Takeaways:

• Today, creative therapy is a great way to work through psychological problems, overcome emotional insecurity, and improve your mental state.
• A significant advantage is that this practice does not require any previous artistic experience or special skills in this area. In addition, you can practice creative therapy both independently and with the help of a specialist.
• The main types of creative therapy include Music Therapy, Dance (Movement) Therapy, Poetry Therapy, Art and Craft Therapies, Drama Therapy.
• Music therapy involves learning and using certain relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation or deep breathing to music, playing various musical instruments, singing, analyzing lyrics, and even writing your own music.
• Dance (Movement) therapy is based on the use of body language to work on not only the emotional but also the physiological aspect of a person’s well-being through dance or even simple movements.
• Poetry therapy is aimed at facilitating the understanding of one’s own emotions through rhyming lines, as well as expressing inner feelings through the creation of one’s own poetry.
• In arts and crafts therapy, you can try your hand at painting, drawing, coloring, clay modeling, carving, photography, collage making, etc. for deeper self-knowledge and more distinctive self-expression.
• Dramatic art gives you the opportunity to feel yourself in any social role and try on different behavioral models by playing different roles both according to a script and through improvisation.
• Creative therapy is a unique opportunity for those people who may have difficulty with traditional talk therapy or prefer a more experimental approach to healing.

For many people, art is a relaxing and inspiring activity regardless of whether they are professionals or just enjoying it as amateurs. However, artistic expression has a much more substantial impact on a person than just spending time with pleasure.

In this way, you can work on your feelings and emotions, express them without words, free yourself from the burden of thoughts, and find a kind of relief.

Numerous scientific studies have already proved that being engaged in creative activities has a beneficial effect on a person’s moral and psychological state and helps in the fight against nervous disorders and even phobias.

In general, this approach can be characterized as creative therapy — using any type of art in a therapeutic context. Its significant advantage is that no artistic skills or previous artistic experience are required. The main goal is to help people overcome their mental, emotional, and physical problems and achieve personal well-being through creative expression.

One more thing to mention, therapist consultation is not mandatory in this case. You can work through your problems completely on your own. However, seeing a qualified specialist will certainly improve the final results of your efforts as they will be able to tailor the type of therapy that suits you best, explain their professional view of your situation, and provide you with some needed advice.

Music Therapy

Music has a significant impact on the human mind and is an excellent tool for detaching from routine issues. Its aspects, such as melody, rhythm, pitch, and volume, are processed by different parts of the human brain. For these reasons, music is often used as a way to assess a person’s emotional and even physical state.

Music therapy involves learning relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation or deep breathing, accompanied by music, playing various musical instruments to anyone’s liking, singing, listening to, analyzing, and discussing lyrics, and even composing your own music.

The practice of such activities positively influences people having certain mental disorders, addictions, developmental disabilities, chronic pain, and even Alzheimer’s disease. By and large, music therapy helps to release emotions and feelings, boosts memory, and reduces depression and anxiety. Here you can learn more about the general effects of music on the human body.

In fact, there is no right or wrong approach to using music for improving your welfare. Opt for the music which is most appealing and, more important, works best for you.

Dance (Movement) Therapy

This type of therapy is based on the use of body movements to work on enhancing the cognitive, emotional, social, and physiological aspects of a person’s well-being. In this type of activity, you can test yourself out in diverse types of dances by trying to move in different styles and rhythms. This practice is aimed at boosting self-esteem, finding a connection with your body, and combating body image complexes. In addition, you can improve your interpersonal skills and explore your complex experiences through movements rather than words. On a physiological level, movement therapy can increase strength, relieve muscle tension, and enhance flexibility and coordination.

When a therapist is involved, they can help you interpret your self-expressive movements, focus you on your body sensations and breathing, and offer special techniques specific to the therapy.

Poetry Therapy

Poetry therapy is centered around rhyming words of the poems. Reading, comprehending, and analyzing poetic lines helps a person to recognize themselves, identify their emotions, understand the connection between the appearance of these emotions and everyday situations, and find peace of mind. In addition to simply consuming poetic material, this therapy also involves the creation of one’s own poetry. The use of various imagery and metaphors in the poems makes it easier for patients to express themselves and convey their inner feelings. Poetry aids people with complex neurological problems and introverted outlooks to feel less lonely and learn to open up.

Such therapy may include the following components:

• receptive, when a person reads a poem and responds to its meaning in a certain way;
• expressive, which implies the person’s involvement in creativity, namely working on their own pieces of writing;
• symbolic, which provides for utilizing metaphors and imagery to facilitate the expression of complex emotions and feelings.

Poetry therapy is quite compatible with existential therapy, which aims to cognize human existence and understand the human condition under the impact of everyday problems.

Art and Craft Therapies

Art and crafts also favorably affect mental and physical health, which is why it is often used in therapies of the same name. Their techniques include painting, drawing, coloring, clay modeling, carving, photography, collage making, etc. Further analysis of the obtained results can reveal the psychological and emotional connotations conveyed by the person in their works of art, which later can be discussed with the therapist.

People who engage themselves in such creative activities set up a safe and individual space for deeper self-knowledge and more distinctive self-expression. It does not matter whether they associate themselves with artists or not, since such processes not only bring benefits but also guarantee a good time for anyone.

Drama Therapy

Combining the methods of psychotherapy and drama, this therapy creates a unique area for self-expression and combating emotional instability. An important advantage of this approach to improving the psychological state is the ability to feel yourself in any social role, try on various behavioral patterns, experience and comprehend different ways of responding to certain stimuli and problems that a person may face. By practicing drama, you can abstract yourself from everyday life, create an atmosphere that will please you, and enjoy it to the fullest. The methods of this type of therapy can include roleplaying either according to a script or by improvisation, sharing stories, or simply doing acting exercises.

Hence, creative therapy is a particular way of refining one’s overall well-being through various artistic means, such as art, music, dance, literature, and drama. It offers a unique opportunity for those people who may have difficulty with traditional talk therapy or prefer a more experimental approach to healing. Creative approaches to therapy and methods of their implementation will undoubtedly help you find your inner self and cope with your internal struggles.

Remember that any of these creative therapies will be useful not only for those who have faced some life challenges but also for everyone who wants to break their routine in a certain way. So, choose your favorite one and try it out as soon as you can.

Follow us on other social media: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter