Talking about our feelings, thoughts and experiences can be challenging and at times upsetting, so there are resources on offer that can communicate things in a way that is not reliant on talking. A card with an image on, a sand tray, a picture or collage can convey so much more than words; they can also talk for you when you’re struggling to do so. These will be at your disposal, if you wish to use them.
Using creativity in therapy can be particularly helpful; with words we can be limited to what we can connect to inside ourselves, not just limited in what we can express. The creative arts are well known for ‘bypassing’ the thinking, more cognitive parts of us and tapping into the more relational and emotional parts of our experiences, as well as those that lie outside of our current awareness.
Working creatively we get to know important aspects of ourselves by visualising them, dialoguing with them, but we can also draw or paint them, make them out of clay, fabrics, play doh, put them in a sand tray or embody them. This can help us access information about our parts that we otherwise might not have known, that might have stayed hidden from us- and run us from the shadows for many years.
It’s also important for me to say that you might decide to never use any of the creative resources on offer in my room…. not one….not EVER, and this is OK! You are in charge of what we explore in sessions and how we explore it.
Chrissie is member of BACP and a qualified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist. Sessions are held at Seale-Hayne, on the outskirts of Newton Abbot, Devon or online. She can be contacted on 07840 069075 or creativetherapysouthdevon@gmail.com