Expressive therapy

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Expressive therapy, also known as creative arts therapy, is the intentional use of the creative arts as a form of process art therapy. Unlike traditional art expression, the process of creation is emphasized rather than the final aesthetic product. Expressive therapy works under the assumption that through use of imagination and the various forms of creative expression, humans can heal. Most forms of creative expression have an equivalent therapeutic discipline:

Art Therapy - The use of painting, drawing, sculpture and other forms of plastic art as therapy.
Dance Therapy - The use of kinesthetic expression as therapy.
Drama Therapy - The use of theater tools and improvisation as therapy. Includes Psychodrama.
Music Therapy - The use of listening, playing and personalizing music as therapy.
TaKeTiNa Rhythm Process - The use of polyrhythmic movement and singing as a meditative, introspective practice.
Play Therapy - The use of playing with toys, observing play as therapy. Includes sandtray therapy.
Writing therapy - The use of the written word, generated and historical as therapy. Includes poetry therapy and Bibliotherapy.
Humor therapy -The use of laughter, jokes, slap stick, gags, and magic as therapy. Includes Clowns, clowning, and clown ministry.

Expressive therapists are often known as dance therapists, art therapists, music therapists, drama therapists and as other names based on their choice of primary artistic expression, also known as their modality. Usually, being an expressive therapist is a masters level clinician, often coupled with other liscensure or certification. In common, all expressive therapists share the belief that it is through creative expression and the tapping of the imagination a person can examine the body, feelings, emotions and his or her thought process.

Although often separated by the form of creative art, some expressive therapists consider themselves intermodal, using expression in general, rather than a specific discipline to treat clients, altering their approach based on the clients' needs, or through using multiple forms of expression with the same client to aid with deeper exploration.

Expressive therapists (also known as expressive arts therapists) work with a wide variety of populations in a wide variety of environments. They have worked in areas such as children’s mental health, medical illness, mourning, aging, autism, etc., in clinics, school settings, mental hospitals, senior centers, and prisons. The field has lately been extended beyond therapy into education, coaching and consulting, and social change.

There is a registration process for the the Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT) with the International Expressive Arts therapy Association (www.ieata.org).

Significant contributors to this field include Shaun McNiff, Paolo Knill, Stephen Levine and Ellen Levine. The most recent comprehensive book in the field is Principles and Practice of Expressive Arts Therapy: Toward a Therapeutic Aesthetics, by Paolo Knill, Ellen Levine and Stephen K. Levine.

Several universities including The European Graduate School in Switzerland (EGS), Lesley University and the California Institute of Integral Studies, offer masters and doctoral programs in this field.

The Arts, Health and Society Division of the European Graduate School EGS offers certificate programs (MAPS and CAGS) and Masters and Doctoral degrees in Expressive Arts Therapy and Expressive Arts Coaching and Consulting, Education, and Social Change. Paolo Knill is the Rector of the EGS, Stephen K. Levine the Dean of the Doctoral Program, Margo Fuchs the Dean of the M.A. Programs in Expressive Arts and Ellen Levine the Dean of Independent Studies and the Director of the Expressive Arts and Social Change Program.