Synthesizing Counseling with the Expressive and Creative Arts
Introduction
The use of creative and expressive arts in group or individual counseling comprises several modalities of expression, not limited to play, dance, exercise, technology, music, and drama (Gladding, 2016). These forms of expression can be combined with theoretical practices such as but not limited to cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused therapy to target and improve psychopathology (Degges-White and Davis, 2018). Learning about these forms of expressive arts this semester has been a blessing as my knowledge prior to taking this course was minimal. I felt a great sense of excitement reading about these disciplines and learning effective ways of utilizing interventions with my students. Expressive arts interventions are impactful as they can help to process difficult life situations for which talk therapy may not be a viable option (Jeon & Myers, 2022). The following essay will review key items that I learned throughout the semester while synthesizing the reading and other research. The first part will review the insight and contributions gained from the course, followed by ethical considerations when utilizing creative and expressive arts in counseling, and ending with a biblical and spiritual worldview of expressive arts.
Insights and Contributions
General Insights
My professional journey with utilizing creative and expressive arts in counseling has expanded as a result of taking this course. Not only did I learn new content, but the class also helped me realize that I have been utilizing creative art interventions for years in my professional practice without knowledge of the label. One of the popular exercises that I utilize with my students involves music in several modalities. Music is a central part of adolescents’ identity, self-exploration, culture, and expression (McFerran, 2012). When having difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings with words, I have seen my students excel when we switch to utilizing music-related mediums to communicate suppressed emotions. This can be in the form of listening to a song and discussing what the lyrics mean afterward or having them share an original song that they wrote. I can still recall the experience of a student expressing feelings of sadness and abandonment from his stepfather by utilizing Justin Bieber’s song “Where Are U.” His biological father was never present in his life and his stepfather had accepted the vacant role before vanishing without notice. My student felt alone, angry, and harbored negative feelings towards his stepdad. The Justin Bieber song helped him express, connect, and start the healing process. Sometimes my students are not aware of the way in which music helps them soothe or why it works at calming heightened emotions. After going through exercises, they start to become more aware as connections are made between lyrics and identified emotions.
Another form of expressive arts that I have been utilizing for years involves journaling. Some of my students like to write, others enjoy drawing or coloring. Some students also enjoy a combination of writing, drawing, and coloring, hence why I have journals that are structured differently in my office. When journaling, I often ask them to share written content with a trusted adult in their home or during the next visit that they schedule with me. Having them complete journaling activities in between visits often results in well-developed thoughts that have been processed and considered. Therefore, when hearing their writing, I focus on key concepts or ideas that may need more exploration or further therapeutic intervention from a community-based therapist. Nevertheless, when arriving at the conclusion that additional support is needed, my students are often introspective and make the request in advance.
Personal and Professional Application
I have considered adding some of the techniques that I learned in this course in my personal life out of pure enjoyment. One of the activities that I plan to continue is the creative arts journal, where we draw a picture that represents any aspect of our week and write a few reflective words at the back of the page. Gladding (2016) mentions that drawing or assessing pictures of other people may bring unconscious thoughts or feelings to the forefront. However, it can also help to soothe and unclutter the mind for better planning and processing. I enjoyed this activity because it forced me to pause during my busy day to engage in self-care. I felt an improvement in my overall disposition when I had the chance to complete the activity compared to days when I did not. Such discovery is consistent with Drake (2018) who found an improvement in mood regulation for participants who engaged in drawing as a form of distraction. In addition to drawing and journaling, I would like to reinstate writing Haikus on a regular basis as an easy and quick way to express my thoughts on paper. I used to write Haiku poems over 20 years ago when I started high school and I remember enjoying the process. Hence, the sense of familiarity when students were prompted to complete this activity in class. I plan to keep a small journal in my purse moving forward that I can easily grab to write my Haikus as a form of self-expression.
Although I have been utilizing music for many years as a counselor in individual sessions with students, I have yet to try it in group sessions. Gladding (2016) gives the idea to start a group session with music so that members hear it as they enter the group environment. I can see how doing this can help to set a positive disposition towards the group. Furthermore, music can help group members establish connections and integrate in a special way (Gladding, 2016). Another form of expressive arts that I look forward to implementing with groups is psychodrama, which I believe my students will enjoy. Psychodrama has the ability to aid in emotional regulation, improved behavior, and other benefits associated with self-expression (Lopez-Gonzalez et al., 2021). I would like to integrate psychodrama into my school counseling curriculum with groups as a fun way to help my students express themselves in a constructive manner. Having the comradery with other group members can also increase self-confidence in knowing that they are not alone while navigating difficult life circumstances. I look forward to applying some of the creative arts exercises that I learned with my students, especially the ones with which I feel more comfortable implementing. I will actively seek consultation and support for others that I have not used in order to make sure that I am approaching them in an ethical manner.
Supervision and Consultation
Incorporating creative and expressive arts into supervision and consultation can be an enjoyable experience but also facilitate growth for supervisees. Expressive arts promote increased communication skills, empathy, improved awareness, and the chance of developing positive connections between supervisees and clients (Purswell & Stulmaker, 2015). Engaging in such a positive relationship with supervisees models the type of relationship that they can have with their clients. Modeling also takes effect when supervisors are applying creative interventions in supervision as a form of teaching supervisees how to apply them with their clients. Supervisors must primarily assess whether supervisees are open to exploring creative art interventions in their supervisory relationship. Once agreed, the possibilities are endless. I had the privilege of utilizing two forms of creative arts in supervision this semester. Due to my enrollment in COUC714-Supervision and Consultation, I had the opportunity to offer supervision and utilize some of the creative art techniques that I learned. One of the techniques involved creating an imagery of my supervisee’s beliefs and values as a Christian versus a mental health professional. She felt split across both values and felt that they clashed with each other. We completed a t-chart to compare and contrast both beliefs on paper while allowing her to cross-reference both sides. My supervisee concluded that both lists were more aligned than divided. It was truly a moment of awakening for her, and I felt humbled to be a vessel along her journey toward self-realization.
Although my experience this summer was positive in utilizing creative interventions in supervision, it is important to note that I only utilized creative interventions in which I felt confident. Supervisors have a responsibility to remain within their scope of practice (ACA, 2014) and utilize interventions in which they are competent and secure. Failing to do so can cause harm and teach supervisees unethical practices. Supervisors have a responsibility to provide guidance and support when supervisees are interested in utilizing creative expressive arts with clients. Unethical practices should be corrected immediately while providing remedial support to supervisees. The following section will cover ethical considerations for implementing expressive arts in general.
Ethical Considerations for Effectively Integrating Expressive Arts
Counselor Competency
Counselors are governed by ethical standards that should always be followed for the benefit of both counselor and client. The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics outlines that counselors should not practice outside of their scope of knowledge (ACA, 2014), which serves as the primary guideline for utilizing expressive arts in counseling. It is not ethical to utilize any technique or intervention in counseling for which there is doubt or apprehension. Doing so can risk causing harm to the client. As it pertains to the expressive arts, Gladding (2016) mentions that when in doubt, counselors should do nothing. Therefore, if a counselor does not feel that he or she has received adequate training in a therapeutic intervention, it should not be utilized. Rosen and Atkins (2014) mention that utilizing creative arts in counseling requires knowledge and skills. They contend that when counselors decide to utilize expressive arts, they should be prepared to attend to an array of different responses from the client. Because the arts have the ability to bypass conscious defenses into the subconscious, it may elicit unplanned responses from the client. These responses can manifest in the form of a crisis, which would require immediate intervention.
Another important ethical factor involves counselor certification and advertisement regarding certain techniques. In order for a therapist to identify and present his or herself to the public as an art therapist, a certification with formal training must be completed (Rosen & Atkins, 2014). Otherwise, therapists should advertise themselves as having the ability to utilize art therapy or other expressive art techniques in counseling. Sharing how skillful counselors are in learning and borrowing from different disciplines within the profession is appropriate and appealing. Posing as an art therapist or other expressive art therapist without certification is unethical. The ACA Code of Ethics encourages counselors to explore new professional areas after adequate training and supervision (ACA, 2014). This also falls under the counselor’s responsibility to remain current in the field and expand on professional knowledge. Such distinction is very important as it provides clear guidelines for the profession.
Telehealth and Technology
Utilizing expressive arts via telehealth also requires counselor competency in ethical standards. Vaudreuil et al. (2022) mention that counselors should be competent in the use of computer devices, internet security, technological resources, and the rules associated with providing telehealth counseling. Counselors also must be intentional about the virtual platform that they are using to provide services to clients. Stasiak et al. (2018) suggest finding a virtual platform that is HIPAA compliant, which is not the standard across platforms. Zoom for instance, although popular and easy to use, does not meet the appropriate privacy standards to conduct therapy. Therefore, counselors have to engage in due diligence when finding a platform that will keep sessions secure. The privacy of clients is of utmost importance and should be honored whether clients are in person or via telehealth communication. Another suggestion from research involves being mindful of clients’ potential to dysregulate during sessions. Clients who are in acute crisis or can dysregulate easily are not good candidates for telehealth services (Stasiak et al., 2018). This connects with the information presented by Rosen and Atkins (2014) in being mindful that expressive arts can elicit unconscious responses from clients. These responses can range from mild to severe reactions. As a result, it would be wise for therapists to have a plan for how to handle virtual crises that may surface throughout the course of therapy. Clients should be given resources at the onset of the telehealth experience with frequent reviews scheduled along the journey for the purpose of reinforcing a plan of action that is easily accessible when needed.
Biblical Worldview of Expressive Arts in Therapy
Expressive Arts in the Bible
The Bible is a book with vivid stories that can appeal to different personalities. Although the expressive arts label cannot be identified verbatim in the bible, there are countless examples of creative experiences that can be identified across books and chapters. For instance, 2 Samuel 6:14-22 presents the story of David dancing in front of the Lord as a form of praise and adoration. His dance expression was honest, sincere, and so connected to the Lord that he did not notice his body being exposed to the public. What a beautiful experience it must have been to be so connected to God that the expressive dance becomes an intimate experience where no one else exists. In addition to this story, dance appears frequently throughout other areas of the bible as a form of celebration and a medium for connection. Other forms of expressive art that appear in the bible include the use of poems per the Song of Solomon, reflective writings per the Book of Proverbs, and song lyrics per the Book of Psalms. There is a plethora of other creative expressions, which is a wonderful representation of God's creativity and beauty. I believe that in His infinite wisdom, God provided us with an array of modalities for self-expression because creativity is who He is. This brings focus to the most important form of self-expression which is Jesus’ death for our sins, the ultimate expression of love. It is evident that the bible is filled with creative ways of expression, which is representative of Christ’s love for us. It is no surprise that human beings are moved by the creative arts as it has the power to have a greater impact compared to talk therapy (Rosen & Atkins, 2014).
Application to Professional Practice
Educational facilities, as well as those that receive federal funding, often have to follow general guidelines of inclusion that provide access to the community. Those guidelines are exclusive of religious values and practices as a result of the First Amendment and a body of court rulings that established a clear separation between church and state (Allgood, 2016). Given the separation, sometimes I find it difficult to create core curriculum lesson plans that incorporate religious teachings for my students. As a school counselor, I would love to have the freedom to incorporate an array of teachings, including religious ones, that can potentially enrich my students’ lives. Nevertheless, most of my experience entertaining these values has been individually with students who express that their religion is important to them. I have yet to openly discuss spirituality in a group setting, but I feel open to doing so if my students express a desire for it. For instance, if I am running a socio-emotional group unrelated to religious beliefs or practices and all of the group members express a desire to incorporate religious beliefs along the journey, I would honor the request after having an open discussion about it. Ultimately, it is my goal to make decisions that are in the best interest of my students while honoring the values that are important to them.
Although I am restricted in the scope of conversations that I can have with students, I am confident that creative and expressive art interventions are spiritual in nature and can support clients along whichever journey they choose to embark on. For instance, during the intensive week in this course, students were prompted to engage in a drawing activity that prompted introspection, analysis, consideration, and openness. The activity involved drawing a tree with a trunk, roots, branches, leaves, and fruits or flowers. Each part of the tree represented an area of life that required thought and consideration – things that keep me grounded or rooted; wisdom that I want to pass along to my children; family and friends who have supported me to the point where I am in life; where I want to be in the future; and the supports that I need in order to accomplish my goals and dreams. Such activity was spiritual in nature as it helped me to connect with a part of myself from which I was disconnected. The activity inspired a sense of change and movement, and I can only hope that my students and future clients can have similar experiences when being open to utilizing creative and expressive arts in counseling. The focus is not so much on the activity as it is on the process and the change that happens as a result. When considering religious or spiritual considerations for expressive arts, it is not necessary to incorporate religious teachings or mention the name of God for some form of validity. God is everywhere. He has the power to manifest in the most insignificant life experience. I look forward to learning about creative interventions that I can utilize in counseling with my students and future clients.
Conclusion
The goal of this essay was to synthesize learned content from the creative and expressive arts in group and individual therapy courses. After such a rich experience with the course, I intended to highlight some of the expressive interventions of preference while showcasing how I plan to utilize them with students ethically in the school setting. It was also refreshing to realize that I had been incorporating creative interventions in my counseling practice for years without knowledge of the label. As a result of utilizing creative arts, I now have a list of songs that I have been collecting from my students for the past eight years. These are songs that came specifically from students who either engaged in self-injury or mentioned wanting to commit suicide. I have not decided what to do with this list, but I know that God will guide me when the time is right.
Other topics covered in this essay involved my insight and contributions received from learning and conceptualizing the material. I offered general insights on expressive arts modalities and expressed the way in which the learned content applies to my personal and professional endeavors and their connection to counselor supervision and consultation. Ethical considerations focused on counselor competency for practicing within the scope of knowledge and securing supervision for innovative content. Competency is also applicable to telehealth practices, which are more popular in nature and have paved their way within the counseling profession. The essay concludes with a general view of expressive arts within the bible, which focuses on God’s creativity and love for humanity. The level of professional growth that I experienced throughout the semester has been exponential, and I can only hope to continue expanding on this knowledge as I continue my professional journey.
References
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