By Krista Verrastro, RDT
Article Contributors:
Rachel Wagner-Cantine, LCPC, BC-DMT
Alyssa Wilkins, MT-BC
Eleni S. Liossis, Psy.D., ATR, LPC
In a previous post (If you missed it, read it here!) we explored the umbrella term “creative arts therapies” as well as the six types of creative arts therapies that fall under the term (which will be referred to as CATs for the rest of this article). This article provides examples of interventions used in sessions to help you further understand the CATs.
Things to Keep in Mind
As mentioned in the prior article, there is a lot of overlap between the types of CATs. Thus, many of the interventions mentioned are similar.
The point of the CATs is not to focus on creating high quality products or performances in sessions but to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social issues through the artistic process. In other words, the emphasis is on the process not the products. This is why anyone can benefit from participating in the CATs, whether they consider themselves artistically talented or not!
"...the emphasis is on the process not the products."
This article only touches on some interventions that might be used by creative arts therapists. One great thing about being a creative arts therapist is the “creative” part of the title! We are usually quite creative ourselves and tend to constantly come up with innovative ways to work with clients in addition to doing traditional talk therapy.
Speaking of talk therapy, the choice for a creative arts therapist to engage clients in verbal analysis or general talking during or after creative activities depends on several factors. These factors include a therapist’s training, style, and sense of what a client needs in the present moment.
Art Therapy
Interventions include:
Drawing
Coloring
Painting
Photography
Digital art making
Sculpting
Writing (e.g. Poetry)
Collage & Photo Collage
Mask making
Jewelry Making
Creating doll, puppets, figurines, etc.
Using materials from nature to make art (e.g. branches, leaves, water, dirt, sand and rocks)
Specific examples of interventions:
The therapist invites a client to draw/create a container that will hold unwanted feelings or stressors. The therapist then might process this with the client by drawing, writing, or using their imagination to place the unwanted things in the container.
The therapist invites a client to create a grounding object, that the client can use to self-soothe when experiencing symptoms anxiety, depression, or stress.
The therapist invites a client to create a postcard to express something that they wish to tell someone. One side expresses the feelings through art and the other side expresses the feelings through writing.
The therapist invites a client to sculpt their family members out of clay, then positions the figurines in a way that represents the family dynamics. This can be done through creation of dolls or puppets, instead of clay.
The therapist invites a client to create a collage of ‘words to live by’ by choosing words and images from magazines or books, and/or self-created words or images, that represent their values.
The therapist invites a client to create masks to explore aspects of themselves and others.
Dance/Movement Therapy
Interventions include:
Tracking body sensations (noticing what you feel in your body in the present moment)
Engaging in guided developmental movement patterns
Using organic movement to express inner thoughts, feelings, and experiences
Embodiment of specific memories or moments in past
Specific examples of interventions:
To begin a group session, participants share their name and a movement that expresses/represents their present moment experience and/or feeling. The group mirrors or mimics each participant's movement to build connection and help each participant feel seen and validated.
Shared rhythm through music, voice, and movement are used to create interpersonal connection, increase present moment awareness, and assist in individual regulation of energy and emotion. This can be utilized in an individual or group therapy environment.
The therapist instructs a client to find a posture that reflects their present moment experience. The therapist then guides the client to note points of contact of their body to an object (e.g. back against the wall, tailbone on the floor, or hands on clothing/blanket).
A client is invited to move freely and openly through the space, listening to inner impulses for movement or stillness. The therapist serves as witness to the client's movement and tracks internal reactions (thoughts, feelings, sensations) to the client's movements. The therapist and client engage in verbal processing of their experiences of the expressive movement.
Drama Therapy & Psychodrama
As mentioned in the prior article, drama therapy and psychodrama are more similar than different. They are therefore being combined in this article for the sake of brevity.
Interventions include:
Role playing
Storytelling
Mask making
Creating and/or or playing with dolls, puppets, figurines, etc.
Creating sculptures with the body
Dramatic activities and games
Using pre-existing plays or other dramatic works
Creating original plays or other performances
Specific examples of interventions:
During a session, a client is invited to use dramatic enactment to throw away unwanted things into an imaginary box and to destroy or put away the box in a way that helps them feel relieved
The therapist invites a client to role play as someone who loves them and interviews them in that role to explore various things that might help the client (e.g. the client’s strengths and what advice their loved one might have for them)
In a group session, clients take turns adding a sentence to an improvised story and discuss how they relate to the story when it is completed
The therapist invites a client to explore different roles they play through making masks and then exploring the roles through dramatic activities (e.g. monologues, dialogues, creative writing, movement, etc.)
The therapist invites a client to choose figurines and recreate a nightmare in a sand tray but to change the ending in a way that empowers the client
A client chooses other group members to represent family members and instructs them how to pose to create a sculpture of a motionless scene from a family event, and then the group members explore this scene through improvisational drama
During a group session, clients enter a scene one at a time and work together to create a moving machine by using their bodies to move in relation to each other
In a group therapy session, a client chooses an issue to enact and group members to represent people or things related to the issue during an improvised drama scene
Using a pre-existing play or creating an original play during group sessions to explore roles, values, concerns, conflict resolution, etc.
Music Therapy
Interventions include:
Active music making, such as singing or instrument play
Creating music (e.g. songwriting, composing, or improvising music)
Receptive musical experiences (e.g music listening, music-assisted relaxation)
Music and movement (e.g. using live music to cue specific motor response)
Specific examples of interventions:
The therapist provides opportunity for reciprocal and cooperative interactions though instrument play
Clients share experiences, similarities, and differences through group songwriting or music listening activities
Clients practice leadership skills through directing a musical ensembleClient and therapist create a musical playlist to aid in anxiety reduction or pain management
The therapist helps a client express their feelings, wants, and needs through original songwriting and musical composition
The therapist and a client engage in improvisational music making to express, feel, and process through their experiences, traumas, and other areas of need
Clients listen to music to identify the emotional nature of the song, as well as their personal response to the melody, rhythm, and lyrics
Clients play instruments, such as harmonica and wind instruments, to improve motor mechanisms involved in speech
The therapist helps a client improve articulation and fluency through singingGroup members practice social exchanges and back-and-forth conversational exchanges through song or instrument play
The therapist leads a client in instrument play to work on fine and gross motor skillsClients participate in music and movement activities where the therapist cues specific motor skills through live music
The therapist pairs music with sensory input to help the client regulate their brain and body more efficiently
The therapist provides music-assisted relaxation to help with regulation, anxiety reduction, and overall wellbeing
Poetry therapy (aka Bibliotherapy)
Interventions include:
Writing poetry
Doing other creative writing
Reading or listening to pre-existing poems or other writing
Specific examples of interventions:
The therapist invites a client to write a poem or story to express concerns or feelings
During a group session, clients are invited to create a poem together by taking turns adding a word or sentence
The therapist and client read a pre-existing poem, and they talk about the client’s response to it
The therapist and client read a pre-existing poem, and the client creates their own poem in response to it with or without prompts (e.g. prompts might ask the client to respond specifically to one line of the poem or certain words in the poem)
#NCCATA #psychodrama #dramatherapy #creativeartstherapy #arttherapy #poetrytherapy #dancemovementtherapy #musictherapy
About the Author:
Krista Verrastro, MA, RDT specializes in helping people of all ages who feel used, abused, neglected, or rejected transform from surviving to thriving. She combines talk therapy, drama therapy, and EMDR therapy as needed during sessions to help clients heal.
In addition to being in private practice, Krista has worked in outpatient mental health clinics, schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. Her expertise in trauma work developed from working at an agency that helps survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault/abuse, and human trafficking for eight years.
Krista presents nationally and internationally about drama therapy, trauma, and other mental health issues.
