Art Therapy in Eating Disorder Recovery
What is Art Therapy?
Just as “talk therapy” involves communication and support through words – Art Therapy involves communication and support through art. It’s not necessary to be an “artist” to experience Art Therapy, or to be an Art Therapist. All that is necessary is a willingness to explore the use of a variety of art materials as a means of expression. As facilitated by an Art Therapist, the client explores the use of art materials, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to externalize feelings, reconcile emotional conflict, foster self-awareness, manage behaviors and addictions, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem. (Source: The American Art Therapy Association)
What are the benefits of working with an Art Therapist?
Clients can experience “art as therapy,” originated by pioneer art therapist Edith Kramer who believed art to be therapeutic in itself, and Art Therapy, a given directive or intervention used help meet the specific needs of a client. Art Therapists have a Master’s Degree or higher in a Mental Health field, with specialized training to conduct Art Therapy. My name is Murphy McCracken, and for the past 9 months I have been completing my internship at Positive Pathways, as a part of my Master’s Degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology – Art Therapy Concentration. My internship intention was to offer the art making process to clients as a means of connection to their experience at times when words would not suffice.
What kinds of Art Therapy are helpful for eating disorder recovery?
Just as “talk therapy” is unique for each individual, and the therapist guides the conversation to best support the clients needs – Art Therapy involves the use of specific art materials and a creative process to guide the conversation being expressed artistically. As an Art Therapist, I have a variety of “art interventions” which I use based on a client’s specific issues, or where they seem to be “stuck” in therapy. Art interventions can often tap into areas which words cannot reach. Art Therapy can help connect to the parts of the self that have been repressed or hidden underneath coping mechanisms, such as eating disorder behaviors. One specific intervention I can share is an application of Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)™ – the Express Your Self principle. This Art Therapy technique was used as a part of an Art Therapy Group curriculum I developed, where the focus one week was on the idea of “Impermanence.” Each group member was asked to create large individual murals using chalk pastels and/or markers, to the sounds of different music. The group was invited to pay attention to where they felt bodily sensation or awareness through their senses as they listened to the music. They were then directed to create marks based on their physical and emotional experience in the present moment. The mark-making on the mural can visually give the client a lineage of the past and present, offering proof that nothing lasts forever. The music stops, and the quiet of the room returns. How one might have been feeling within one moment could have shifted. We are forever growing and changing and this movement is an organic shift within us all. Paying attention to the body and adjoining intuitive movement offered the group members an opportunity to connect with their Intuitive Therapist (IT) within themselves. The IT, or “True Self” as Dr. Dorie notes, connects to the Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul of us all. Connecting to the senses and giving ourselves permission to show up as we are within a given moment frees us from the “false self” of the Eating Disorder (ED). In this way, Art Therapy facilitates the shift from ED to IT, which is the key to eating disorder recovery.
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Murphy McCracken has completed her Art Therapy Internship and has graduated with her MA in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology – Art Therapy (May, 2015). She is currently in the process of becoming a Registered Therapist in the State of Colorado, and will soon be returning to Positive Pathways to offer eating disorder treatment as an EDIT™ Certified Counselor, including Art Therapy sessions. To learn more about Art Therapy, or to schedule a session with Murphy: EMAIL MURPHY
Interested to learn more about THERAPY GROUPS FOR EATING DISORDERS? Join our 8-week group, which starts June 16th, entitled “Learning To Love Our Bodies.” Learn more: http://positivepathways.com/workshops-and-groups/
Interested in a FREE consultation? Dr. Dorie would like to get to know you and give you feedback about how EDIT™ can help you achieve the results you desire. Call 720-606-3242 or learn more: http://positivepathways.com/free-consultation/
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