The practice of art therapy is an approach that has emerged and gained traction within the domain of mental health over the past five decades
EXAF-based art therapy is a trauma-informed approach that provides a safe space in which you can address personal issues beyond words and without telling your story. As art therapy uses visual expression, you are fully in control how involved you get and how much you reveal
Each session begins differently. You can start with a conversation, focus on your breathing, meditate, or express yourself spontaneously by exploring materials and experimenting with them
Grounding exercises and user-friendly drawing exercises, such as Dynamic Shape Drawing and Guided Drawing®, can help you get started. They help building confidence and promote your spontaneous creative expression
When you express yourself through visual arts such as painting, collaging, drawing, or creating three-dimensional objects (which are seen as the main domain of art therapy), you learn to become your own supportive guide by paying attention to your body
Your body sense, also known as Felt Sense, is a natural inner resource. It is your innate guide for self-expression. It communicates through inner bodily sensations, shifts in your brathing, and the visible design of your artwork
Felt Sense-based studio art it the heart of the EXAF approach (Expressive Arts Focusing). Since the Felt Sense is the doorway to intermodal expression, your artwork may shift from visual art to creative writing, movement, dance, or creating sounds in a single session or over the course of several sessions
Therefore, art therapy combined with EXAF does not limit you to visual arts, but rather allows for the full spectrum of creative expression