Expressive Therapy Certification

Summary:

It might sound pretty bohemian but lately, a new trend in therapeutic healing surfaced to be known as expressive therapy. Expressive therapy is more understood if called by its distinguishing name creative arts therapy. But unlike the bohemian culture, expressive therapy can be admired as one of the colorful sciences of healing because it does work, in an abstract but effective way.

Expressive therapy is not about the final output but the process of creation that made the final output, aesthetic or not. An expressive therapist studies the subject as he/she engages in the art, whether it is dancing, acting, singing or even playing. Here the expressive therapist can conclude the current status of the subject.

Expressive therapists are classified by their modality, the choice of their preferred artistic expression. Like the art therapist that combines traditional psychology theories with the specialized knowledge about the psychological aspects of the creative process. By studying the subject as he engages in the art, the therapist can gauge the human equilibrium condition from information like the properties of the art materials being used or the brush strokes or even the colors.

Services rendered by expressive therapists are in high demand. In fact several inner circles and private organizations where the members regularly attend expressive therapy sessions for healing, enlightenment and inner peace have become more frequent. There had been widespread talk sessions too, where anonymous participants talk about anything and nothing in particular. These sessions are also held by an expressive therapist where the therapist finds ways to make every participant tell a bit of their story until everyone has already told their deepest secrets, problems, fears, and sadness.

In America alone, for every 10 individual, one participates regularly on group therapeutic healing. Most frequented sessions are the drama and music therapies. Drama therapies, though some are small caliber performances, are some time full fledged performances complete with a troupe of actors. Talk therapies are also fast becoming an effective outlet for severely depressed individuals.

The work of expressive therapist encompasses a wide range of environments. Recuperating patients suffering from mild to severe trauma, grieving patients, and even criminal or psychopathic behavior are areas that an expressive therapist tackles.

An expressive therapy certification is available for those that choose this line of profession. Some institutions require membership and certification, others require an expressive therapy certification program where the applicant must enroll and train for several days or months depending on the expertise of the applicant before being awarded an expressive therapy certification.

The New School for General Studies offers several areas for expressive therapy certification. Music, art, drama and dance therapies are among its certificate tracks. The prerequisite they require for the applicants are at least 30 college credits, including at least two courses in music performance, drama, or studio art, and two courses in psychology, human services, or counseling.