Integrating the Expressive Arts into Counseling Practice: Theory-Based Interventions

Counselors frequently face challenging clients who do not respond to, or enjoy, traditional talk therapies. By integrating creative techniques that engage the mind, body, and imagination, clinicians may be able to propel these clients towards lasting change. However, many counselors are unaware of the numerous expressive interventions that may suit their clinical practice and theoretical orientation. Integrating the Expressive Arts in Counseling Practice provides counselors and counseling students with a better understanding of the ways in which expressive arts techniques - including art therapy, music therapy, dance therapy, drama therapy, creative writing, and more -- may be productively integrated into counseling within any of the chief theories that are taught and practiced, including:: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy; Solution-Focused Brief Therapy; Gestalt Theory; Adlerian Theory; Choice Theory; Existential Theory; Feminist Theory; Person-Centered Theory; Narrative Approaches. Each chapter will include an introduction and history of the theory, a discussion of how expressive arts can be utilized within that theory, and finally, a collection of multiple sample expressive arts interventions that practitioners can explore with their clients. The creative interventions presented in this book have been used successfully in the field. Key Features of the Book :: Includes more than 50 expressive arts interventions for use with a wide variety of clients and presenting issues; Interventions are presented within a framework of familiar counseling theories -narrative therapy, solution-focused therapy, CBT, feminist theory, and more; Interventions utilize art therapy, music therapy, bibliotherapy, drama, expressive writing, dance, puppetry, sandplay, and other modalities; Leading practitioners share their clinically proven interventions ; Creative interventions are clearly described in a step-by-step fashion, allowing clinicians to easily put them into practice; A chapter on the use of expressive arts in supervision provides ideas for improving your supervision sessions