February CEU Meeting: ART THERAPY INTERVENTIONS FOR THE NON-ART THERAPIST

ART THERAPY INTERVENTIONS FOR THE NON-ART THERAPIST- Using Right Brain Tools in a Left - Brained Profession
Presented by Valerie L. Bryan, LPC-AT/S, ATR-BC, ATCS
Few therapists practice for long before realizing that there is a limit to how much words alone can ignite change in their clients’ lives. Energizing a ho-hum treatment model, (regardless of one’s theoretical orientation) with music, art, play, and/or movement therapies can be a catalyst to exponential growth and insight for our clients. Drawing on your natural creativity as a human being and a counselor, together with a general understanding of a basic art therapy theory, you can help energize both yourself and your practice.
In this presentation, counselors will:
• Informally assess their own comfort level with art materials/creativity
• Learn the levels of the Expressive Therapies Continuum
• Learn when/how to introduce various art materials based on the correlation between their qualities and client’s readiness for that
• Increase awareness of how to seamlessly/informally help client’s gain insight from their art productions.
• Become more accepting and comfortable with client’s having “fun” during sessions, & recognizing that this is both desirable and effective.