Expressive arts therapy is a multi-modal approach that interweaves various art modalities to support psychological, spiritual and social well-being. According to the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA), “the expressive arts combine visual arts, movement, drama, music, writing and other creative processes to foster deep personal growth and community development.”
About Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when the head strikes an object, is struck by an object, or when force causes the brain to be thrown about within the skull. The Center for Disease Control estimates 1.4 million individuals in the United States sustain TBI each year. Leading causes are:
- Falls (28%)
- Motor vehicle-traffic crashes (20%)
- Struck by/against events (19%)
- Assaults (11%)
TBI is categorized into three major categories: non-penetrating, penetrating and crushing. Non-penetrating or closed head injuries commonly occur when the head suddenly changes its motion. In penetrating or open head injuries, skin and bone are broken through, exposing the brain. Crushing injuries occur less frequently and usually affect the base of the skull and the nerves running through it.
TBI can also result from stroke, tumors, viral/bacterial infections, metabolic disorders and oxygen deprivation. TBI ranges in severity. Some survivors make complete recoveries over time, while others become permanently disabled. TBI survivors may experience cognitive, physical, motor, behavioral and/or emotional deficits.
Expressive Arts Therapy and TBI Recovery
In a review of health care literature entitled “Beyond therapy: music, spirituality, and health in human experience: a review of literature,” Anne W. Lipe found that health care institutions are increasingly recognizing holistic models that emphasize physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Many hospitals and treatment facilities now invest resources into artist-in-residence and visiting dancer/musician programs, as well as integrative medicine centers that draw upon expressive arts, guided imagery, meditation, spiritual counseling, Traditional Chinese Medicine and therapeutic massage.
Today, expressive arts therapy is commonly used in TBI rehabilitation to help survivors cope with many of the challenges they face. Areas that expressive arts therapy may address, but are not limited to, include:
- Appropriate expression of thoughts and feelings
- Processing grief, loss, anger and existential issues emerging from health crisis
- Supporting personal strengths, growth and self-acceptance
- Encouraging imagination, creativity and spontaneity
- Impulse control and behavioral issues
- Perseveration
- Concentration, attention span and focus
- Memory
- Sequencing, reasoning and decision-making skills
- Initiation skills
- Speech and language
- Motor skills
- Sensory awareness
- Interpersonal/relational skills
- Social support
- Caregiver support
Expressive arts therapy is practiced individually or in a group setting. Expressive arts therapists work in medical, psychiatric and VA hospitals, rehabilitation centers, community/non-profit agencies, schools, wellness centers and in private practice. They typically hold advanced degrees in psychology or creative arts therapy. IEATA oversees and grants professional registration as a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT).
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