Embodied Artmaking: Building Resilience, Supporting Advocacy, and Empowering Counseling Clients.
By Dr. Abby Dougherty
Embodied artmaking, which integrates the arts with somatic experiences, has increasingly become a focal point in therapeutic practices, offering a rich and multi-dimensional approach to healing. Rooted in the intersection of artistic expression and bodily awareness, embodied artmaking has been identified as a potent tool for fostering resilience, promoting advocacy, and empowering counseling clients (Levine & Land, 2016).
Embodied arts in counseling refer to therapeutic approaches that integrate physical movement and sensory experiences with artistic expression to facilitate self-awareness, emotional processing, and holistic healing. These practices emphasize the intrinsic connection between the mind and body, recognizing that emotions and traumas are often stored somatically. Examples of embodied arts in counseling include dance/movement therapy, where clients use dance and movement to express and process emotions; drama therapy, which employs role-playing, storytelling, and theatrical performance to explore personal narratives; and certain forms of art therapy, such as sculpting or clay work, and the use of technology, such as virtual reality or augmented reality. With each of these artistic mediums, the user(s) can experience embodiment as part of the unfolding process. Embodied arts in counseling, tactile engagement with materials becomes an avenue for emotional exploration and expression.
Building Resilience through Embodied Artmaking
Resilience, defined as the ability to recover from adversities and keep emotional equilibrium, is crucial in navigating life’s challenges. Embodied artmaking offers a unique avenue for clients to experience, confront, and adapt to stressors. By actively engaging the body in the creative process — whether it be through dance, sculpture, or any art that involves physical movement — clients can process traumatic memories or intense emotions at a sensory and cellular level (Van der Kolk, 2014). This embodiment helps in rewiring neural pathways and promotes emotional regulation, laying the groundwork for enhanced resilience. The embodied art-making process also allows the counselor and client to play and have fun, helping to build rapport and support the role-playing of prosocial behavior. The use of embodied artmaking in a verbal exchange can deepen both the counseling relationship and clarity of the client’s often complex presenting concerns.
In the therapeutic context, embodied artmaking can serve as an avenue for clients to articulate their narratives, particularly when words may fall short (Hinz, 2009). For individuals who have faced systemic oppression or trauma, expressing their stories through embodied art can be both validating and transformative. This form of expression not only offers a cathartic release but also raises awareness about shared struggles, fostering community and collective advocacy (Potash et al., 2015).
Empowerment in therapy pertains to helping clients regain agency and control over their lives, especially after experiences that may have diminished their sense of self-worth or autonomy. Engaging in embodied artmaking can be a profound act of reclamation. As clients immerse themselves in the creative process, they actively shape and mold their narratives, which can be symbolic of reshaping their lived experiences (Malchiodi, 2012). The tangible outcomes of their artistic endeavors, be it a dance sequence or drawing in VR (Virtual Reality), can serve as a testament to their capabilities, fostering a renewed sense of self-confidence and mastery.
Conclusion
The multifaceted approach of embodied artmaking offers a holistic avenue for healing, addressing the cognitive, emotional, and somatic dimensions of an individual. By facilitating resilience-building, promoting advocacy, and empowering clients, embodied artmaking appears as a powerful therapeutic tool in counseling.
References
Hinz, L. D. (2009). Expressive therapies continuum: A framework for using art in therapy. New York, NY: Routledge.
Levine, P. A., & Land, D. P. (2016). Trauma and memory: Brain and body in a search for the living past. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.
Malchiodi, C. A. (2012). Handbook of art therapy. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Potash, J. S., et al. (2015). Art therapy in Asia: To the bone or wrapped in silk. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
