Application of Expressive Arts to Recovery

1. EXPRESSIVE
ARTS
FOR RECOVERY

2. Holly Mae Haddock
MA in Counseling Psychology & EXA
Creative Process Coach

3.  Expressive Arts Therapies to coach skills
for joyful and full-Self living
 EXA to complement recovery
 EXA for safe, shared, fun cohort experiences
 EXA to deepen & fortify individual healing plans
Picture This!

4. DANCE AND MOVEMENT

5. MUSIC AND SOUND

6. DRAMA

7. VISUAL ARTS

8. PLAY

9.  EXA activates pleasure circuits – naturally!
 Neutralizes and releases destructive emotions
 Installs habits and processes for self-soothing
 Accesses unconscious mind, where negative
programs are hardwired
Why EXA?

10.  EXA creates strong group bonds
 Opens creative channels
 Connects to higher powers
 Reinforces intentions and choices
 Repairs relationships and resolves trauma
Why EXA?

11. I. Build Recovery Container
II. Picture Recovery
III. Tell Your Story
IV. Accept Addiction
V. Higher Power
VI. Honesty, Grief, & Clearing
VII. Recovery Skills
VIII. Giving Back
8 Dimensions of Recovery with EXA

12.  Stabilize to get started
 Bond with group and counselors
 Experience feelings of safety
 Build vessel for recovery journey
Dimension I. Build Recovery Container

13. Sample projects: boxes and chests

14. Sample projects: group & individual mandalas

15. Intermodal therapies: games, sharing song lyrics, figurines

16.  Treatment goals and desired outcomes
 Solution-focused, positive mindset
 Define personally chosen direction
 Visualize and map path from past pain to
future recovery
Dimension II. Picture Recovery

17. Projects for picturing recovery: past hand future hand, gateways,
magnetism map, bridge to life

18. Intermodal: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, Snap Your Fingers, 3 Wishes
& “What If” Improv & Games

19.  Shared witnessing in group setting
 Reflection & insight
 Identity and narrative
 Play with alternate endings
Dimension III. Tell Your Story

20. Projects: timeline, body map, collage self-portraits, inside-outside masks,
family tree, tree of life rings, comics

21. Intermodal: sandtray, fairy tales & archetypes, poetry, songwriting,
narrative

22.  Acknowledge addiction’s role
 Understand powerlessness
 Integrate consequences
 Take responsibility & choose to
change
Dimension IV. Accepting Addiction

23. Portrait of addiction, inner addict, drawing demons, expressive painting,
puppets

24. Authentic movement, dancing in the dark, self-revelatory theater,
subpersonality dialogues, group music, masks

25.  Explore higher powers
 Personalize relationship with own Source
 Connect with guides and guardians
 Amplify spiritual experiences & surrender
Dimension V. Higher Power

26. Spirit dolls, surrender watercolors, guardian spirits, animal medicine,
guided imagery with arts, outdoor installations

27. Dance therapy, expressive arts rituals, chanting, sound, sacred music

28.  Personal inventory
 Group acceptance of self, shadows &
failures
 Identify losses & grieve
 Clear negative emotions and blockages
Dimension VI. Honesty, Grief & Clearing

29. Dual self-portraits, book of apologies, wishing tree,
“water under the bridge”, character defects surrender box

30. Improv music & dance, community story witnessing, drama therapy with
character defects, self letters, addiction tree, recovery seeds

31.  Practice skills for recovery
 Self-soothing, self-care
 Distress tolerance & emotional release
 Identify & plan for triggers
 Recovery allies & post-treatment planning
Dimension VII. Recovery Skills

32. Body map, emotion identification rocks, recovery toolkit, pocket soothers,
what bugs me, trigger maps

33. Recovery song books and playlists, group witnessed commitments,
personal conscious contact rituals, altars

34.  Shift from “me” to “we”
 Share gift of recovery with other addicts
 Develop service to others mindset
 Gratitude
Dimension VIII. Give Back

35. Wishing tree, art as social practice, thank you cards, gifts, prayer flags

36. Pay it forward games, community projects, group forgiveness &
acceptance rituals, honoring each member, planetary projects

37.  Art works & objects to anchor and remember
 Maps & visual aids for triggers & remembering
the power of the disease
 Toolkit of self-care interventions & reminders
 Assignments & commitments for future EXA
projects
Each graduate takes away…

38.  These are all just examples! More & better
ideas grow in response to specific clients,
settings, & evolving field
 8 Dimensions could be explored in 30 day cycle
in biweekly groups
 1X1 sessions for depth and extension of work
Final thoughts

39. THANK YOU!