Psychedelic Integration

There is a reason for the saying: “A picture paints a thousand words.” Especially with trauma and loss, words often fall short. Images are the language of our body, spirit, and emotions. In our development as a species and as infants to adults, we have communicated in images before language. Images and sensory experiences come to us before we form words for experiences, only most of us aren’t aware of these and look to words to make sense of things.

Art therapy is the practice of using image making to access, express, and transform one’s experience on a deeper level. It isn’t about being an “artist”, but rather, learning to use image-making and other creative, symbolic expressions for inner-exploration, understanding, and guidance. Once images are accessed, reflection, sharing, and words help integrate and apply the new knowledge.

The use of Art Therapy with families provides a vehicle to activate and shift family dynamics by using art experiences that metaphorically facilitate new perspectives and change. In groups, Art Therapy can encourage both individual expression and a connection among members. When complex emotions are safely felt and expressed, the congruence between thoughts and feelings increases.

The incongruence between these is often the culprit of stress. Medical Art Therapy helps patients with pain management, stress, understanding what is happening in their body, and the expression of emotional and spiritual issues that arise from illness or disability.

The American Art Therapy Association defines Art Therapy as “a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance physical, mental and emotional well-being. The creative process involved in artistic self- expression helps people resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, reduce stress, and increase self-esteem and self-awareness.

Art therapists are master’s-level professionals who hold degrees in art therapy and/or a related field. The educational requirements art therapists must fulfill include coursework in theories of art therapy, counseling, and psychotherapy; individual, group, and family therapy; human and creative development; assessment and evaluation; multicultural issues; research methods; ethics and standards of practice; and practicum experience in clinical and community settings.

Art therapists are also trained in applying a variety of art modalities as part of assessment and treatment, including drawing, painting, sculpture, and other visual media.”

You don’t have to have any art experience for Art Therapy to be effective for you. Nor do you have to be a kid (though it is a natural fit for kids). Using art in a healing way calls upon an innate capacity we all have.

It is especially helpful for people who get frustrated trying to “figure” their way through feelings, and who feel like they just aren’t getting anywhere with talking about problems. Art-making puts one in their body—it is a sensory experience, accessing the right hemisphere of the brain.

After creating an image or sculpture, an Art Therapist facilitates reflection on the work, which helps integrate new understanding into the left hemisphere of the brain. Although there is an aspect of Art Therapy that is assessment, most often it is used in a way that supports the client’s discovery of their own internal symbolic language.

Often, people worry that their images will expose something they aren’t ready to deal with. Although it is true that using art tends to bypass the usual verbal defenses we are accustomed to, a trained Art Therapist supports your process of understanding the image at your pace.

From the American Art Therapy Association: “Art therapists who meet rigorous education and experience requirements are credentialed by the Art Therapy Credentials Board. The “Art Therapy Registration” credential (ATR) is granted to art therapists who have completed graduate education and post-graduate supervised experience requirements and the “Board Certification” credential (ATR-BC) is granted to Registered Art Therapists who pass a written examination.

Credentialed art therapists are entitled to use the professional designation of ATR or ATR-BC after their name. The credentials are recognized by all states and D.C. and are maintained by meeting stringent continuing education requirements.”

Children naturally use play for healing. Through play they express feelings, what is troubling them, and their understanding the world around them. Play also allows them a way to try new solutions. Often children’s play remains in metaphor. Art Therapists understand metaphor and can support the child’s movement toward healthy resolution.

Play can be in the sand tray as interactive “sand tray”, using puppets, a doll house, dolls, and therapeutic/board games. Games are used in groups and family therapy as they help facilitate sharing, cooperation, structure, patience, and good sportsmanship.

Ideally the whole family comes to an initial session which is often 75 minutes vs. 50 minutes. Depending on the age of the children and the issues the family is struggling with—art experiences, board games, sand tray, and/or communication exercises are chosen by the therapist initially for assessment and then for shifting relationship dynamics toward healthier patterns and restoring balance and connection.

Through the course of treatment, different constellations of the family may attend sessions according to what best serves the health of the whole family. When working with children younger than 11, I meet with the parents periodically or communicate via text or email to support the child’s progress at home.

When seeing children over 11, I ask them permission to speak to their parents if doing do would be helpful to their therapy progress. At times, families are best helped by the parents attending therapy for support as parents and as a couple, with the children coming in occasionally as an opportunity to practice new skills with coaching and feedback available to them.