go beyond traditional talk therapy.

Creative Expression Integrated with EMDR in Portland, Oregon

You’ve tried everything you can think of to feel better, but nothing’s sticking.

Maybe you’ve been to therapy before and took breaks because just talking feels exhausting, it can feel like going in circles without any major changes with how you are feeling, knowing that as much as you talk about present anxieties, you still have these deep rooted patterns and experiences. There is this sense that you have been doing the “work” and yet no real change is happening.

you’re still feeling…

Frustrated that after this time there is still no major break throughs

Disconnected from who you want to be

Overwhelmed by the thought of doing something wrong and feeling stuck

Creative expression in therapy can be a whole other language to use.

When we experience trauma the part of our brain connected with language, the Brocas area goes off line and therefore it can be hard to talk through trauma. Through creative expression we can have a new way to explore our experiences and feelings outside of verbal.

  • 1) It can be a low stakes way to explore being imperfect, explore what comes up when we are doing something out of our comfort zone which can be helpful when connecting with more intense things.

    2) Creative expression can be a tool to project what your experience is.

    3) Doing certain art can relax us as people and help connect more with the problem solving part of our brain. there is the opportunity to be mindful, noticing your experience and being present, a helpful tool for any trauma processing.

    5) Creating something that never was before is magic, it can be a way to tap into your own intution and what you want.

  • We move gently into the creative expression that feels ok for you. You are invited to create through collaging, writing, drawing, painting and imagery cards all personalized to you and your experience.

  • Creative expression in our work is all about the process for you, not about what the final creation looks like. The only thing you need is openness to trying the creative process but I bring all the creative tools and we connect about how it feels. I am not one to interpret your art, we explore questions together around art but I will not assume or judge any creative expression you make.

At the end of the day, I want you to know:

Whatever it is that you’re experiencing is not forever, through therapeutic work you can create new neural pathways, new tools to support self and connect with yourself.

Is cREATIVITY IN tHERAPY right for you?

Creative Expression is a good fit for you if …

  • Your throat gets tight when you start to talk about what you have been through and you don’t have the words

  • You are struggling with perfectionism and not feeling good enough

  • Other forms of processing feels like the next move as you need something different from what you are doing to feel change

  • Have enjoyed creative expression in any form, maybe journaling, vision boarding, doodling, watercolor etc...even when you were younger, maybe a part of you wants to connect with more creative things again.

  • Love creating and have been searching for therapy that incorporates something you move toward when things get hard

What we’ll work on

With creative expression alongside EMDR, you can…

Improve your sense of trust in self, your intution, your imagination

Learn how to use creative expression to cope with any emotions that come up

No longer feel stuck in worrying about being good enough or feeling like you can’t make mistakes and everything you do has to be perfect.

Gain new perspective and build creativity into a daily self care practice.

Tools For Creative Work

  • Collaging can be a lovely way to explore expression. Many folks have done a vision board at some point in their life, we get to expand that process in therapy, exploring the different ways that images resonate or don’t with you.

  • You don’t have to have any experience with drawing or watercolor or feel you have any skills. Drawing and watercolor in therapy is all about the process, exploring your experiences in feelings in a different way than usual. I

  • Writing can be such a beautiful way to explore your inner world, make sense of your experiences and have time to connect with yourself. I invite guided writing exploration that can deepen reflection.

  • Similar to collaging, looking at cards or pulling them spontaneously can build our intuition, our understanding of what we like, don’t like, certain images can highlight things within ourself and can be a powerful way to connect to what we are going through. In our work there is no right or wrong with the cards, it is just about what the cards mean to you and I offer prompts to further explore your relationship to the cards.

    Common examples:

    I invite you to pull a card to connect with the imagery that feels grounding.

    I invite you to pull a card for the shadow in your life and the light in your life.

    I invite you to pull a card for how you are feeling today

    I invite you to look through the whole deck and chose cards that you connect with.

    I invite you to chose cards for the different parts of yourself.

Your story is welcome here.

Your expression is welcome here.

Questions?

FAQs

  • This is about what feels right for you, I find creative expression to be such a powerful way to process emotions so I invite it but we collaborate to create sessions that feel most comfortable for your healing. It is so unique to you and I always trust you and your system.

  • It is so common for folks to enjoy art when they were younger and then someone at some point told them they didn’t do a good job or they did something bad and the person stops doing art. I have witnessed doing creative things in a gentle safe place of therapy together to be so reparative for clients. Folks may start therapy not doing any and then now it is a major way they connect with self, find community with others and find joy.