What is Expressive Arts Therapy?

Expressive Arts Therapy is a gentle, non-invasive alternative to talk therapy that allows you to express feelings that may be difficult to put into words.
Through creative self-discovery, you have the opportunity to unpack the issues you want to work on through visual art, creative writing, poetry, role play, voice, sound making, and movement so you can gain greater awareness of yourself and many new perspectives for the healing and growth you desire.
It invites creative expression in all its forms, engaging both you and the therapist in a collaborative process of compassionate self-inquiry.
The focus is on “how”—how you choose to explore and play with the materials, how the process unfolds, how your reflections guide you to new discoveries, and how you feel about the whole experience—not on what is made. Every session is a unique journey and you decide where it goes.
You can then work through your challenges with a new sense of clarity, confidence, and hope rooted in your strengthened relationship with Allah, confident in and comforted by his promises to you: “Allah wants to lighten your burden ” (An-Nisa, 28) and "Allah intends ease for you, not hardship." (Al-Baqarah, 185)
With the gift of new possibilities, you can step into your true, authentic self and begin to rebuild your life with purpose and an excitement for your journey ahead, in shaa Allah.

Why this Approach Works

Holistic - You are embraced as a whole person because you are so much more than your trauma, anxiety, pain, or the challenges you are currently facing. I help you gain awareness of the connections between your mind, body, and spirit so that you find peace and balance in all areas of your life. The goal is to help you develop a much deeper understanding of yourself at all levels, which often leads to improved self-esteem, self-acceptance, healing and growth.
Strengths/Resource-Based - Instead of focusing on deficiencies or problems, the Expressive Arts Therapy approach explores challenges through the lens of possibility and how to overcome those challenges by reconnecting you with the gifts Allah has given you, your strengths, your passions and your purpose.
Trauma Informed - Talk therapy is hard. It can often lead to re-traumatization especially while retelling the same painful stories again and again. Expressive Arts Therapy allows you to tend to your pain from a place of compassion and curiosity and infuses playfulness and imagination into the healing process. Through creative self-expression, you can explore your pain from a safe enough distance that brings relief, clarity and the uncovering of previously hidden solutions.
No Art Skills or Experience Needed - You never need to worry about having any art skills or prior experience. All that is asked of you is that you show up with an openness to exploring from a place of creative curiosity. The focus is not on making “pretty” art, but on healing through the process itself, and there is much healing in letting go and allowing for things to not go as planned.
For All Ages - The beautiful thing about this process is that we’ve all had a creative spark within us since we were little. Somewhere along the way, many of us stopped tapping into our creativity and now just need a little nudge to reconnect with that part of ourselves. Young girls can reconnect quite naturally and have a lot of fun with this process. Expressing ourselves through the arts can help us all learn some pretty cool things about ourselves. Learning about our needs, our fears, our hopes, and our aspirations is really what healing is all about.