Trauma-informed care is a cutting-edge approach that First Steps Recovery uses for all of its clients. However, this approach requires that clients be willing to be vulnerable. Clients need to be willing to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with the professionals who are helping them. Granted, this kind of vulnerability is not always easy to achieve. One way clients can become more comfortable with vulnerability and self-disclosure is through methods of creative expression such as art therapy.
Creative expression can be used as a tool in trauma-informed care to help clients acknowledge and accept their inner feelings and thoughts, address their previous experiences, and learn how to express themselves in some way. First Steps Recovery offers holistic therapies to promote this creative expression in a nonjudgmental, calming environment.
The Role of Creative Expression in Healing
Creativity is an important element in recovery and healing. Whether a client is coping with mental health or substance abuse, creative expression helps. It allows them to express their emotions, develop a stronger sense of purpose, be proud of their accomplishments, and strengthen their bond with themselves. When clients are given the opportunity to creatively express themselves, there is no pressure to analyze or dial down their true feelings for another person. Their expression is raw and authentic, allowing them to fully engage with their inner selves.
Creative expression can be therapeutic in a relaxing sense as well. That is because there is no pressure during these individual practices. Clients take time for themselves in this peaceful environment. There is no judgment during these practices, and this supports clients as they learn to be comfortable with expression in some format. Eventually, these strides in creative expression can aid the development of their verbal communication and expression skills.
How Creative Expression Works With Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed care helps clients and their practitioners address all layers of a certain issue. When someone experiences something traumatic, the aftermath of that experience can lead to the development of a disorder. Not paying attention to that trauma means that clients cannot fully recover from their disorder. For clients coping with substance use disorders (SUDs), not addressing or healing from any sort of trauma can put them at risk for relapse.
Creative expression, though, helps clients begin to address this held-in trauma. Trauma can be difficult to discuss and be open about. Addressing it on an individual, personal level can be a beneficial first step in becoming comfortable with expressing and understanding this trauma. This is what creative expression helps clients achieve.
How First Steps Recovery Encourages Creative Expression in Holistic Care
Part of the healing experience at First Steps Recovery is engaging in experiential or holistic therapies. These range from nature-based to creative to physical therapies that work to provide a whole-person approach to care. Rather than jump into talk therapy, which can be overwhelming for many clients, experiential therapy helps clients adjust to their environment and grow comfortable with open expression. Keeping feelings bottled up does not help in the healing process. It is necessary to heal all parts of one’s self and address each factor that’s contributing.
The holistic therapies offered at First Steps Recovery that fall more onto the creative side of things are music and art therapy.
What Is Art Therapy?
Art therapy can be used as a creative expression tool in healing and recovery. This modality requires clients to engage with and use their creativity and imagination in a productive way that helps improve their mental well-being. Art therapy helps clients expand their communication skills and develop healthy coping mechanisms. As they release their thoughts and feelings in a safe and productive manner, they begin to feel better. This creative, holistic therapy involves the body, mind, and spirit interconnecting intentionally.
At First Steps Recovery, this is done through painting, drawing, and sculpting. Clients may also engage in other artistic expressions, such as dancing, music, acting, and poetry writing. Creative mediums give clients a broad spectrum of expression to choose from in order to promote the optimal method of self-reflection. Art therapy is completed through guided sessions. These sessions help participants express hidden feelings, insecurities, and strengths.
Clients’ pieces of art are used to initiate deeper conversations to help with verbal expression. Creating art is meant to be empowering as clients work through challenging feelings, understand them, and overcome them through creativity.
How Does Art Therapy Fit Into Trauma-Informed Care?
Art therapy fits into the trauma-informed approach First Steps Recovery employs. Sometimes clients come into the facility with a distorted self-image, especially if they feel shame or guilt because of their disorder. Rather than feel ashamed of their feelings and thoughts, clients learn to find the beauty in their healing process through art therapy.
Art therapy is also completely self-directed. Clients can gauge how comfortable they feel with the level of vulnerability they are expressing. They can pace themselves with the healing process. Instead of feeling forced to open up about certain topics or feelings, clients learn what is too much for them and slowly work toward whole-self healing.
Here at First Steps Recovery, we understand that vulnerability is difficult, especially in an environment revolving around self-reflection and uncovering challenging emotions. Because of this, we take a trauma-informed approach and invite clients to engage in creative expression through our holistic services. Creative expression gives clients time to become comfortable with their thoughts and feelings and increases their comfort with being vulnerable. Art therapy is one of these holistic services that we offer to help with creative expression. Through painting or sculpting, for example, clients express their thoughts and emotions in a productive manner. As clients acknowledge their fears, losses, traumas, and even their strengths, they feel more whole and healed. For more information, please call us at (844) 489-0836.
Dr. Curl is the Medical Director and primary on-site provider for First Steps Recovery. He is a Board Certified Internist and Addiction Medicine Specialist having attended the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and completing his residency at Mount Auburn Hospital with Harvard Medical School. Following several years work as an internist and physiatrist (physical medicine and rehabilitation). Dr. Curl completed the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Howard University in Washington DC and participated as a RAM Scholar (Research in Addiction Medicine). While part of the fellowship, Dr. Curl pursued research investigating the barriers to expanding and improving medication for opioid use disorder. Following his fellowship, Dr. Curl spearheaded the Opiate Use Disorder outpatient clinic and worked in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences within the Howard University Hospital. In 2023, Dr. Curl completed his Board Certification in Addiction Medicine.
