Expressive Therapy in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is home to creativity in many ways - but in today’s time, you need a safe environment where you can slow down and express yourself through art, music, dance, and so on. Why, you ask? Creativity becomes the medium for you to express and process your feelings and memories that you cannot put into words. This is not just creativity; it goes above and beyond to contribute to your healing from substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns. This is where expressive therapy can become your pathway to recovery.

Expressive therapy is a creative psychotherapy that uses creative media to process your bottled-up emotions toward healing and recovery. Expressive is not one therapy - it can be different or an amalgamation of different therapies, like art therapy, music therapy, dance therapy, and creative expression, among others.

Linda Whiteside, Clinical Supervisor at the NuView Treatment Center, says, “Expressive therapy is commonly used with children as it can provide a gateway for them to heal from buried experiences and memories in ways that talk therapies cannot. However, at our Los Angeles facility, we have observed that it can be highly effective with adults, too.”

Expressive therapy uses creative activities to design a healing journey that is tailored to your needs and goals. It began half a century ago in the 1940s when psychologists discovered that their clients’ drawings and paintings were not just that - they told a story, something way deeper than what talk therapies like psychoanalytic therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy can uncover.

You do not have to be an artist or exceptionally good at a creative activity to experience its benefits, as your therapist facilitates this journey and activities for you.

Linda Whiteside informs, “At NuView, we do not simply use expressive therapy on its own; we also integrate it with psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies as well for a wholesome healing experience. Furthermore, therapists also use it as an assessment to understand your experiences and emotions.”

Expressive therapy is used to treat a diverse spectrum of mental health conditions, such as:

• Anxiety disorders
• Major depressive disorder, or depression
• Bipolar disorders
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder/PTSD
• Eating disorders
• Alcohol and drug misuse
• Brain injuries
• Chronic illness
• Chronic stress
• Relationship conflicts
• Low self-esteem

Expressive therapy is a multimodal therapy that combines one or more creative activities for your healing and personal growth. Some of the common types of expressive therapies are:

• Art Therapy: Focuses on visual arts, like drawing, painting, sketching, and sculpting, among others, to process emotions and memories.
• Music Therapy: Use music to ease anxiety and stabilize mood. You can either listen to or create music to heal with this therapy.
• Dance Therapy: In dance therapy, you use dance and body movement to address mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and even stress.
• Writing Therapy: You use writing as a way to uncover your thinking and emotional patterns. Typically, journaling, poetry, and storytelling are the techniques used in writing therapy.

Linda Whiteside says, “Expressive therapy’s efficacy lies in the fact that it is a multimodal therapy that does not solely focus on one single creative activity. Different creative activities can be combined to be personalized to your needs and strengths.”

Los Angeles treatment centers, like NuView, are going beyond traditional therapies to incorporate innovative, evidence-based methods in your recovery journey. Expressive therapy is one among them.

Psychotherapy has evolved beyond the therapist’s clinic and a couch. By getting creative with your recovery - it is not only an empowering journey, but becomes an exciting one, too. NuView’s expressive therapists in Los Angeles have been a leading force in this regard. With advanced training and experience in expressive therapies, they can tailor the experience to your needs and goals.

Linda Whiteside informs, “Expressive therapy is not your ordinary therapy. It makes healing and recovery an engaging experience. In fact, we have observed 5% lower dropout rates when we integrate expressive therapies into our recovery programs.”

Do you believe creativity can be key to your healing? If this resonates with you, expressive therapies can fit in right with your recovery needs and goals.

Reach out to NuView today - we sit down with you to understand your background, challenges, needs, strengths, and goals to tailor expressive therapies to your preferences and expectations for recovery.

Please connect with us at (323) 307-7997 to take this journey a step further!

1. How is expressive therapy different from other therapies?

Expressive therapy is a multimodal therapy that uses a combination of creative activities for your healing, unlike talk therapies.

2. What are the tools and techniques used in expressive therapy?

Drawing, painting, sketching, sculpting, music, journaling, poetry, storywriting, dance, and body movements are some tools and techniques used in expressive therapy.

3. Who can benefit from expressive therapy?

Expressive therapy can be beneficial for those struggling with developmental disorders, anxiety, depression, PTSD, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.

4. How can I find licensed expressive therapists in Los Angeles?

If expressive therapy resonates with you, you can contact your primary healthcare provider or trusted family and friends for references. You can also contact NuView at (323) 307-7997, and we can match you with licensed therapists with advanced training in expressive therapy who can tailor this experience to your needs and goals.

5. Is expressive therapy covered by insurance?

When expressive therapy is integrated into broader rehab options for substance use and mental health, it is covered by insurance. Otherwise, it depends on your insurance policy. You can contact your insurance provider or even call us at (323) 307-7997 to verify your insurance today!