Trauma and Whole Brain Therapy

“I’m not good at art.” “Playing is for kids.” “I’m not very creative.” These are common remarks I hear when clients learn that I incorporate creative expressive art techniques into therapy. The truth is, it doesn’t matter whether the activity turns out “good” or feels childish (and this judgment may be something important to explore during your time in therapy). What truly matters is the engagement of your whole brain during therapy. In this blog, I will explore more about whole brain therapy and how it can help.

Often, when people say they’re in therapy, they mean that they talk to a licensed professional for 50 minutes about what life is throwing at them, how they are coping, and perhaps the underlying root of the issue. This approach usually proves effective if the client has a strong relationship with their therapist. However, in this modality, the client is primarily using one part of their brain—the left side. This is the logical, critical thinking, and linguistic part of the brain. The right side—the creative, intuitive, and visual part—is typically excluded in traditional talk therapy.

It’s crucial to acknowledge that traditional talk therapy doesn't engage the right side of the brain, even though your whole brain absorbs everything as you go through life. All five senses are active, absorbing language and visual information within your experiences. By using only the left side of your brain in therapy, you’re partial processing the issues you’re facing. This partial engagement is particularly significant when it comes to trauma.

For example, if you’re in a car accident, your brain absorbs information all around you at lightning speed. This includes what you see, where you are, what’s playing on the radio, the temperature of the car, or any sensations on your skin and body. When recollecting these events afterward, or during therapy, you use the left side of your brain to verbally describe your experience. However, the right side of your brain, which processes sensations and non-verbal information, is excluded. This is why you might not understand what’s triggering you when you get into a car again—it could be any of those non-logical or non-verbal aspects that haven’t been fully processed.

By incorporating creative expressive art techniques into therapy, you allow the right side of your brain to also process your experiences. This approach gives space for the non-verbalized experiences to be recognized and healed. Often, when people say “I feel blocked” or “There’s something there, I just can’t put my finger on it,” they may be referring to these unprocessed, non-verbalized experiences.

That being said, utilizing a technique that is not widely discussed can be intimidating. While there are a variety of different techniques used in whole brain therapy, some common broad categories include: sandtray therapy, poetry, dance, music, clay art, and collages. These techniques can be personalized and used by a trained professional to bring what’s already present to light, helping you move forward in your healing journey.

Creative expressive art isn’t just for young or “talented” clients. It is fundamental to a holistic healing journey to engage both sides of your brain so that the full picture of your experience can be seen, heard, and healed. By incorporating activities with a creative element, you are doing just that! If you’re curious about creative expressive art therapy and how it can serve you specifically, please reach out. I would love to partner with you on your healing journey. To schedule a free 15-minute consultation, click here.