[Next]
From: Ellen-Marie Silverman
Date: 10/11/00
Time: 9:25:00 AM
Remote Name: 152.163.207.206
I have long used expressive therapy with children and adults in my work as a speech pathologist. What I have found is that those willing to draw and/or paint (children are so much more willing to share their thoughts and feelings this way than adults!) develop a sense of ownership of their therapy that empowers them to participate with greater purpose that helps reduce their anxiety about current communication difficulties thereby releasing energy to apply to positive change. Thank you for sharing your research, literary and empirical, and, hopefully, motivating us all to recognize and utilize the tremendous gifts we give ourselves when we participate in the arts. While we address graphic arts in response to your paper, we can also appreciate the power of music (performing as well as listening to others performances) and movement, i.e., self-choreographed, statements. Of course, writing ---poetry, essays, journaling, stories, and plays ---which is not uncommonly included in treatment programs also possesses the power to unlock self-awareness that can lead to desired change.