Expressive Arts Therapy Case Study

One of the core beliefs in the Expressive Arts Therapy was the non-verbal connections between all art modalities. By moving between art forms through connection in the creative process, it enabled one to heighten and intensify their inner journey (Rogers, 1993). On top of the verbal communication in therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy also believed in the expressive power of arts.

The modern society often treated art-making as a skill-required activity and critical judgement were given to the artworks and the artists. Instead of focusing on the artistic skills, Expressive Arts Therapy emphasized on the expression from the artworks and the insights gained by the clients in the creative process. Thus, the artist (or client) could transform their

The approach was chosen with regards to earlier findings in different psychotherapy interventions, and the client’s needs in this case study. The interventions and planning were adjusted and tailor made so as to match the needs of the client and the therapeutic progress.

The case study was carried out as an individual case study due to a few considerations. Firstly, it was difficult to recruit a group of hearing-impaired individuals as they were comparatively less active in social activities. Their motivation for participating social events and therapies were low which made them one of the most difficult populations in psychotherapy (Glickman, 2008). Secondly, previous research suggested that the hearing-impaired population preferred one to one communication rather than a group interaction. The social worker from the organization also suggested individual sessions rather than group sessions for the target population since individual sessions would be easier for them to build connection with people and give them a better understanding of the session content. Besides, as a lower level of emotional security was found in the hearing-impaired individuals in communicating with others, an individual setting might be able to provide a sense of security in the session without

Other than focusing on the problems of the hearing loss, the therapist trainee aimed to promote a holistic wellbeing to the individual and focus on his personal strengths. This Expressive Arts Therapy case study was carried out based on the principles that all individuals have their personal strengths and resources. The focus of the positive psychology strength-based approach was to develop personal skills interests and social relations and to build more on these qualities and