For many people in addiction treatment, creating art is an inspirational, motivational, and meaningful experience. Both creating and viewing art can be healing, teaching people something about themselves and how they interact with the world. When creative arts are used as a form of therapy, they are known as expressive therapies. They differ from the traditional forms of creative art because they do not emphasize the final product. Instead, the emphasis is placed on the process of creation itself
With the guidance of a professional therapist, our men will be encouraged to lose themselves in their creative process, and eventually to talk about their pain instead of escaping from it by using alcohol or drugs. Sometimes an individual may even see their own pain through another person’s creative expression, providing a chance for vicarious healing.
Creative arts therapies help people learn to regulate their emotions as well. People with a substance use disorder often have a great deal of shame and guilt that can easily lead to feelings of failure or hopelessness. Creative therapies can help them cope with and process their feelings, often helping them to avoid a relapse.