The Magic is in the Shift

“Express it, to address it” — Cathy Malchiodi, Phd

Why Expressive Arts?

In May 2024 I attended the 35th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference and Cathy Malchiodi, Phd, an expert in the field of Expressive Arts, held a keynote speech on why Expressive Arts is such a useful & beneficial therapeutic model for “stress, distress and traumatic stress”.

I especially appreciated how she discussed the use of Expressive Arts not just as an approach for the treatment of trauma; but, also as a model for dealing with the broader reality of stress, distress and traumatic stress in general.

The modern society that we live in today is filled with all kinds of stressors & other forms distress on a daily basis. This is leading many people to live their lives in a state of chronic stress. And, the parallels between chronic stress and traumatic stress are hard to ignore.

Our bodies cope with all forms of the stress response in exactly the same way. By adapting. These adaptations, whether physiological, mental or emotional are often based in need at first but can be detrimental in the long term. This is true for both chronic stress and traumatic stress.

This is why finding ways for us as humans to manage our stress, distress and/or traumatic stress on a daily basis is absolutely critical for us to have healthy, engaged & joyful lives.

Expressive Arts is an antidote to all the stressors we live with on a daily basis no matter what situation we find ourselves in.

Watch these inmates learn the hula in San Quentin and you will begin to understand.

In this video Mahealani Uchiyama talks about hula being “the physical embodiment of prayer & poetry”. In fact, Dr. Cathy (as she is called) insists that Expressive Arts is the “original psychotherapy”. Humans have been expressing themselves by participating in movement, music, sound, rhythm, ritual & ceremony, for as long as we have been gathering around a fire to keep warm.

This is how we have survived as a human race. By expressing stories about who we are and what we have been through.

Expressive Arts is storytelling through movement, gesture, enactment, sound, song, image, play, writing and more. It is a full body, full sensory experience.

And, this is why Expressive Arts is such a powerful tool in the treatment of trauma; but, also why is it such a powerful daily practice to manage the ongoing stressors in our lives.

If “the body keeps the score” and recovery from stress & distress is about “coming to your senses” (the tentative title for the new book from Bessel van der Kolk and Licia Sky) then engaging in Expressive Arts seems like a no-brainer. 

Why should I do Expressive Arts?

So, what makes Expressive Arts better suited to working with stress, distress and/or traumatic stress, than say just Art, or just Music, or just Dance/Movement, as singular therapeutic models in and of themselves?

Expressive Arts, founded by Paulo Knill & Shaun McNiff, is an integrative approach where we use at least two or more creative and/or expressive modalities during one session, group or workshop. And, we use these modalities (movement, music, image, sound, writing, etc) within an interdisciplinary (or intermodal) framework.

In simple terms, this means we shift from one expressive arts modality to another, and possibly to a third, in one session (whether individual or group), and we are often using multiple forms simultaneously.

For example, in the video of the inmates in San Quentin, through the practice of hula these men were using movement, sound, music, poetry & prayer.

This is where the magic lies because what makes Expressive Arts especially therapeutic & beneficial is the shift from one creative or expressive modality to the next.

Or, as Dr. Cathy likes to put it: “Shift Happens”.

I have experienced the power of Expressive Arts first hand while on my own healing journey. And, I have witnessed & observed the profound effect Expressive Arts has had on the clients & participants that I have worked with.

Something magical happens in the shift.

During the process of Expressive Arts, when we shift from one modality to the next, we unconsciously take our bodily & sensory memories & experiences - the things that can’t necessarily be verbalized - and using creative expression we give them meaning through shape & form using image, movement, sound, etc. This process is a form of Embodied Cognition.

Embodied Cognition emphasizes the idea that cognition isn’t a mental process of acquiring knowledge, understanding & insight all on it’s own but that the cognitive process is also grounded in our sensorimotor capabilities. We also need to take action, do and/or create something to gain a full & complete understanding of ourselves, lives & experiences.

When we participate in Expressive Arts, the magic shift that takes place during creative expression becomes an embodied cognition that allows us to live our best, fully engaged, healthy, joyful lives.