Expressive Arts & Parts-Work Psychotherapy
Therapeutic Psychotherapy - for Individuals, Families & Community Groups
Masterpiece & Co. Expressive Arts Psychotherapy
Polyvagal-Informed Psychotherapy
Integrating polyvagal principles
Polyvagal-informed psychotherapy is based on repairing the traumatised limbic system & autonomic nervous system responses to threat, which become stuck in defensive survival modes, limiting the ability to access self-regulated states (Porges, 2018). Polyvagal-informed expressive arts & parts-work is a holistic approach to treatment to improve individual emotional regulation and reduce complex trauma symptoms (Danylchuk, et al., 2023) (Porges, 2018), while enhancing pleasure, growth and recovery (Malchiodi, 2020). Polyvagal-informed expressive arts & parts-work directly targets autonomic nervous system flexibility: enhancing the ability to shift adaptively between survival and calm states while improving resilience to stress that strengthens the sense of safety in the body. Practising compassion-focused interpersonal restoration (Gilbert & Procter, 2015), by reframing narrative and building self-reflective capacities.
Clinical application and approaches are applied to:
· Complex trauma and developmental trauma
· PTSD and dissociative disorders
· Anxiety and stress-related conditions
· Attachment disruption and relational trauma
· Somatic pain linked to dysregulation
· Shame, impulsive anger, coping behaviours
· Intergenerational cultural and social trauma
Masterpiece & Co. Expressive Arts Psychotherapy
Expressive Arts & Parts-Work
Expressive Arts & Parts-Work Interventions
Identifying that all parts have a role to play as adaptive copying mechanisms (Koek et al., 2024). Transform emotional suffering into actions that change to enhance resilience and compassion towards all parts of self (Fisher, 2017) (Gilbert & Procter, 2015).
Scientific evidence suggests in the case of complex trauma, “Talk Therapy” or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is not enough for real change to occur because calming the body’s responses is necessary to help traumatised individuals tolerate the stimulation of trauma memories (Koek et al., 2024) and to safely evoke non-conscious, fragmented parts of the self (Fisher, 2017). Expressive arts offer an embodied experience using an integrative body-based intervention to manage overwhelm and dysregulation that addresses the individual trauma experience to reduce the sensations of aggression, helplessness and collapse (Malchiodi, 2020) (Ogden & Fisher, 2015). Acknowledging relational patterns, mislabelling, protective behaviours, mapping triggers, and protector parts of self. Using interventions to test an individual’s window of tolerance, reducing the chance that traumatic memories are being reinforced or needlessly retraumatizing for the individuals, for gaining safety, and cognitive understanding of the role of the body in trauma restoration and recovery (Siegel, 2001).
Masterpiece & Co. Expressive Arts Psychotherapy
Reframe Healing
Posttraumatic Growth Perspective
Understanding the nuanced approach to healing means reshaping distorted narratives and personal schemas (Malchiodi, 2020). Identifying the adaptive survival mechanisms that have protected an individual during threat responses that have become maladaptive survival strategies and coping behaviours (Smith & Pollak,2020) (Danylchuk, et al., 2023) (Porges, 2018). Reestablishing traumatised parts into trauma recovery, reframed into strengths used in traumatic growth. Reframing the nervous system responses (Porges, 2018) for example: Fight reframed (adaptive action) as courage and the ability to set boundaries, which creates emotional distance to foster safety and healing. Flight transformed into (Strategic Avoidance), a healthy response, to avoid harmful environments, relationships and advocating for self. Freeze as (mindful pausing), response can evolve into a mindful breath before reacting, rather than becoming triggered. And Fawn into (Self-Empathy), a people-pleasing response can be transformed into empathy and foster internal conflict resolution. Fostering metacognition, reflection & awareness capacity (Perry, 2008).
