Masterpiece & Co. Expressive Arts Psychotherapy

Final reflection on the process of creating this trauma therapy framework: Expressive Arts & Parts-Work approach. Recognising the balancing of psychoeducation to help the client to identify how the unprocessed trauma interrupts implicit/explicit sensory memory processing. And how a lack of tolerance for emotional challenges becomes internal conflict, impacting their belief system, personal identity, and worldview (Siegel, 2001). While learning to understand how the client’s personal schema narratives impair their individual executive functioning as coping mechanisms and as maladaptive behaviours (Danylchuk et al., 2023) (Porges, 2018), which impact interpersonal relationships and daily functioning. The use of expressive arts & parts work techniques to treat complex traumatic stress requires a multidimensional treatment approach (Danylchuk et al., 2023). Exploring the complexities of individual human experiences and the impacts of trauma on an individual or community. Expressive-arts & parts-work incorporates compassion, meaning-making, a gentle reexperiencing, reprocessing, and reintegrating of trauma memories within the here-and-now to develop a new sense of self-identity, to gain awareness and reflective metacognition (Siegel, 2001).  Expressive arts & parts-work creates opportunity for experiencing neuroplasticity, establishing emotional regulation and posttraumatic growth (Porges, 2018).

Working with the “what’s next” after diagnosis, with the emphasis on restoring hope, pleasure capacity, and personal growth. Creating opportunity for personal transformation and discovering new perspectives, creating new meanings, strengthening autonomy, and shifting how the person relates to their suffering. In a professional sense, these capabilities help as a therapist to remain aware of ethical assumptions and biases regarding traumatised individuals, and the effects must be recognised, understood, and appropriately treated accordingly. As a therapist, these insights helped strengthen therapeutic empathy and hope for lasting client transformation. (Malchiodi, 2020). Enhancing professional interest in working with reactive aggression, anger and chronic shame(Danylchuk et al., 2023). By emphasising posttraumatic growth and hope with positive experiencing and through establishing healthy therapeutic relationships, which is marked by evidence-based strategies, safety, stabilisation, compassion, and is flexible and adaptive as an inclusive practice. (Gilbert & Procter, 2015). This considers cultural diversity and ethical decision making and understanding of trauma treatment as a multilayered, holistic approach, which has evolved through this task to deliver appropriate trauma therapy interventions (Kaufman et al., 2013).