How Art Therapy and Somatic Healing Come Together in an Individual Session
As an Art Therapist in private practice, I combine both Art Therapy and Somatic Healing to support individuals who have experienced trauma, struggle with anxiety, low self-esteem and grief by connecting with their body and the creative process. Using these frameworks together supports clients to better understand their body’s signals and sensations, to find tools to both cope with and manage through the creative process and within themselves and ultimately feel more confident and connected. These frameworks also allow the individual and the body to express what sometimes cannot be said with just words.
So, how may this look in an individual session with me?
Arrival and Check-In
Once you arrive in the session, we start by checking in. This may involve some verbal reflection on anything that occurred or came up for you during the week or follow up on what was discussed the previous session.
Then, either using art-making or mindfulness, I will have the client start to check in with their body. What do you notice is coming up for you in this present moment? Is there anything that feels important to reflect on in the session today? This reflection can either be done through a drawing and using some art materials or can be a verbal expression of the sensations and feelings present in the body.
Listening to and Noticing the Body
Our body is constantly sending us signals through the form of sensations, providing insight into what may be going on beneath the surface. Based off of the information gathered in the check-in, we will spend some more time listening to and getting curious about the sensations present in this moment.
Staying with the present moment is important in this type of therapy. It is the main way in which we are able to find some sense of control and supports the healing of what may have happened in the past. We cannot change the past, but we can heal the present to see how that continues to transform our future.
As we are listening to the body, we also make sure to establish a sense of safety and grounding. The body can only go so far if it does not feel safe. This may include me prompting the client with some tools to ground into their body or giving the client the space to use tools they already know are of support to them.
In these moments of mindfulness, we are always remaining curious. I, as the therapist am never giving meaning to what the sensations mean or speaking for you. I am simply present to support and guide you to listen and express your inner experience.
Using Art as a Bridge
Once we have established a sense of safety and better understand what are the sensations that are asking to be listened to, we may start to use the art-making process for increased expression, understanding and awareness outside of ourselves.
As the therapist, I may offer a directive or a prompt to help guide you in these reflections. I may also give you the chance and space to decide on your own what you would like to create and what materials you choose to use. As you create art, I am often observing you in your process to track and notice anything that we may later discuss or that you yourself may be noticing. The art can serve as a way for you to uncover what is beneath the surface and may feel challenging to express verbally.
Once you are finished creating, we will look at the art you made together. Once again through a lens of curiosity, reflecting on possible meaning you give to your art and process. As the therapist, it is not my job to analyze or give meaning to your art, I simply support you in that process for yourself.
Titration, Regulation and Resourcing
One of the gifts of using both Art Therapy and Somatic Healing is that we are able to shift between the two throughout the session. This may mean that after you create some art, we come back into the sensation in the body - finding a place where your nervous system continues to feel safe and comfortable on that given day.
We also use the frameworks to support you in finding what are some resources that you can discover within yourself and the art-making process that you will continue to use outside of the therapy space. This could mean using watercolor pencils as a way to regulate your breathing when you feel anxious. Or implementing gentle self touch as you notice yourself becoming triggered in social settings.
The key is working together to continue to find what works best for you and your body. It is after all a relationship, and as many of us know, that requires trust building and consistency.
Check Out and Final Reflections
Similar to how we started, we will use a check out to notice how your body is now feeling at the end of the session. Has anything shifting within you? Is there any wisdom or information you are taking from the session? What are you planning on continuing to do this coming week to continue to support yourself and your body?
The check out also serves as a time for me to give you “therapy homework.” Sometimes I may offer the client some “homework” to continue to do on their own until we meet again. This may look like continuing a journaling practice, using one of the tools from the session on your own or doing some reading on a topic discussed.
This isn’t something you will be graded on in the following session but can be a way to support continuity in treatment as well as consistency on your healing journey.
Every individual therapy session looks different. Many sessions may look like this and others may include only talking or regulating or creating. The most important part of therapy is the rapport - the relationship between the client and the therapist - something that comes with time, consistency and development of safety and trust.
Healing doesn't happen solely through insight or understanding. It also happens through experience—through reconnecting with our bodies, expressing what has been difficult to put into words, and discovering new ways of relating to ourselves.
By integrating Art Therapy and Somatic Healing, individual therapy becomes more than a conversation. It becomes an opportunity to listen deeply to both the mind and the body, fostering healing through creativity, awareness, and connection.
If you are curious about this process or want to see if working together feels like a good fit, schedule a free consultation call with me here.
