Art & Eating Disorders: Expressive Arts Therapy in the Treatment of Eating Disorders, Level 1

This workshop provides a brief overview of eating disorders and an introduction to using the arts in the treatment of eating disorders.

Expressive Arts Therapy is a multi-arts approach that focuses on the creative process and art-making combining visual arts, movement, drama, music, and writing to foster deep personal growth and community development.

This workshop uses a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to the treatment of eating disorders. Engaging in drawing, painting, working with clay, movement, collage, and journal writing, we will explore how the creative arts can provide opportunities to understand the complex nature of eating disorders. We will focus on how eating disorders tells a story; a narrative that uncovers a rich and layered timeline of cultural, familial, individual, and symbolic facets, and how knowing and understanding this story can help facilitate healing.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will learn about eating disorders from a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective.
2. Participants will gain an introductory understanding of how to use expressive arts therapy tools with clients who have eating disorders appropriately. This includes how when to use expressive arts therapy, how to set up the space, choose tools and materials, and provide a safe environment in which to create.
3. Participants will engage in hands-on learning with art modalities, including visual, tactile, movement, and writing. Through this engagement, participants will gain an experiential understanding of approach, intention, and process.
4. Participants will learn how to process the art-making appropriately through therapeutic dialogue, and using additional arts modalities.

This workshop offers 6 WMHCA approved CEUs.