Creative Acceptance: How Art Therapy Enhances ACT’s Core Principles
We have utilized art to document existence, thoughts, feelings, define beliefs, tell stories, as well as for communication tools since the beginning of time. The establishment of norms, belief expressions, and using creative means to relate to others are made possible by aesthetics (Dissanayake, 1992). Looking at the integration of art and science, we see a profound opening for creativity and psychology to emerge. Early and aspiring art therapists were inspired by some more traditional psychoanalytic presentations within psychology and art therapy with emphasis placed on free association and the uncovering of unconscious material within their patients (Naumburg, 1987). The field has since expanded to include multi-faceted approaches such as social justice, neurogenesis, cultural humility, interconnectedness, and other global projects (Carolan & Stafford, 2018).
Overview of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a part of the third wave of behaviorism where behavior is considered to be both outward actions as well as inner experiences and contexts, such as thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations (Backos, 2022). A full human life comes with a full range of human emotions, and through ACT we are able to learn to handle painful feelings by making room for them, rising above them, and creating a values driven life that is worth living (Harris, 2013). The modern way of conceptualizing behavior includes consideration of inner experiences and private reactions. These internal encounters that are only observable to us offer a dynamic that serves as an indispensable context to our lives as we are continuously encountering both nonpublic and particular thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations (Backos, 2022). Exploring these inner contexts through ACT creates endless opportunities in the therapy space to look into the thoughts, feelings, and somatic experiences that are linked to different facets of our lives.
ACT is based on two main principles: mindfulness and values, with its core tenants including psychological flexibility, acceptance, cognitive defusion, the self as context, values, committed action, and contact with the present moment. These concepts work together to help one effectively handle painful thoughts and feelings as well as lend a hand at creating a rich, full, and meaningful life (Harris, 2013). The “normal” thinking processes of a healthy mind naturally create psychological suffering. Anything that is meaningful in our lives will bring both pleasure and pain along with it, and to live a rich, full, and meaningful life through ACT means learning how to handle these feelings. Due to the fact that ACT is part of the contextual sciences, it considers how a behavior exists in the context of all other experiences around it (Backos, 2022).
Integration of Art Therapy and ACT
ACT is unique in the realm of counseling modalities where its goal is to inspire clients to engage in a worthwhile and meaningful life, even while living with the suffering that inevitably accompanies our human existence. ACT can be effectively combined with art therapy, where its goal of using creative expression to understand the self, others, and our communities, increases positive emotions, behaviors, reduce mental health symptoms, as well as create and support lifelong positive personal skills and expression (Backos, 2022). Creative expression leads towards self-actualization and is in support of change to ourselves and others, including that of social justice. Linking ACT with art therapy offers individuals the opportunity to engage in meaning making through personal articulation of the whole self through the creative process. The powerful and evidence base of ACT combined with the supported practice of art making facilitates a holistic client-centered modality to treatment with distinct processes and outcomes that employ personal expression, psychological flexibility, and meaning making to create value-based personal expression in one’s life (Backos, 2022). Thinking about our inner experiences is what we already do, and to fully externalize them we must create art and talk or write about them. Creating a coherent narrative is vital to healing, meaning we tell our narrative in art and words (Chapman, 2014; Gantt & Tinnin, 2009; Gantt & Tripp, 2016).
Integrating the evidence-based practices of ACT with creative expression facilitated through art therapy exercises a powerful approach to healing and transformation. The benefits of committed action to create a meaningful life are accomplished through creative, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes designed to increase psychological flexibility (Backos, 2022). Specifically looking at the core principles and tenets of ACT include art making to facilitate engaging mindfully in the present moment, accepting what is truly happening without attempting to avoid, control or escape private experiences, defusing from thoughts, viewing the self as the context of our lives, as well as defining values and living accordingly to what is most important to us to create a more meaningful life (Backos, 2022). Both art and ACT practices rely on centuries-old wisdom, including that of present moment awareness and acceptance (Tolle, 2004). ACT art therapy delivers on our practical behaviors as well as the effective responses from ourselves to live the life we want for ourselves. This approach has been found useful to incorporate aspects of acceptance and commitment therapy and creative mindfulness based techniques geared towards non judgemental acceptance in order to provide personal,meaningful, and holistic mental health care. This is meant to ensure creativity as a genuine resource for this patient to encourage an increase in life meaningfulness, strengths recognition, and overall autonomy for what is needed in the therapy space.
Using art materials and creative expression as the key form of communication and personal expression to provide individuals with rich and innovative ways to explore various aspects of themselves, including that of memories, thoughts, feelings, and other inner experiences through the use of modern visual and tactile arts materials. Promoting reliance and protecting one’s overall psychological well-being can be achieved through the presence of mindfulness practices with emotion regulatory coping skills seen through practices of both ACT and art therapy (Greenberg & Harris, 2012). Through these modes of expression, the integration of art therapy and ACT embodies the primary facilitation of healing for individuals, families, groups, and communities with a non-judgemental focus of attention on thoughts, sensations, perceptions, and feelings.
Contributor Credit: Art and Article by Emily Mathews
References
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Gantt, L. & Tripp, L. (2016). The image comes first: Treating preverbal trauma with art therapy. In J. King (ed.), Art Therapy, Trauma, and Neuroscience: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives (p. 67-99). London: Routledge.
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Harris, R. (2013). The happiness trap: How to stop struggling and start living. Trumpeter Books.
Naumburg, M. (1987). Dynamically oriented art therapy: Its principles and practice. Chicago, IL: Magnolia Street.
Tolle, E. (2004). The power of the now: A guide to spiritual enlightenment. Novato, CA: New World Library.
