Expressive Arts Focusing EAF is a body-focused approach in the field of the Expressive Arts rooted in the Experiential Approach
EAF interventions are intermodal, process oriented, person-centered and trauma-informed. Visual Art interventions play a significant role in the session
Visual aesthetics are therapeutic in themselves. They provide a sense of beauty and wellbeing through reception.
Visual art exercises imply hands on activities that connect to the body. They allow sensual and kinesthetic
experiences that provide a safe container for the client
Expressive Arts Focusing EAF is intentional. The experiential process starts
with an intention set up by the client. This implies to bodily slow down, get grounded and come to presence before doing arts
The intention set-up-phase is fascilitated through therapeutic guidance. We
offer:
Expressive Arts Focusing EAF is a meta-therapeutic approach promoting health, personal growth and existential wellbeing. No matter what kind of setting, Expressive Arts modalities can be taken into focus through the body sense. The process can stay within the frame of each therapeutic school or shift to Focusing Oriented Therapy (FOT) or Focusing Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®)
Expressive Arts Focusing EAF uses various artistic approaches and tools for best practice:
Application:
The main ressource comes from within. There is a part in everyone that is artist and healer
Inviting this part implies
Bilateral Body Mapping/Guided Drawing®: Releasing trauma and intense feelings of pain, anger and fear
Dream Illustration: Capturing inner pictures that cannot be expressed through
words
Expressive Portraits: Healing through mirroring and the artistic expression itself
Experiential Collaging and Phototherapy:
Finding meaning through image making
Embodied Doodling: Energizing the body and releasing stress
Contemplative Botanical Drawing and Hand Lettering: Calming down and easing the mind
Magic Book Journaling and Cosmic Smash Booking: setting up intentions and processing unclear emotions
Body based Abstract Painting:
Enhancing intuition through the body sense
The Creative Connection with Nathalie Rogers, PhD, REAT
FOAT® with Laury Rappaport, PHD, MFT, REAT, ART-BC
FOAT® is a mindfulness based approach for positive growth and change, integrating Focusing and the Expressive Arts. FOAT® applications are supported by publications, books and research
Sensorimotor Expressive Arts Therapy® |
Guided Drawing®
GD® with Cornelia Elbrecht, BA. MA. (ART Ed), AthR, SEP
Guided Drawing® is a body-focused and trauma-informed practise, using mindfulness, sensory awareness and trust in the guidance from within
Stoppages and dead-end situations in non-clinical settings highly benefit from imainary space and alternative world experiences
Coaches and trainees can find real life solutons through unexpected and unpredictable experiences that are affective, sensory based and playful
Expressive Arts Focusing EAG brings about such experiences. Focusing and the arts are powerful tools to open up and transform structure-bound experiencing and congitive and emotion-based schemes
Empathic curiosity for differences (Geiser) and clearing a space through the arts (Rappaport) are the main therapeutic principles here
Aesthetic empathy is another useful principle as it transforms the process of art making. To handle art materials and techniques the coachees and trainees are introduced to experimental exercises of the Bauhaus Founders
All art activities are fascilitated by the professional but start from the body sense of the coachee or trainee. Their process is carried forward through circular loops of experiencing, expressing and finding new meaning. The outcome is improvement in self-regulation and self-restoring
The brand Expressive Arts Focusing EAF was originally created by the FOCUSZ Center and first released through one of the FOCUSZ websites https://expressive-arts-focusing.jimdosite.com/ on August 7th 2019. The website was announced on the Expressive Arts Focusing Facebook site on April 6th 2020
Contrary to other usage of the term Expressive Arts Focusing (Rappaport US, 2021), our brand encompassess more than spontaneous
expressive arts activities that can or cannot lead to Focusing
Expressive Art Focusing EAF starts with the body. It is intentional in the way that it implies a guided process preparing the client for art activities-in-presence. The approach is combining process-oriented methods of Body Therapy, Receptive Art Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Existential Wellbeing Counseling and Focusing Plus
Focusing Plus is a specific intermodal Focusing
style of the German-Swiss Focusing Network FN designed for to explore and process structure-bound patterns. The approach implies energetic body work and
person-centered body exercises as tools
Focusing Plus is rooted in the work of the early pioneers of the Focusing Network FN (formerly International Focusing Network IFN founded in 1981). Their ideas and practices have been extended and revised multiple times in collaboration with the GFK Institute for Body Therapy, Focusing and Person-centred Psychotherapy Zurich CH.
Publications of the IFN and GFK founders Ernst Juchli and Christiane Geiser, Hans-Ulrich Schlünder (FN) and other FN/GFK co-writers started in 1990. Their publications
resulted in two books published by the GFK Institute Zurich and the Swiss Association for Psychotherapy SGfK in 2017
Focusing Plus is embedded in 40 years of European Focusing tradition and esssential training guideline for
the FOCUSZ Center since 1995
Your webinar has done me an awful lot of good. I haven't felt as comfortable, free and light hearted for ages as I do now after the course. I just wanted to tell you that, and thank you very much
Lore
So honestly presented - thank you very much for this beneficial, strengthening offer
Astrid, person-centered counselor
The webinar war so valuable for me. Your calmness and sovereignty did me good. Thanks for everything, and the encouragement.
Sabine, remedial nurse
Despite the online distance (and this is quite amazing for me) I felt very comfortable and safe. Your empathic, clear and soothing instructions and exercises have done me a lot of good
Helena
The exercises were really good for me. I am now in focus. Thank you!
Anna, trauma-therapist
After the webinar I worked on my picture a few more times ... playing with it, discovering more. Everything I found was so valuable. Thanks again
for the afternoon!
Gertrud, pediatric therapist
It is so exciting to see how you are bringing something to life that you feel exactly is on at this very moment and thereby accompany other people
Gaby, teacher
The workshop opened up new spaces I had never created before. I painted new outlooks and found new possibilities. My stress did go away and the mood improved - thank you!
Elena, psychologist
I was surprised that focusing helped me to focus on my inner sensation, to reveal the discomfort in my body and that the body itself knows and answers my request. And third, I was surprised that the answer was on the surface. It was like I didn't want to notice it and drove it out of my awareness. Now I feel connected. Thank you
Lisa, student
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