The Creative Arts in Counseling - Samuel T. Gladding

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Arts in Counseling The primary goal is to create a product; few skills are required. The primary goal is to intentionally use the arts to foster insight and psychological change. The facilitator may influence the creation of the artwork through verbal or behavioral means, such as instructions. The work produced is not as important as the process involved. The product produced may be assessed for artistic form or function. The product produced is a catalyst for examining personal concerns.

      A fifth limitation of using the arts in counseling is that, by so doing, clients may become too introspective, passive, or overcritical of themselves or situations. Such a posture leads to paralysis and inhibits growth borne out of involvement. It is just the opposite of the active mental and physical involvement that Siegel (1986) described as an essential part of self-healing.

      A sixth drawback to the use of the arts in counseling is that they may be used in nontherapeutic ways. Many art forms promote the expression of feelings and help persons get beyond mere intellectual acknowledgment of situations. In helping clients recognize and express their feelings, especially the big four—anger, sadness, joy, and fear (Meier & Davis, 2019)—the counselor must therapeutically channel the release of emotions if clients are to realize more fully their own humanity (B. Warren, 1993). Catharsis in and of itself is of limited usefulness and may be detrimental to the health and well-being of individuals.

      Counseling at its best has an artistic quality that enables individuals to express themselves in a creative, unique, and therapeutic manner. It is an activity that may be enhanced through encouraging some clients to participate in creative experiences, especially artistic expressions such as painting, writing, dancing, or playing. These activities, if carried out in a nonmechanical and therapeutic manner, help people become more in tune with their emotions and form new, healthier relationships with themselves and others. The arts sensitize clients to untapped aspects of themselves and promote an awareness of uniqueness and universality. Ancient and modern civilizations have recognized this quality of the arts, and the tradition of using the arts in counseling is a long and distinguished one.

      The creative arts in counseling are, as a group, process oriented, empowering, authentic, parsimonious, multicultural, and insight focused. They energize individuals and help connect them with positive aspects within and outside of themselves while fostering a new sense of self. By engaging in playful, cooperative, and communicative dimensions of art, individuals recognize more clearly the complexity and simplicity of their lives. Similarly, counselors benefit from their involvement with the arts by being able to work with a greater variety of clients in therapeutic ways. Engaging in processes, such as using the SCAMPER model of creativity, enriches counselors personally and professionally and helps their clients gain new perspectives or try different behaviors, whether with the arts or not.

      Although those who are professional artists, irrationally minded, or mentally unstable may not be appropriate candidates for therapeutic treatment using the arts, many individuals are excellent candidates. It is to the advantage of everyone involved that professional helpers learn how to use the creative arts in counseling.

      1 When have you found yourself creative? What did the experience feel like? What art forms, if any, were involved?

      2 Different creative arts have blossomed during specific time periods; for example, visual art during the Renaissance in Florence. Which of the creative arts do you like best? What time period is most exciting for you with regard to this art?

      3 How do you think you might use the SCAMPER model in your counseling practice? Which activity associated with the model (e.g., “substitute”) do you find most relevant to you?

      Chapter 2 Music and Counseling

       Harmony

       The music of counseling varies in time from the soft sob of weeping to laughter’s staccato.Often the melody is found in the sound of feeling in voices and words rich in hope.Within each session is a symphony leading to inner harmony and possibly new movements.

      —Gladding, 1991b/2003

      From reading this chapter you will learn about

       The importance to human health of music

       The difference between music therapy and music in counseling

       The way music is used with clients of different ages and in different settings across the life span

      As you read, consider

       Whether you have ever been moved by a piece of music

       What your favorite type of music is and what it is about it that appeals to you

       How you think music can affect the world for better or worse (be specific!)

      Music is a universal multicultural experience that is respected, appreciated, and potent, with at least 15 countries recognizing its transformative abilities through having established their own music therapy associations (Grimmer & Schwantes, 2018). Music can serve as a bridge to the development of new insights, behaviors, and coping skills (J. M. Brown, 2001; Silverman, 2018). It is effective at altering moods in a positive direction, especially if it is self-selected and the individual doing the selection is not depressed (Garrido et al., 2016).

      Music is most simply described as “the appreciation of sound” (Beaulieu, 1987, p. 13). Making music is a creative act, as is listening in an active way (Sackett & Edwards, 2020). Both involve being sensitive and responsive to the cacophony of rhythm that occurs spontaneously in nature and purposely in human interactions (Schneck & Berger, 2006). At its most basic level, music is a nonverbal medium. It has been used in various ways since the beginning of time to communicate and express feelings in a variety of ways (Duffey & Haberstroh, 2013; Gfeller, 2002b; Silverman, 2008). Indeed, many civilizations and people have been defined by the types of music they have developed (e.g., classical music) and the part that music has played in their lives. On a global level, some of today’s popular music is significant in creating a sense of cultural identity (e.g., hip-hop or rap). The following thought is attributed to Plato:

       Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.

      Music creates an atmosphere either for better or for worse. Stimulating background music seems to detract from the formation of initial counseling interactions, whereas soothing music seems to promote interaction. A specific song or genre of music

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