Creativity plays a vital role in improving emotional, mental and physical health in women suffering from emotional breakage. Brookhaven Retreat is excited to introduce its new Art Therapist, Erin Laubenheimer. Through art therapy Erin will assist clients in expressing emotion, achieving personal insight, and increasing self-esteem and self-awareness.
According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy is an effective treatment for people experiencing stress, anxiety and bipolar disorder, as well as emotional and physical trauma by exploring various forms of art, including painting, drawing and clay work. This unique form of therapy involves not only the creation of art, but also unearthing its personal significance.
For women who are unable to communicate their thoughts verbally, art provides an outlet to express the feelings and emotions that words cannot. Art therapy focuses on developing images that come from within. This provides a more thorough view of a woman’s mental health, and allows further exploration of these emotions during individual therapy.
The creative process is both a pleasurable and therapeutic activity capable of reducing stress, anxiety and depression stemming from trauma or mental illness. Art therapy prompts self-discoveries and additional examination of intimate emotions. While doing so, a woman is able to face fears and even discover strengths she was unaware of.
Brookhaven Retreat is committed to a holistic approach to recovery for women with mental health and substance abuse issues. With the addition of a new art therapist, women at Brookhaven Retreat will explore a unique process in communication and overcoming stress. Discoveries made during individual and group art therapy sessions help women manage behavior, reduce stress, develop interpersonal skills and resolve conflict, ultimately creating lives of health and wellness.
