Expressive arts therapy—the purposeful application and integration of art, music, dance/movement, dramatic enactment, creative writing, and imaginative play—is an action-oriented and sensory-based form of psychotherapy. While talk is still the traditional method of exchange in psychotherapy and counseling, practitioners of expressive arts therapy know that individuals have different styles of communication. Some are more visual, others more tactile, and still others use movement and gesture as a form of expression. With the increasing recognition of body-based methods for regulation and recovery, expressive arts therapy is becoming part of the continuum of somatic practices in work with traumatic stress, attachment problems, addictions, and other health challenges. Because expressive methods emphasize implicit, embodied experiences that may be difficult to express in talk therapy, many practitioners now turn to these methods to help individuals quickly communicate relevant issues.

Malchiodi, C. A. (2023). What is expressive arts therapy? In C. A. Malchiodi (Ed.), Handbook of expressive arts therapy (pp. 3–20). The Guilford Press.

Cultural humility involves entering a relationship with another person with the intention of honoring their beliefs, customs, and values. It entails an ongoing process of self-exploration and self-critique combined with a willingness to learn from others. Authors have contrasted cultural humility with the concept of cultural competence. Cultural competence is characterized as a skill that can be taught, trained, and achieved and is often described as a necessary and sufficient condition for working effectively with diverse patients. The underlying assumption of this approach is that the greater the knowledge one has about another culture, the greater the competence in practice. The concept of cultural humility, by contrast, de-emphasizes cultural knowledge and competency and places greater emphasis on lifelong nurturing of self-evaluation and critique, promotion of interpersonal sensitivity and openness, addressing power imbalances, and advancement of an appreciation of intracultural variation and individuality to avoid stereotyping. Cultural humility encourages an interpersonal stance that is curious and other-oriented.

(2020). Practicing Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility in the Care of Diverse Patients. Focus: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry, 18(1). https://doi.org/doi/10.1176/appi.focus.20190041

I accept insurance as well as private pay for therapy services. My private pay individual and family therapy rate is $180 per hour. Consultations and supervision are $220 per hour. For other program development, facilitation, and trainings, these fees are quoted out after the project scope, and can range from hourly to a flat rate. I work with both individuals and organizations, if needed, on sliding scales to provide services to historically marginalized communities. This is on a case-by-case basis and depends on the scale of work.

A therapist favorite answer: it depends. I have successfully completed treatment with clients in 6 weeks, while I have also worked with clients for 6 years. This depends on the layers that exist in the work together, and the investment of the client. I do believe in transparency throughout the entire therapeutic process and will continue to check in about the trajectory of our work together and adjustments that need to be made along the way; because life happens.