Art therapy can take many different forms. From simple drawing and coloring to working with clay, the expressive arts have spiritual themes which promote growth in other areas of treatment and therapy.
Centering
Working with a pottery wheel, for example, requires a focus on the idea of centering, and a literal practice of centering. The mound of clay has to be centered on the wheel and kept within a center to avoid it spinning out and losing its shape. Finding center is an important spiritual and psychological tool for recovery. Many who have been addicted to drugs and alcohol for years have made their substances of choice their center. Returning to normalcy or a sense of self is only done through seeking, obtaining, and using substances. Centering is a practice of creating a solid anchor of emotional state and spiritual state at any moment. When we are centered, we lose sight with the ego and the compartmentalized parts of who we are instead becoming whole. Recognizing the whole self is critical in recovery. The reason treatment programs like the one offered at Cypress Lake Recovery focus on holistic treatment is that mind, body, and spirit approaches take into consideration the whole of a person, rather than their isolated addiction.
Grounding
Grounding is another spiritual practice which is inherent in working with pottery- on and off the wheel. Clay is made from earth. Earth made substances have a natural vibration and calming energy. Spending time outdoors in grounding ways, like walking barefoot through the grass, for example, is helpful in reducing stress and reconnecting to what it means to be human. The prefix hum stems from the latin word humus which means of the earth. To be human means to be grounded in the earth and connected to that deep energy. Working with the grounding vibrations of pottery is also meditative. Meditative practices are inherently grounding. Focusing on the connection between the mind- creative ideas- the body -moving the clay- and the spirit- often focusing on the breath and grounding- pottery as a form of art therapy is holistically healing.
Creation And Re-Creating
Working with clay is a fragile practice. Great effort can be put into frail, delicate details, molding a masterpiece. With one mindless adjustment on the wheel, a lack of focus on structure, and any other seeming mistake, a piece of clay can fall apart. Bringing attention to positive and negative spaces, like making a mug, art therapy through pottery enhances focus on making choices and recognizing that there is only so much control to make things “perfect” but that the process can be started over again- by returning to center and becoming grounded once more.
Art therapy and pottery are some of our integrative approaches to excellence in addiction treatment at Cypress Lake Recovery. Our addiction treatment programs craft a balance of life-enriching treatment with wellness and spiritual development, working with individualized treatment programs for each client. To learn more about our beautiful home in East Texas, call us today: 409-331-2204
