Healing through music, movement, and more: Exploring expressive arts therapy in India

Early into her career as a special educator, Sneha Sivasubramaniam heard one of her friends talk about dance movement therapy (also known as creative movement therapy), which, as the name suggests, integrates movement and creativity to enhance emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being. She thought it would help her deal with children with learning difficulties. Being a dancer, she readily signed up for a certificate course with the Creative Movement Therapy Association of India (CMTAI).

Some of the things she learnt, she applies in her role as a special educator at an international school in Bengaluru. The course, as it turned out, helped Sneha personally more than professionally. “During the course, we had to go through the therapeutic movement. We did the activities that clients usually do. In that process, I learnt a lot of things about myself. It really helped me connect with my body and process certain insecurities about it,” she says.

Sneha is not the only one. An increasing number of people in the big cities of India, especially Bengaluru, are becoming aware of expressive arts therapy (dance movement therapy is a modality of it). Community spaces in the city, like Lahe Lahe and Bangalore Creative Circus (BCC), host workshops and sessions of expressive arts therapy. Mansee Shah Thard, Lahe Lahe’s co-founder, says, “Almost all the events we host are, in a way, therapeutic. We do not see art as just a skill; it is a way to help people.”  

Manisha Vinod, BCC’s co-founder, reckons more and more people sign up for it for two reasons: mental well-being and social connection. “After these sessions, they seem happy that they could let their guard down, lower inhibitions, delve into their imagination, and, in some way, indulge their inner child,” she says.

Expressive arts therapy is a therapeutic approach that combines various art forms, including visual arts, music, movement, drama, and writing, to promote healing, self-exploration, and personal growth. Unlike a conventional art practice, in expressive arts therapy, the emphasis is on the process of creating rather than the final product. It encourages individuals to engage in the arts and use them as a means of communication and self-discovery. Though it is especially suitable for individuals with mental health concerns, those with developmental or physical disabilities, and those in rehabilitation, it is a versatile therapeutic approach that can benefit a wide range of individuals across different age groups, abilities, and backgrounds. The therapist creates a safe and supportive environment where clients can freely express themselves and explore their inner world.

A brief history

Expressive arts therapy finds its roots in ancient art-making practices used for healing and self-expression across cultures. Indigenous rituals, shamanic traditions, and art as a spiritual practice (like Sufi music) have long recognised the therapeutic benefits of creative expression.

American artist and educator Florence Cane introduced the idea of using art for therapeutic purposes in the early 20th century. The concept of expressive arts therapy began to take shape in the 1970s. Paolo J Knill, a Swiss psychologist, and his colleagues developed an approach called ‘Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapy.’ They emphasised integrating multiple art forms like dance, drama, music, and visual arts to facilitate personal growth and transformation.

The founder of CMTAI, Tripura Kashyap, is among expressive arts therapy’s earliest practitioners in India. This kind of therapy in India was fledgling when she started her work as a dance therapist in the early 1990s. While it may not be as widely known or practised as more traditional forms of therapy, such as talk therapy or cognitive-behavioural therapy, its presence and acceptance are gradually growing.

How does it work?

In expressive arts therapy, the therapist creates a safe and supportive environment where clients are encouraged to express themselves without judgment. Since the focus is on the process, one’s skill and experience in an art form does not matter. Apart from a few physical limitations, anyone can do it.

“Dance is for everyone,” says Tripura. “We’re all born with movement. You move inside your mother’s womb. It’s very primal to us. I like to call it the universal mother tongue. Because that’s our first form of expression.”

The approaches and techniques of therapy vary from one modality to another. For example, Anvita Raj, the founder of Jambavan Arts Collective, uses unique visual art forms like coffee painting. “If I give you a brush, some colours, and a canvas and ask you to just sit with them for half an hour, at some point, when you get deep into the process, the cobwebs in your head will slowly start clearing. You will begin to get some answers to questions you have been having,” she explains.

Purvaa Sampath, the founder of Mayahs’ Universe, Bengaluru, uses music as the key to open mental locks. “When you actively engage with music, almost every area of your brain lights up. It strengthens the communication between the two hemispheres of the brain. It engages the brain in complex ways. It can stimulate or retrain specific neural pathways.”

While there is growing research to prove the positive impact of expressive arts therapy, the field still requires further empirical evidence to solidify its efficacy across various populations and mental health concerns. Therapists believe as the field evolves, it will help us know ourselves better, which has always been among the biggest mysteries of our species.