{"id":21387,"date":"2013-10-04T09:00:35","date_gmt":"2013-10-04T16:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=21387"},"modified":"2015-09-22T09:17:03","modified_gmt":"2015-09-22T16:17:03","slug":"expressive-arts-and-transpersonal-therapy-whats-the-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/expressive-arts-and-transpersonal-therapy-whats-the-connection-1004134","title":{"rendered":"Expressive Arts and Transpersonal Therapy: What\u2019s the Connection?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"womanTranspersonal therapy<\/a> can be a powerful framework for using the expressive arts, such as music, drama, and visual art. But many people are unfamiliar with transpersonal therapy. You may be wondering what this term means and how it relates to expressive arts processes. Here\u2019s what you need to know about transpersonal psychology and how it connects with expressive therapies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What Is Transpersonal Therapy?<\/h2>\n

You have probably heard of the so-called \u201cthree forces of psychology\u201d: behavioral, psychoanalytic, and humanistic. The classic examples that come to mind are Pavlov and his dog (behavioral); Freud<\/a>\u2019s dream interpretations (psychoanalytic); and Carl Rogers<\/a>\u2019 use of \u201cunconditional positive regard\u201d (humanistic). These examples are the stereotype of each of these psychological orientations. In truth, most therapists these days are influenced by more than one of the \u201cthree forces.\u201d<\/p>\n

And now, introducing transpersonal therapy (circa 1960s)\u2014the fourth wave of psychology<\/a>. The word \u201ctranspersonal\u201d literally means \u201cbeyond the personal\u201d\u2014what Ken Wilber has described as \u201cpersonal plus.\u201d That is, it includes all of the personal and individual aspects of our experience, including our thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions, but it also moves beyond this personal framework to address our spiritual experience. Naropa University\u2019s transpersonal counseling program clarifies this by including \u201cmystical or religious experiences, intuition, different states of consciousness, creativity, and contemplative practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Transpersonal psychology is also unique in its focus on wellness rather than pathology. A key idea in transpersonal therapy is the belief that all humans, under the right circumstances, will move naturally toward a state of wellness and wholeness. The role of the therapist is to guide the individual in this move toward wholeness by acting as a facilitator and not an expert.<\/p>\n

Expressive Arts in Transpersonal Therapy<\/h2>\n

The expressive arts and transpersonal therapy make a great team because they are both focused on exploring a wider range of possibility outside traditional talk therapy. Expressive arts therapies can include:<\/p>\n