Why I Use Art and Music in Therapy - Even Virtually
Therapy isn’t always about the right words. Sometimes it’s about the feeling in your chest when a song hits the nerve you didn’t know was raw, or the way a color in a painting captures the ache you’ve been carrying and haven’t been able to name. That’s why I incorporate your experience of your favorite artwork or music artist, especially with clients who feel things deeply, are spiritually disoriented, or relationally stuck. These tools don’t replace talking, they deepen it.
For the clients I work with…
You might be deconstructing beliefs you were raised with, navigating the wreckage of betrayal, or unraveling attachment patterns that leave you over-functioning or doubting yourself. In these spaces, sometimes language fails. Your body knows something long before your mind identifies it - allowing art and music to help bridge that gap.
I work with clients who feel deeply and think hard, and who often say “I don’t know how to explain it, but it feels like…” to their loved ones. That’s where a song lyric, a famous painting, or metaphor can carry us deeper.
How it shows up in sessions:
Even in virtual therapy, expressive work is still possible. Clients might:
-Share a playlist that mirrors a season of their life
-Draw or collage their emotional state during a stuck moment
-Share and process a piece of art that makes you feel things you cannot explain
-Use movie scenes or poetry to explain dynamics that feel too big to name
-Write letters to your younger self, partners, or even your higher power to process pain
These aren’t art therapy techniques in the clinical sense - I’m not an art or music therapist - but they are invitations to make meaning, especially when trauma has left language hollow.
Why it matters:
Creative expression:
-Taps into the emotional brain where trauma and attachment wounds live
-Bypasses defenses
-Creates clarity and compassion when your inner critic or inner chaos feels overwhelming
-Connects the mind and body, especially for those healing from trauma and dysregulation
Virtual therapy doesn’t limit this work - it actually expands it! You’re already in your space - your playlists, notebooks, or supplies nearby. You can cry to a song and then bring it to session. We can pause, feel, and translate together.
You don’t need to be artistic or musical to benefit from expressive therapy. This is about honesty and finding new language for old pains and new presence where you used to feel numb.
Ready to start to explore your story through art, music, and meaning?
If traditional talk therapy hasn’t felt like enough, or if you’re the kind of person who feels things deeply but struggles to explain them, I’d love to work with you.
I offer virtual therapy for clients across Texas, creating space for honesty, deep presence, and creative exploration even through a screen