Why you should use creativity as a resource in psychotherapy

The main objective of therapy is to help overcome the state of paralysis, and restore the resources available to the individual. In this sense, creativity is an integral and characteristic property of human beings due to the predisposition to generate the unprecedented.

Thus, creativity is a resource in psychotherapy that is not limited to the area of ​​the arts, but refers to the expression of key behaviors that differentiate the human being.

• Related article: "What is creativity? Are we all 'potential geniuses'? "

Trauma is a hindrance to the imagination

Trauma appears when the subjective experience reaches such intensity that it produces an unacceptable experience, or it requires processing capacities not available in the subject.

Among other consequences, trauma seems to block the creative and generative expression of their own development. Trauma can be hidden in plain sight, and appear in non-verbal and unforeseen ways, which how therapists should be observed in the response of the person, to determine if it has been possible to integrate the experience. Integration affects all levels, and it takes place when the left and right brain hemispheres communicate and draw parallels between thoughts and somatic sensations.

In his gestalt theory, Daniel Stern proposed the dynamic called the form of vitality. With these forms he refers to basic dimensions that can assume a creative characterization, since imbalance is a sign of vitality, something necessary to grow and develop. Vitality favors many forms that are active and present in everyday life, in psychological development and in numerous artistic expressions..

The use of creativity in psychotherapy can be the basis for the reworking of trauma through recognizing the resources not yet activated that the individual has. Creativity arises from the integration of our left hemisphere with the right hemisphere; creativity integrates opposing aspects of our mind, and as a result the mind leans toward vitality, flexibility, and resilience.

The ability to imagine

One of the most significant differentiating abilities of humans is imagination. During psychotherapy, driving through the traumatic experience is done through the stimulation of the patient's imagination. A dialogue is established between experiences and imagination. Thus, psychologists can use the therapeutic creative process to release and foster creativity in the patient during the therapeutic course.

Positive emotions and creativity

Emotions, even negative ones, play an adaptive role in humans. An emotion constitutes a transitory affective response that predisposes to carry out a conclusive action to it. Positive emotions can be defined as those that possess adaptive functions because they facilitate the effectiveness of responses to the stimuli that are presented, and promote growth and wellness.

Positive emotions modify the way in which information is processed, facilitating creativity. This explains why people in a positive mood are able to evaluate a situation in a more comprehensive and positive way, and make decisions that are more beneficial to their well-being.

Positive emotions have an influence on cognitive processes and cognitive flexibility, which, as has been seen, is essential for problem solving. "Cognitive flexibility" can be defined as the ability to adapt to different requirements or changes (Isen, 2002) that by plasticity build new neural networks.

Problem resolution

Taking into account the relationship between positive emotions and problem solving, it is possible to obtain a method with which the therapist can help the patient to achieve the desired change by fostering creativity and cognitive flexibility in the search for new solutions, give new meanings to their contexts and improve their quality of life and sense of happiness.

Positive emotions increase interest and curiosity, providing greater flexibility to think about how to improve life in the future, including new ideas that might otherwise have been dismissed.

Nevertheless, avoid overvaluing positive emotions, since they can lose their organizing effect of meanings. In psychotherapy, both the management of both positive and negative emotions requires special care and a work strategy for the success of the therapeutic process.

Taking into account that cognitive processes produce emotions through mental representations, and in turn emotions produce mental representations, it should be noted the therapeutic ability to enable the patient to construct an alternative history to the original making new positive connotations.

While the problem-situation leads to generating a series of negative anticipatory thoughts, positive emotions increase cognitive flexibility, which that allows greater creativity, empathy, understanding, associative capacity, choice of alternatives for problem solving and motivation, and among other factors.

The creative therapist

Therapist Joseph C. Zinker (1934) defines the psychotherapist as a "person who uses his inventiveness to help people shape their lives." Psychotherapy is a creative encounter between two people: therapist and patient.

In this way, creativity makes the psychodynamic process more adaptive, allowing:

• Discover the emotional world of the patient, be more sensitive and receptive.
• Find what was ignored or hidden.
• Make connections and relationships between different elements.
• Encourage curiosity and reflection.
• Confront insecurities from spontaneity
• Reworking trauma through recognizing unactivated resources

Do you want to learn more tips about creativity for psychotherapy?

Within the therapeutic field, creativity is a resource that allows the spontaneous exploration of a event, approach and accompaniment in understanding the emotional world and cognitive processes of the patient. On the other hand, creativity allows the patient to externalize what he experiences without using words. It is a liberating act that enriches you and brings you closer to others.

Creativity is an innate intellectual capacity to the human being, which allows adaptation to different contexts and subjective experiences, that can be encouraged with simple and easy-to-apply exercises, writing, drawing and painting techniques, modeling with clay, music and play.

A creative therapy can consist of directives where the therapist determines the activities or theme to be developed, materials or techniques with which the patient can create. Or not directives, leaving the patient free to choose materials, techniques and theme to develop her creative process. And finally, semi-directives, where minimum instructions are given, so that it is the patient who completes the creative process (Moreno, 2007).

Bibliographic references:

• Weber, C., 2021. Creativity and trauma: pars construens in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. cpm, (38), pp. 29-31.
• Ceberio, M & Rodríguez, S. (2020). The "Start Point" in psychotherapy: Positive emotions, creativity and problem solving. Theory and Practice: Peruvian Journal of Psychology CPsP-CDR-I, 2 (2), e30.
• Stern, D. (2010). Forms of vitality: Exploring dynamic experience in psychology, the arts, psychotherapy, and development. Oxford: University Press.