Client K (F45) came to me feeling stuck in a rut. She was feeling heavy and down, second guessing her creative ideas, depressed and creatively “dried up.” In my therapy practice I offer creative play as a tool for self-knowledge, growth and getting un-stuck. Could it help K?
Clients are often initially shy to try it, as it’s different than the “sit on the couch and talk” that we normally think of for therapy. As K and I got to know each other over the first several sessions, K trusted me, and so when a moment came during session where she seemed particularly stuck, I suggested we try something different: one of my prompts for interactive creativity, what I call True Play. She was hesitant, but she said yes. I said, “What do you think – we could explore through movement, or vocalizing, or drawing, or word play… (to name a few!).” She lit up and said, “Word play!” So we engaged in one of the most simple and (to me) satisfying creativity games: word association. I say a word, she hears it and says the first word that comes to her mind. I hear her word and say the first word that comes to my mind. And so on. It went something like this:
Me: “Beginning.”
Her: “Race”
Me: “Winner.”
Her: “Ribbon.”
Me: “Present.”
Her: “Past.”
Me: “Disappear.”
Her: “Dissolve.”
Back and forth we went. I could tell that she was a little tentative to begin with, trying to “think” of the “right” word. But then she started to loosen up, and we were flying. Words zinging back and forth! It feels like sailing, or riding a bike fast down a hill, or flying. We’re not thinking, we’re not caring, we’re just riding the buzz of our instinctive play!
After a while we paused, and K reported feeling lighter and quite pleased with herself! She had tapped into this river of creativity inside herself and she just was able to let herself be in that freedom. It was so cool!
Each client is different, so my prompts and invitations are custom, in-the-moment, and tailored to the each client’s specific needs and desires. If this tickles something inside you, hit me up. We’ll ease you back in to your natural creative freedom!
