Guided Drawing
Guided Drawing® is a trauma informed bilateral body mapping approach.
As the name suggests, the modality encourages listening to inner guidance as we engage the felt-sense & discover what the body needs to restore self-esteem, balance and health.
“This embodied art therapy approach is informed by neurobiological insights into human stress responses.”
Through integrating the healing vortex, we can regulate the nervous system and experience lasting change.
Engaging Art Materials for Healing
Chalk pastels, oil pastels, finger paints…
With our art materials, using both hands, we map what is happening internally on paper.
The body can express the somatic effects of trauma & stress as we offer relief through drawing specific shapes and massaging on paper.
Our body’s story and our response to that story becomes visible through color, lines, and shapes.
“In rhythmic repetition we can release tension and pain, assert our boundaries, and soothe and nurture our soul.”
Embracing Rhythm & Repetition
In guided drawing, we begin by drawing rhythmically to express inner tension, patterns of bracing, and pain held in the body. Next, we apply massage movements or intervening shapes according to inner needs, often with finger paints.
By recreating the movement of tension in the body, sensing what is needed to release it, and rhythmically repeating movements to move what is stuck and blocked, we come back into the flow of life.
Body Wisdom First, Cognitive Insights Follow
Guided drawing is a somatic method and is primarily non-verbal. It’s not necessary to remember or retell trauma stories in order to heal.
In this bottom up approach, our body leads the way and we have cognitive shifts that allow us to move forward and become fully empowered.
Insights arising from the sensorimotor drawing process can be verbalized and written on the drawing.
“Trauma responses are predominantly physiological, and need to be undone through our body…Nervous system regulation is actually more important than telling the story; the story is easily re-traumatizing.”
In guided drawing we:
Slow down, & connect with our body’s felt-sense.
Trust our innate wisdom to know what to do with the tension that is found.
Address overwhelm and actively respond with what is needed to heal from traumatic events & stress.
Create new responses that allow us to move from survival to being alive.
Restore well-being & wholeness through rhythmic repetition, massage movement, and intervention shapes.
Benefits of Guided Drawing:
Builds inner resources & tools to cope with stress.
Release of creative & emotional blocks & trauma.
Nervous system regulation.
Improves self esteem & boundary setting skills.
A practice in presence & self connection.
Empowering & engaging for body, mind, & spirit.
Once you have the resources and understand the technique, you can use it on your own.
You don’t need to know or relive trauma stories to experience healing.