Healing Doesn't Have to be All Talk

Have you ever gone to therapy and felt like all you did was talk? Or find you had nothing to talk about? Or feel like you couldn’t really get the words out? Maybe talk therapy isn’t for you and that’s okay. For a lot of us who are BIPOC, AMENA, and members of religious minority groups, there's also a stigma behind seeking therapy or talking about your feelings instead of pushing through. We're told therapy is for those who are "weak" or have something "wrong with them." The idea that talk therapy works for everyone is rooted in ethnocentrism that promotes this Western model of healing.

Think about the thing in your life that have been therapeutic to you, have you found writing out your thoughts, be that journaling or poetry? If writing feels to close to speaking out loud how about listening to someone else voice how you feel? This could be done via the media we listen to (i.e. music, podcast, guided meditations) watch (i.e. movies, tv, theatre, YouTube)? Maybe making your own music (with an instrument or just your own vocal chords and body), or embodying your feelings via movement (think yoga, dancing, working out, even theatre games), or visual art (painting, sculpting, sketching, etc.) is you style? Our hobbies can be healing, expressive arts therapy encompasses we just have to reframe what we consider of therapy.

In expressive arts therapy, each client is encouraged to use multiple forms of creative expression to articulate their inner world, including drawing and painting, photography, sculptures using a range of materials from clay to paper mâché, music, drama and role-play, poetry, prose, and dance and movement (Nash & Sauber Millacci, 2022, from PositivePsychology.com).

Below is a list of Instagram accounts, organizations and practitioners who focus on improving your mental health/wellness using on western methods of therapy.

Breathwork and Yoga:

Black Girls Breathing

Kim Saira - An Asian American Intuitive Creative Flow Coach

Imani Nicole - Breathwork and Meditation Facilitator

Tejal Yoga - Tejal Patel (she/they) is a first-generation Indian immigrant yoga teacher, speaker, and social justice educator, and podcaster. Tejal is also the founder of AnyBornConscientiousDesiYogi (abcdyogi)

abcdyogi - is a hub and consortium of South Asian yoga teachers "committed to decolonizing yoga and mindfulness teachings" and "People identifying as South Asian, Non-South Asian BIPOC, LGBTQIA2+, Allies, Accomplices in search of community-based, spiritually-rooted yoga and mindfulness practices and stories. Everyone is welcome to learn regardless of ethnicity, caste, gender, religion or practice level."

Yoga Integrated (on Inclusive Therapists)

Music Therapy:

Black Women's Music Therapy Collaborative

Music Therapist (on Inclusive Therapists)

Jasmine Edwards MA, LCAT, MT-BC

Gabriela Asch-Ortiz, MS, LCAT, MT-BC

Dannyele Crawford, MS, MT-BC

Movement, Dance and Drama:

Drama Therapist (on Inclusive Therapists)

Dance/Movement Therapy (on Inclusive Therapists)

Jacqueline (Jaq) Victor (they/them) - is a queer, non-binary Vietnamese-American Licensed Marriage and Familt Therapist and Register Drama Therpist who practices in California. Their expertise is in working with 1st and 2nd gen immigrants, neurodiverse folks and QTBIPOC. (Telehealth only at the moment)

Radisha KhanBey Miller - is a performing artist, author, podcaster, and sensual movement coach. She was featured on the Emmy award-winning show Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls ig: radishakhanbeymiller

Body Prayers by DejaJoelle - "A Poly-Realmic Healing Practice for Black folx." "Body Prayers aims to influence and aid in the Healing Process of all Black people; Using Dance, Revolutionary Love Practices, Dreaming, Education, and Community Fellowship as a tool for social, economic, and emotional Liberation." DejaJoelle was featured on the Emmy award-winning show Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls ig: dejajoelle

Sye Gratz Drama Therapy (they/them) - Is a Registered Drama Therapist and Coach. They are "a white-bodied, non-binary, queer, of Ashkenazi Jewish decent, a theater artist, and student of somatics" living on Muwekma Ohlone land, Oakland CA. While based and practicing in California Sye also offers a 2Slgbtqia+ Monthly Virtual Group*. *(Currently on pause)

Black Creative Arts Therapy

Journaling, Bibliotherapy, and Poerty:

The act of writing down one's thoughts for some, can be more effective than talk therapy.

Emely "Em" Rumble, LCWS is a New York City-based psychotherapist and bibliotherapist ig: litherapy_nyc

Bibliotherapy (on Inclusive Therapists)

Art Therapy and Therapeutic-Art Making:

Art Therapy (on Inclusive Therapists)

Uyen: A Los Angeles-based Asian-American artist who shows people how to utilizes therapeutic-art making/art therapy exercises (as she is not a registered art therapist and makes this clear) ig: uyntrn

Christine Nazarian, Psy.D, LMFT, AT-R is a California-based doctor of psychology, licensed marriage and family therapist, and a registered art therapist ig: artfulpsych

Play and Sand Tray/Play:

Sand Tray Therapy (on Inclusive Therapists)

Play Therapy (on Inclusive Therapists)

Elizabeth Gonzalez-Jaskulak, LCSW (she/hers) - is a "Therapist/Consultant healing trauma w/ compassion & creativity since ‘96. Registered Sandplay Practitioner, Spanish speaking, EMDR certified and a CIT" ig: LatinaSandplayTherapy