Art for Change · Principle 2 of 5
Creative Group Exercises
Expert interview with Helene Havsteen · 10:01 min · in English
About the principle
Creative group exercises can strengthen wellbeing by creating experiences of connection, safety and belonging. When people make something together, there is an opening to be seen, heard and met without any demand to perform.
Regulating the nervous system. Being creative alongside others can create co-regulation, where people influence one another’s nervous systems positively through presence, rhythm, voice, movement and shared focus.
Building body awareness. Group exercises can help participants sense their own boundaries, needs and reactions in the company of others.
Creating calm and presence. Shared rhythms and playful activity can create grounding and strengthen the sense of being present.
Extract from the book Art for Change – Creativity in Working with Trauma and Mental Health.
Exercises
- Make a shared image where everyone contributes a colour or a shape
- Create a shared rhythm with hands, voices or simple instruments
- Move together in silence and sense the pace and energy of the group
- Build something together from natural materials or objects
- Share music, images or words that bring safety or joy
- Make a ”circle of feelings” where each participant chooses a colour, shape or movement
Guidance for the therapist
Create a clear frame built on safety, voluntary participation and respect for individual boundaries. Stay attentive to group dynamics and to the fact that participants have different needs for contact and for pauses. Make clear that there is no right or wrong way to take part.
Questions for reflection
- What was it like to make something together with others?
- When did you feel most connected to the group?
- Was there something in the group that brought calm or energy to your body?
- How did the expressions of others affect your own experience?
- Is there a feeling from the group you would like to take with you?
About Helene Havsteen
A therapist and consultant in private practice in Kongens Lyngby with more than 35 years of experience. She teaches at the Danish Institute of Expressive Art, Coaching & Counseling (EGS) and combines physiotherapy, craniosacral therapy, art therapy, mindfulness and coaching. She holds a Master’s degree from the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee and has run the Institut for Art, Spirit, Coaching since 2018.
In the interview, Helene answers: ”Creative group exercises as a foundation in group therapy”