The Latin word for ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’ is ‘sana’ – and is the name of Barbara Murphy’s Expressive Arts & Art Therapy centre in Souris.

Murphy says this new therapy concept offers an alternative way for individuals to express their thoughts and feelings in a different and creative way.  “Expressive Arts and Art Therapy helps those who may have difficulty simply talking about their experiences due to trauma, cognitive issues, or physical health conditions,” she states.

Murphy comes to her passion of helping others through her career working with children and youth for over 20 years as an educator, school guidance counselor and now as an art therapist.

 Expressive Art Therapy is a relatively new concept. Murphy has her master’s degree in Guidance and Counselling, and stumbled upon Art Therapy quite by accident, learning from a student about this new type of therapy.  Her interest was piqued during Professional Development Training and she pursued it further in formal training through WHEAT.

She is currently finishing up her certification with the WHEAT Institute in Winnipeg (Winnipeg Holistic Expressive Arts Therapy Institute) achieving a dual diploma; in both Expressive Arts and Arts Therapy. She will be one of the graduates in only the third graduating class out of Winnipeg’s WHEAT Institute. 

“It’s been really well received, bringing us a new way of helping people, so that’s great.”

“Art Therapy and Expressive Art Therapy takes the idea that you use the art to help delve deeper into the emotions or to help bring up certain emotions so you get a more full experience of the therapy process,” she explains.

“It’s great because you may have some people who come in but don’t necessarily want to talk and so you’re not relying only on that talk therapy which is the traditional kind of therapy.”

“It allows more insight,” she adds.  “It takes what’s inside you and puts it out in front of you, whether its on paper, whether its in clay, whatever it happens to be, it helps to allow you to discuss that a little bit clearer.”

Murphy says Art Therapy and Expressive Art can help people who struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, and a whole host of other situations that are often difficult to deal with.  “Basically, anything you would go to the traditional talk therapy for, you can do with the art therapy as well.”

Different mediums are used depending on the client and their needs.

Murphy stresses that clients don’t need to be artists to benefit from Art Therapy.  “We use the art as the medium.  I’ve had clients prefer not to do a lot of art, they’re rather just do the talking and that’s fine,” she says, “and then I’ve had some who just delve right into the art and absolutely love it.  So, it’s the process, not the end-product that’s important.”

For those who are wanting to work through some difficult things in their lives, Murphy encourages them to give Art Therapy a try.

Sana Expressive Arts & Art Therapy is located on Crescent Avenue W in Souris, MB. 

Visit their Facebook page for more information or contact Barbara Murphy at 204-483-0770.