Can Expressive Arts Therapy Work Online?
Online therapy makes creative, embodied work more accessible. A Toronto expressive arts therapist on what sessions look like over video and phone across Ontario.
8/20/20263 min read
Yes! Online therapy can be great, for a few reasons.
One is simply that it takes away the commuting time. For somebody who’s at capacity, or just very busy with many different things, it can help make therapy more possible. And if the commute is a long one, especially for a one-hour appointment, that can make it hard to commit to. Some people also just like doing therapy from the comfort of their own home. Maybe they’re out for other reasons a lot of the time, or maybe it’s difficult for them to get out. Seeing a therapist online can make it more accessible.
COVID made therapy online much more commonplace, and most people are set up for it now and have what they need to make it work.
Being in your own space
Therapy can sometimes be intense, and if you are going in-person you have to travel home afterwards. Meeting online means you’re already in your own space when the session ends. That said, I do think it’s a matter of personal preference. For some people it’s nice to be in an alternate space, somewhere that isn’t home.
It doesn’t have to be one or the other — a hybrid approach works well too. Coming into the office when you have time and when it fits your schedule, and meeting online when it doesn’t. Some people like to establish the relationship in person first and move to phone or video later. The same person might want something different on a different week.
Speaking by phone is another option. Some people think better when they’re walking, or want to be outside, or need to fit in some movement. A phone session while you’re out walking is absolutely a possibility. (I offer Walk and Talk sessions in High Park as well, when the weather allows.)
But what about the arts?
This is the question I get most often, and the answer is that many arts-based modalities can be done online.
As I wrote in my last post, the conversation itself can be a form of art making. Beyond that, we can work with whatever materials you have. That might just be your own body, if we’re doing some kind of somatic investigation or movement. A pencil and a piece of paper can go a long way — or even just a piece of paper, which most people have around.
There may be objects in your space that are meaningful to you that can be brought into a session. Personal objects can carry stories and information that might not surface in an in-person session unless you deliberately brought them in
Some practices are actually easier at home. I sometimes work with rest practices, drawing on Tricia Hersey’s work with The Nap Ministry, and unless you have pillows and blankets and a mattress on hand, that’s much simpler to do in your own space than in a therapy office. Similarly, people often have more room at home to move than they would in a therapy room.
Does it change how I work?
Mostly it’s pretty consistent.
If we’re talking on the phone, I’m depending more on what you tell me, because I can’t see your expression or your body language. More has to be shared in words. But there’s still tone, and pauses, and silence, and space. There’s still a lot there. It’s just different.
What matters most
What the research keeps finding is that the most important thing in therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client.
That’s part of why I think online therapy is worth considering. If you sense you’d have a good connection with someone but they’re not in your neighbourhood, online opens up more possibilities for finding the person who’s actually the right fit — whether that’s me or somebody else.
Some circumstances do point one way or the other. I find it’s often better to see kids in person. Some teens and young adults who live at home would rather come in to be in a different space, while others just wait until the house is empty. So, it really depends on your situation. But it can work, and in my experience it works really well.
There’s no hierarchy here. It’s about what works for you.
Getting in touch
I see clients online across Ontario and in person in Toronto. If online therapy sounds like it might suit you, please don’t be shy about reaching out.
I offer a free 20-minute consultation — no pressure, just a conversation.
Ready to begin?
Bee offers a free 20-minute consultation to anyone considering therapy. It's a chance to meet, ask questions, and decide together if this feels like a good fit.
or email bpallomina@gmail.com
Bee Pallomina, RP
Expressive Arts Therapist
Toronto, Ontario | Online across Ontario
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