While we are NOT a crisis counseling space or offer any emergency support at the moment, we can offer the following SOS support helplines -

• iCall (TISS) - 022-25521111 (Mon-Sat: 8 am to 10 pm)
• Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health: 9999666555
• Aasra (24 x 7) - 9820466726
• The Samaritans - Mon to Sat (5pm - 8pm) - 8422984528 / 8422984529 / 8422984530

Therapy is a professional and supportive process, guided by a trained Mental Health Professional, that helps people work through emotional, psychological, behavioral, cognitive, spiritual, and/or physical challenges. It provides a space for reflection, healing, personal growth, and learning, un learning and relearning aspects of our being and experiences. This space is created to be safe and brave by the client and Mental Health Professional alike.

Focusing on mental health is important because it affects our overall well-being, shaping how we handle life’s challenges, care for our physical health, make healthy choices, and find balance in our thoughts, feelings, and relationships with ourselves and others. Mental health matters at every stage of life. Early attention to mental health can prevent long-term challenges and improve quality of life.

Just as we look after our physical health with exercise and food, it’s equally important to care for our mental well-being. Since the mind and body are closely connected, poor mental health can manifest in symptoms like headaches, fatigue, or stomach problems, and more deeper challenges like anxiety and depression.

According to the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA), it is a multimodal approach that integrates visual arts, movement, drama, music, writing, and other creative processes in psychology, organizational development, community arts, and education. It is geared towards fostering deep personal growth, community development, and gaining access to inner resources for healing, clarity, and creativity.

To understand the distinction between Creative Arts Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy, it’s helpful to reference Cathy Malchiodi, an international expert in the field. In her book, Handbook of Expressive Arts Therapy (2002), she explains: “Art therapy, music therapy dance/movement therapy, and drama therapy are known as Creative Arts Therapies (or Creative Arts). They are separate fields of theory practice, and application. Each has a long history of development and specific educational principles… The integrated use of multiple arts based approaches is known as Expressive Arts Therapy (or Expressive Arts). In contrast to Creative Arts Therapies, Expressive Arts Therapy involves a purposeful combination of movement, sound, enactment, image, narrative, and/or play for health and well being.”

For anyone curious to explore mental health and well-being via creativity, play and imagination. The scope of work expands across ages and abilities and may be used in a wide variety of settings such as educational institutions, medical and treatment centers, workspaces, etc. The combined and purposeful use of multiple arts based approaches like movement, sound, enactment, image, narrative, and/or play for health and well being is known as Expressive Arts Therapy (or Expressive Arts).

Creative/ Expressive Arts Therapy has a broad scope and can be applied to various settings and populations. The non invasive, creative nature of this approach makes it accessible to individuals of across ages and abilities, allowing them to explore emotions, develop self-awareness, foster resilience and complement other treatment interventions. It is used in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and community programs to support emotional, psychological, physiological development and well-being. 

Yes, it helps irrespective of the presence of a diagnosis. If you/ your child has a diagnosis (ASD, ADHD, learning disabilities, Depression, OCD, Bipolar, Personality disorders, Anxiety, PTSD) it informs how we support their prognosis. In case you/ your child is undiagnosed, we assess and co-create goals to support together.

Yes, we do upon request. Additional charges may be applicable. This report can be used for your reference as a parent/ caregiver or shared with necessary resource people, to support your child's education and development.

"Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one ‘right’ way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits." (via harvard.edu - https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-neurodiversity-202111232645). Expressive/ creative arts therapy is a strengths-based approach that helps address challenges, build resources using your core of creative wisdom to safely express, cope, and create.

According to Jonathan L. Moreno, a pioneer in Psychodrama and a foundational figure in drama therapy, an effective therapy session addresses the following:

• Affective: Emotions that need to be learnt, unlearnt or be offered renewed expression
• Behavioral: Actions our body takes, or needs to offer to self and/or others. 
• Cognitive: Thoughts and belief systems that we navigate.
• Spiritual:  Understanding the interconnectedness of all things and moving toward a higher truth.

Expressive Arts Therapy follows a 'come as you are' approach, i.e. no prior experience with the art forms is needed. The therapeutic process is given emphasis and moves at a pace you trust, focusing on addressing core needs, building resources, and rehearsing supportive actions in the present moment.

A typical session, whether individual or group-based, can follow the pattern of four phases:

• Check-in: Understanding where your mind and body are as you arrive.
• Warm-up: Just as the body needs to warm up before physical activity, it needs preparation for the therapeutic process too.
• Action: Delving into the session’s theme through metaphors, movement, art, embodiment, storytelling, or other forms of play, based on the client’s needs and the MHP’s approach.
• Closure: Creating the necessary distance to close the session and help transition back to daily life.

Yes! Verbal processing accompanying the arts may or may not be an essential part of the session based on the need, intention and capacity of the client.

In India, there are few Masters-level professionals in Creative & Expressive Arts Therapy due to the lack of Masters programs. Continued upgradation of professional skills and self-work via supervision and personal therapy is mandatory for all levels of Mental Health Professionals.

Here is a break-up to understand titles assigned to Mental Health Professionals (MHPs):

Masters Level: Therapist is competent to work with clinical diagnosis at a treatment level with groups and individuals

Diploma Level: Practitioner is competent to work with sub-clinical, developmental, educational and organisational needs with groups and individuals 

Certificate Level: Facilitator can work with educational and organisational needs with groups

Mental Healthcare is not a 'one-size-fits-all' approach and the effectiveness of any therapeutic intervention depends on elements like rigor and training of the MHP, client's goals, the connection between them or connection to the therapeutic approach itself. Further, the therapeutic alliance is a co-created space by MHP and client alike. As in any relationship, it takes time, trial and error to build trust, even with the right one. The key is to trust your gut, be transparent with your MH and honour resistance and resilience as equal parts of this journey as it's necessary to find an MHP that you align with. At YAASS we strive towards ensuring that you receive the support in the manner you need. Please write to us at  info@yaass.in or Leave us a note and we will try our best to support you in any way we can.