When Anxiety grips the Body

When Anxiety grips the Body Anxiety is a heavy burden which can be felt in the body — tight shoulders, restless legs, shallow breaths, profuse sweating; in the way we move, in the silence we hold, in the gestures we repeat without realising. Our experiences are stored not just in memory but in muscle, posture, and energy. If anxiety is in your body, will working only with our thoughts be enough? Cognitive therapies offers powerful tools to notice and challenge unhelpful thinking. For many, it brings clarity and structure, and that can feel like safety. But thoughts are just one layer of anxiety Rationale alone can’t always touch what the body remembers. This is where Expressive arts therapy and psychodrama opens a new door. Through role play, embodied storytelling, and other action methods, it gives space for anxiety to be expressed and transformed. Instead of pushing it down or trying to control it, we can explore it, give it form, and let it move. Because healing isn’t just about thinking differently. It’s about experiencing yourself differently.

Why Creativity is needed in Therapy

When was the last time you doodled absent-mindedly? Or found yourself humming a tune you didn’t even realize was stuck in your head? Or played with your childhood toys (if you still have them safely) and got lost in it? These little moments remind us that creativity is part of being human. And for many people, creativity becomes the bridge when words fall short. That’s what expressive arts therapy and psychodrama offer: ways to move, draw, sing, write, or role-play emotions that feel too heavy to name. No art degree needed just a willingness to let expression take shape. Especially after the pandemic, when silence and isolation weighed on so many, creative therapies have shown how important it is to go beyond words. Clients discover not just what they think, but what they feel. And here’s the beautiful part: The drawing doesn’t have to look pretty. The movement doesn’t need to be graceful. The role play doesn’t need to be polished. The value lies in the process, in giving form to something that’s been sitting quietly inside for too long. In India, there are only a handful of places offering structured training in these approaches. At East West Center for Counselling and the Indian Institute of Psychodrama, we’re are the first ones to introduce these training in India and committed in making this learning accessible for professionals who want to grow their toolkit. Because sometimes, therapy doesn’t look like talking. Sometimes, it looks like movement, colours, or stepping into someone else’s shoes and finding yourself in the process. 👉 Our Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy is open for admissions.Contact 9884700136 for more details

The Future of Mental Health Training : Why Integration Matters?

The past few years have changed the way we think about wellbeing. Burnout is being discussed in boardrooms. Schools are openly talking about children’s anxiety and academic pressure. Even workplaces are setting up mental health days. And here’s the truth: one approach alone doesn’t cut it anymore. A teenager struggling with anxiety may need talk therapy and movement. An employee burnt out by deadlines might open up through art before words. A survivor of trauma may find healing in role play before reflection. This is why integrative training matters. It prepares therapists to meet clients where they are, not where a single method stops. At East West Center for Counselling, our programs binds together counselling skills, expressive art therapies and psychodrama. What makes this more urgent now is that people’s challenges are not neatly divided. A child brings school anxiety, but it’s connected to family patterns. An employee struggles with stress, but it’s tied to identity, culture, and unspoken expectations. Therapists of tomorrow (YOU) need to be ready for this complexity. The future therapist should not be a specialist in just one box. But fluent in multiple ways of listening, seeing, and responding. That’s the direction mental health needs to take and we’re excited to be part of it. Admissions for our diploma courses in Expressive arts therapy and Psychodrama are now open.