Expressive arts therapy

A gentle way to work through what you feel using art, music, movement, drama and writing, alongside talking. Guided online by Ritty Thomas, psychologist and Expressive Arts practitioner.

You don't need to be artistic. A pencil, some paper and a little space are enough.

Book with Ritty Group workshops

Ritty Thomas drawing with oil pastels at her desk, with watercolours beside her

When words are hard to find, other ways in can help

A hand holding a small palette of paint in a green valley

Art and colour

Painting, drawing or collage to show what is hard to say. The marks matter, not how they look.

Ink splashes and handwritten words on paper

Words and writing

A few words, a short letter or a poem next to colour. A quiet way to notice what is going on inside.

Ritty waving beside a painting laid out on the grass

Movement and play

Free movement, rhythm and play, outdoors or in your room, to let something out or settle your breath.

Drama (small role-play or voicing a feeling) and writing (letters, lists, short poems) are part of it too.

From Ritty's practice

Painting outdoors, working large, sand, words and colour. Online sessions use simpler materials at home, with the same spirit.

Ritty kneeling beside her colourful painting in a mountain meadow — Painting in the meadow

Ritty adding colour to a large painting on cloth — Big gestures, big colour

Two people creating a mandala in a sand pit — A sand mandala

Ritty sitting in a studio with a large painting on the floor — In the studio

Ritty lying in an alpine meadow beside colourful paintings — Resting after painting outdoors

Ritty laughing next to a large colourful painting — Joy in the process

A hand holding an open nature journal in the forest — A nature journal

Art materials laid out on a cloth in a meadow — Materials, ready

A hand drawing with an oil pastel — Oil pastels

People often try it when

talking about feelings feels stuck, or too much
stress or anxiety sits in the body more than in words
grief, loss or a big move abroad has left things unsettled
they want to reconnect with play, curiosity and calm

What to have ready at home

Paper and something to draw with
Pencils, crayons, pastels or paints, whatever you have.
A little space
Enough to stretch your arms or stand up.
Headphones
So you can hear your therapist clearly and keep it private.
You stay in charge
You choose what to show on camera. Your work stays with you.

Book a session

Ritty Thomas

Psychologist & Expressive Arts practitioner

I'm a psychologist and Expressive Arts practitioner based in Germany. My work brings together psychology and creative expression, and I care about creating accessible, culturally sensitive spaces for emotional wellbeing. Living abroad has given me a personal understanding of what it can be like to look for support far from home: the language, the cultural differences, and finding someone you feel comfortable with. In our sessions we can talk, and when words are hard to find, we can also draw, move, make sound or write. You don't need any artistic experience.

Expressive arts therapy
English
Loneliness & life abroad

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Good to know

Do I need to be good at art?

No. Expressive arts therapy is about the process, not the result. Scribbles, a few sounds or a small movement are all welcome.

Does it work online?

Yes. Your therapist guides you over video while you create at home. You decide what you show on camera, and your work stays with you.

What happens in a session?

Usually a short check-in, then a creative invitation (to draw, move, make sound or write), and time to talk about what came up. Sessions last about 50 minutes.

Who guides the sessions?

Ritty Thomas, a psychologist with a Postgraduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy (Berlin). As Ritam grows, other trained practitioners will join, and we check every certificate first.

Expressive arts therapy on Ritam is counselling support, not an emergency service or medical treatment. If you are in crisis, see crisis helplines.