Enhance Your Relationship with Couples Art Therapy in Towson, Maryland: A Creative Approach to Counseling

Hello, dear readers! It’s me, your Outdoor Art Therapist back with another blog about couples therapy.

I absolutely love working with couples in the art therapy office! There's something incredibly magical about watching partners engage in the creative process together. Art allows them to express their feelings and experiences in ways that words sometimes can’t capture, opening up pathways for deeper understanding and connection.

Love is a beautiful journey filled with ups, downs, and everything in between! As an art therapist, I’m thrilled to introduce you to the C.A.R.E.S. Framework, a dynamic approach designed to help couples deepen their bonds and thrive together. Through creative expression and insightful exploration, we’ll unlock the secrets to a more fulfilling relationship. Let’s dive into each exciting session!

My Towson art therapy office is located at 8320 Bellona Avenue, Suite 240, Towson, MD 21204. Now accepting new couples clients in-person!

C.A.R.E.S. Framework: RELATIONSHIP + MARRIAGE COUNSELING!

• C - Canvas of Connection (Session 1: Intake and Relationship Collage): This session focuses on gathering background information about each partner and their relationship. Couples create a collage that represents their relationship themes, helping to establish a foundation for understanding.

• A - Art of Self-Care (Session 2: Self-Care and Caring for Yourself): Couples explore the importance of self-care, discussing individual practices and how understanding their own needs is essential before they can effectively care for one another.

• R - Recognizing Values (Session 3: Values Exploration): Partners share their individual values and work collaboratively to identify and create art that represents their shared values, deepening their connection and understanding of what matters most.

• E - Expression of Love Languages (Session 4: Love Languages + Love Gardens): In this session, couples learn about their love languages and the concept of "love gardens," discussing how to keep each other’s emotional needs filled for deeper intimacy.

• S - Storytelling the Relationship Journey (Session 5: Mapping Your Journey): Couples reflect on where they have been individually and together, discussing obstacles overcome and mapping out their goals and aspirations for the future of their relationship.

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C.A.R.E.S. Framework Summaries

1. Canvas of Connection (Intake and Relationship Collage)

• Art Therapy Project: Couples create a physical or digital collage that represents the themes and emotions of their relationship using various materials (magazines, colors, textures). This visual expression serves as a foundation for understanding connection. The intake and relationship collage encourage clients to visualize their connection, fostering awareness of their relationship dynamics, which is a key component in ACT's focus on mindfulness and acceptance.

• Discussion Topics: Connection, communication, and creativity.

• Homework: Each partner completes a self-care worksheet to identify personal self-care practices and areas for growth.

2. Art of Self-Care (Caring for Yourself + Others)

• Art Therapy Project: Partners design a visual representation of their mental health "garden," using symbols and imagery to express their current emotional state and self-care practices. This aligns with ACT’s emphasis on self-acceptance and self-compassion. By exploring self-care, couples can recognize how their individual well-being impacts their relationship.

• Discussion Topics: Relationship with self, learning about needs, and areas of growth!

• Homework: Complete values worksheets and prompts between sessions.

3. Reflection of Values (Values Exploration!)

• Art Therapy Project: Couples create a shared values art piece by combining their individual values into a cohesive artwork. This could be a mixed-media piece, a vision board, or a symbolic representation of their core values. ACT centers on identifying personal values as a means to guide behavior and enhance commitment. This session directly reflects that principle, helping couples clarify what is most important to them.

• Discussion Topics: Values exploration, identity affirmation, and creative expression.

• Homework: Part 1 of Love Tank Workbooks: Partners individually reflect on their love languages using a short workbook provided to you to help identify how to express those languages to each other.

4. Expression of Love Languages (Love Tanks!)

• Art Therapy Project: Couples participate in a creative exercise where they illustrate their love languages and how they wish to express them. This can include drawing, painting, and writing related to each love language. Creation of individual “love gardens” will take place. This theme relates to ACT’s emphasis on communication and building meaningful connections based on mutual understanding of values and needs.

• Discussion Topics: Meeting your loved one’s needs, how love languages, filling up your love gardens.

• Homework: Part 2 of Love Tank Workbook: Fill out part 2 for workbook. Each partner identifies one specific way to express their love language to their partner over the next week and tracks the responses!

5. Storytelling of the Journey

• Art Therapy Project: Couples create a visual roadmap that maps out their relationship journey, highlighting significant milestones, obstacles overcome, and aspirations for the future. This can be done through a large canvas, drawing, or a written narrative. Sharing personal narratives and expressing feelings through writing aligns with ACT’s focus on being present and engaging in meaningful relationships. It encourages openness and vulnerability, essential for deeper connections.

• Discussion topics: Mindfulness, present moment (here & now), and future goals.

• Homework: Partners write a letter to each other reflecting on their journey together and outlining their hopes for the future, to be shared in the next session.

Couples Counseling in Towson, Maryland

The C.A.R.E.S. Framework is your key to unlocking a deeper, more meaningful connection with your partner! Through creativity and exploration, we’ll work together to enhance your relationship and celebrate the beautiful journey you’re on.

LGBTQIA+ Affirming Space in Towson, Maryland

Are you ready to ignite your connection and embark on this exciting adventure? If you’re curious about the C.A.R.E.S. Framework and how it can transform your relationship, don’t hesitate to reach out! Let’s create a vibrant and loving future together!

Are you curious about how art therapy and walk-and-talk therapy can help you heal and grow?

Whether you’re navigating childhood traumas, seeking to reconnect with your playful spirit, or addressing lingering fears and insecurities, art therapy offers a unique approach to self-discovery and healing. Through creative expression, you’ll explore complex emotions and memories in a non-verbal and deeply therapeutic way. Together, we’ll uncover the strengths and resilience within you as we integrate your past experiences into a more empowered present.

Check out the blog for more personal essays and mental health wellness tips!

Want more free resources?

Check out more blog posts here or head on over to my free resources page! I love sharing free resources that I find and creating my own worksheets for clients and supervision students to use in their journey of wellness!

If you’re ready to embark on this transformative journey toward inner healing, I invite you to take the next step and reach out.

Let’s walk this path together toward a more vibrant and fulfilling life—for you and your inner child!

Kristy Leone, LCPC, LCPAT, ATR-BC is an art therapist and mental health counselor that specializes in therapy for children and therapy for inner child healing in Baltimore County, Maryland at Labyrinth Art and Wellness.

Accepting new clients in Towson and Perry Hall Maryland for couples counseling!