116 NATURE-BASED EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPY
personal and theoretical stories we have explored have overlapping
and intertwining themes. All reflect the recognition that both art and
nature offer medicine for the soul.Theoretical integration
The field of expressive arts is already an integrative field, drawing
concepts from differing disciplines and shaping its own philosophy
and methodologies of practice (Knill et al. 2005). Theoretical
integration is seldom straightforward, especially within the contexts
of changing paradigms. As we reflect upon the stories we have
explored, we realize that each story, each theoretical stance, offers
a valuable perspective on conceptualizing nature-based expressive
arts. Furthermore, we recognize that we do not stand apart from the
stories we tell. We are in them.
While it is convenient to define the theoretical foundation and
borders of a professional field, such conventions can limit what moves
across the borders and as a consequence weaken the possibilities
for emerging new ideas within the field. A nature-based approach
to expressive arts recognizes that the boundaries of the field of
expressive arts are permeable and always in the middle of an ongoing
evolution of thinking. Movement toward theoretical integration in
psychotherapy has grown since the 1980s (Brooks-Harris 2008).
This movement reflects the realization that no single theory, no
single story, is adequate to explain the complexities of the human
experience or to address the challenges we face in the world today.Nature-based expressive arts: Basic concepts
A nature-based approach includes the basic concepts of expressive
arts work and expands them to include and emphasize the human
relationship within the more-than-human world. Three healing
dynamics are at work in nature-based expressive arts: the therapeutic
relationship, the art making process and the creative process of
the Earth. Foundational to nature-based expressive arts therapy