How to Run a Creative Arts Therapy In-service when your Co-workers are Resistant

Do you want to run a creative arts therapy in-service and educate your co-workers about what it is that you really do?

You want to try to get some understanding about what it is that you do, but they have no interest in exploring dance therapy, art therapy, music therapy, etc?

You pretty much get the feeling that they are just not going to be thrilled about having to attend an in-service of yours exploring any of these three modalities. So what do you do?

Pick an in service with a topic that is interesting to them and that is enticing to them. So wherever you work, what is the number one issue that people continue to deal with?

So let’s say you work at a an inpatient psychiatric hospital and for adolescents and the number one issue that the staff complain about is that the adolescents aren’t listening and they’re defiant. Instead of making you’re in service about understanding dance therapy, make an in-service about how to approach adolescents when they won’t listen to you, and let’s say, three ideas to help them really be interested in what you’re saying and comply.

I just made that up.

But do you see how that is going to be a lot more interesting to them and enticing because it’s a problem that they’re struggling with all the time?

It’s a problem that you probably understand too and you’ve struggled with, but you have solutions for it.

You have solutions from your beautiful unique modality that are actually going to work. So then you can make your in-service talking a little bit about the issue, getting some opinions and some venting out from the staff and then giving some practical ways that they can use your parts of your modality.

They’re not creative arts therapists, but they can use some of your ideas so that they can take away something that is useful and valuable for them.

Have them experience that also in the moment and then give some a case examples of how your work has helped this exact problem and been really useful for this exact issue. Bring them through an experiential and this way they can really see the purpose of your work related to a very specific and concrete idea.

I understand the need to want everyone to understand dance therapy. I just want to give an in-service to help people understand what it is that I do and how valuable it is. But if we want people to be receptive to what it is that you’re saying, let’s connect with them first on a common issue and let’s show them how we can resolve it.

If you have any questions, leave a comment or send me a message. If you have some ideas about what you want to do and how you want to run in service. I can help you and give some quick ideas.

If you want to join a larger community and collaborate on these ideas, click on this link to stay updated on the launch date and discounts for joining the Creative Arts Therapist Collaborative, an online membership community.

Until next time, see you then!