Using Expressive Art to Support Regulation, Identity Expression, and Autonomy

In this conversation, Nicole Raisin explores how expressive art—when we let go of the product and embrace the process—becomes a powerful tool for regulation, self-discovery, and authentic expression. For kids who've had negative experiences with art or resist it entirely, Nicole shares how simple reframes ("we're going to experiment" or "we're going to build") open doors that "let's make art" keeps closed.

Nicole walks through the full spectrum of what expressive art can look like: visual arts like painting, collage, and clay, but also dance, theater, music-making, and storytelling. She discusses how she's learning Minecraft alongside her clients—modeling how to cope with the discomfort of being a beginner while using the game as a creative outlet. Through examples like a client's Minecraft waterpark designed with accessibility and sensory needs in mind, Nicole demonstrates how these creative spaces become opportunities for perspective-taking, conversation, and connection that traditional therapy activities might never reach.

This session offers practical starting points for therapists, parents, and educators: building a box of found materials that costs almost nothing, using silk scarves for movement, repurposing everyday items for STEM projects, and meeting kids where their interests actually live—even if that's a video game. Nicole explains how art connects to interoception and body awareness, why shaving cream and finger paint can help kids who struggle with grooming, and how the simple act of sharing your own creative work with a child can open the door to teaching both skills and emotional awareness. For anyone looking to add expressive art to their toolkit, this conversation provides both the why and the how.