Overview:
Expressive Arts Therapy is a form of treatment that uses creative expression such as art, writing, music, and dance to help clients heal & transform. Although Expressive Arts Therapy is fairly new to the field of mental health counseling… it’s now recognized as an important area of concentration for Mental Health Professionals.
This training is designed for therapists of all disciplines who are interested in using a creative approach to working with patients’ problems and/or desiring some additional information & training in this modality. It is also helpful for those with some experience in using the Expressive Arts in a therapeutic setting to gain more confidence & insight into the benefits of this modality with patients.
Express Yourself!© is a training with both instructive & interactive components. Attendees will receive theoretical orientation, instruction, and suggestions for use in the counseling setting. Additionally, attendees will experience for themselves the insights and benefits of Expressive Arts Therapy through exercises demonstrated during the seminar which can be carried forward into professional practice with patients/clients.
You’ll walk away from this training with high competency to the fundamentals of the expressive arts therapies, so you can start implementing new creative skills into your practice to enhance client outcomes and to add another great skill to your treatment toolbox!
Objectives:
- Define and understand Expressive Arts Therapy and its components of self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-care.
- Discuss the philosophical principles and clinical theory of Phenomenology in Expressive Arts Therapy.
- Review recent research of neuroplasticity and how Expressive Therapies address functional problems of the traumatized brain.
- Explore activities employing low skill/high sensitivity which encourage patient cooperation with the treatment protocol and improve problem-solving skills.
- Experience first-hand several Expressive Arts Exercises which can be readily translated to the therapy session.
Course materials are only available to enrolled students.
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Dianne Dougherty, MS, CAGS, LCMHCS
Dianne Taylor Dougherty is an accomplished counselor, writer, and speaker based in Raleigh and Boone, NC. With a broad range of qualifications from esteemed institutions such as UNC-Greensboro, East Carolina University, Western Carolina University, and the European Graduate School in Switzerland, she has over 30 years of experience in the field of mental health. Throughout her career, she has held roles in psychiatric hospitals, Employee Assistance Programs, government agencies, college teaching, and private practice. Dianne Taylor Dougherty is also an accomplished author, having written several well-regarded works on mental health, including Treating Divorce as Trauma©(2001), Multidisciplinary Treatment for Clergy Sexual Abuse© (2005), The Creative Personal: A Guide for Mental Health Counselors to Incorporate the Expressive Arts in Therapy©(2009), and Priming the Pump: Expressive Writing for Health and Well-being© (2013). In addition to her writing, Dianne Taylor Dougherty, LCMHCS, is a Certified Dementia Specialist and Certified Critical Incident Stress Relief Trainer. She conducts seminars and training sessions for corporations and organizations on a variety of topics related to mental health, including the use of Expressive Arts in Therapy, Trauma Recovery, Ethics in Counseling, Domestic Violence, Anxiety Disorder Treatment, and Healthy Workplace Environments. She has presented nationally and internationally for esteemed organizations such as the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of North Carolina (LPCANC), LPCA of Georgia, Florida Mental Health Counselors Association (FMHCA), American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), American Counseling Association (ACA), International Nathan Network, US Department of Defense, US Department of Labor, PESI, and in-patient treatment programs in the United States and Canada.
National Approvals
eCare BHI, as the accredited and approved sponsor, maintains responsibility for all the programs and must abide by each board’s continuing education guidelines.

Professional Counselors — The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute has been approved by NBCC as an approved Continuing Education Provider. ACEP No. 6703. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC are clearly identified. E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Addiction Professionals — NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute is officially on file with NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) as an Approved Education Provider. They are formally known as NAADAC Provider #139138. Please note that E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Social Workers — Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute, #1706, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. E Care Behavioral Health Institute maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 06-03-2020 – 06-03-2026.

CE Broker
CE Broker is a continuing education tracking system in which licensees track their compliance and report their completed CE hours credit (CE Broker Tracking #50-33336)
State Approvals
States that Accept ASWB-ACE Approved Providers | ||||||
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois |
Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland |
Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio |
Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee |
Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin |
Wyoming |
States that Accept NBCC Approved Providers | ||||||
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Indiana |
Iowa | Maine | Maryland | Missouri | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico |
Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee |
Texas | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin |
Notes:
- Nevada CPC’s and MFT’s accept ASWB-approved training
- North Dakota Board Of Counselor Examiners LAPC and LAPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Rhode Island Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council LPC and LPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Utah Division of Professional Licensing – CMHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Washington State Department of Mental Health MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Wisconsin Council on Mental Health LPCS accepts ASWB-approved training
States that Accept NAADAC Approved Providers | ||||||
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | Delaware | Hawaii | Indiana |
Kentucky | Maine | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Montana | Nevada | New Jersey |
New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Oregon | Rhode Island | Tennessee |
Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
States that Accept APA Approved Providers | ||||||
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Delaware | District Of Columbia |
Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas |
Kentucky | Louisiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri |
Montana | Nebraska | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma |
Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Tennessee | Utah | Vermont | Virginia |
Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
Note: Please note that Individual Board Rules are subject to potential changes. The approval and acceptance details we furnish are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of documentation.
Should you have any inquiries or uncertainties not addressed by the provided information, it’s advisable to consult your State Regulatory Board. Ultimately, the decision of whether your license renewal credit hours are accepted or denied rests with you.
Georgia Addiction Counselor: E Care BHI is recognized by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia as an approved education provider for Addiction Counselors (ADACBGA) #19-12-17-1212.
Florida Addiction Counselor: E Care BHI is recognized by the Florida Certification Board as an approved education provider for Addiction Counselor (FCB) #5387-A.
Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy & Mental Health Counseling: The Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy & Mental Health Counseling accepts courses from ASWB & NBCC approved providers. E Care Behavioral Health Institute is an ASWB and NBCC approved provider.
Oklahoma Addiction Counselor: E Care BHI is recognized by the Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors as an approved education provider for Addiction Counselors (OBLADC) #20220136.
Oklahoma Board of Behavioral Health Licensure: E Care BHI is an approved CE provider for LPC & LMFT
Ohio Addiction Counselor: E Care BHI is recognized by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board as an approved education provider for Addiction Counselor (OCDP)#50-29024
The Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board accepts courses from ASWB & NBCC approved providers. E Care Behavioral Health Institute is an ASWB and NBCC approved provider.
VA Mental Health Employee: E Care BHI VA COMMERCIAL VENDOR # 81-3353387-01
California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP): E Care BHI is recognized by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) Provider Number OS-22-344-0526
Connecticut Certification Board CCB Approved): E Care BHI is recognized & approved by the Connecticut Certification Board.
Texas Certification Board (TCB): E Care Behavioral Health Institute is recognized by the Texas Certification Board as an approved education provider. Number 2041-19
South Carolina E Care Behavioral Health Institute is recognized by the Professional Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists, and Psycho-Educational Specialists licensing board as an approved education provider Provider #4628
New York (MHC) E Care Behavioral Health is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0277
New York (SW) E Care Behavioral Health Institute is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0745
LA-ADRA – E Care Behavioral Health Institute is recognized by Louisiana The Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority as an approved educational provider AEP #E122