Healing through movement, colour and play–Therapy outside the box
- Pramiti Bhargava
- Dec 22, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 24, 2025
In a world that never stops, let unique therapies be the pause that brings healing.
"Learn to deal with the fact that you are not a perfect person but you are a person that deserves respect and honesty, ” says Pandora Poikilos. WHO estimates that 1 in 8 people worldwide or about 970 million people are living with some form of mental disorder. Still, healing doesn't always come with a quiet room, a couch, and a clock on the wall. The fast and dynamic modern world calls for extra care when it comes to our mental and emotional condition.
Once a taboo topic shrouded by stigma and misconceptions, therapy is now globally regarded as a strong tool in resilience-building and fostering a healthier inner life, as it allows people to unpack thoughts, fears, and experiences in a noncritical setting with a trained professional who listens and points out things they may not see themselves. The best therapy comes to life when it transcends traditional spaces and settings.
Unstashing some of the most unique therapies practiced around the world:
Forest bathing
Originated in Japan, this therapy invites you to slow down and step into the natural world. While walking through a forest, you can experience the cold air, birds singing, rustling leaves, and the aroma of the trees. Japanese studies predict that exposure to this environment results in reduced levels of stress hormones, decreased anxiety, and improvement in general emotional well-being. The forest, as a living sanctuary, may provide rest and balance for an over-stimulated mind. Forest bathing encompasses deep breathing, awareness, and gratitude for subtle beauty in nature. For many, it serves not only as a form of therapy but also to deepen their connection with nature.
Sand play therapy
Sand play therapy was developed in Switzerland by Dora Kalff and is based on the psychology of Carl Jung. This is a gentle non-verbal form of psychotherapy helping people to express emotions they may not yet have the words for. Using a tray of sand, and a wide variety of miniature objects and figures, animals, houses and symbols, you can create a small world which reflects your inner experiences.
Also, the way this collage is put together, constructed, and created as scenes cannot help but evoke ideas and emotions. This is most effective with children, trauma survivors, or individuals who may find regular talk therapies too overwhelming. The sand tray becomes a symbolic space in which the unconscious can be freely expressed safely and creatively.
Equine-Assisted therapy (EAT)
Instead of lounging on a couch, think of entering peaceful paddocks and open barns where the act of grooming, walking next to, or watching a horse open the door to emotional clarity. Horses can feel human energy and respond impulsively even to the tiniest changes in mood and body language.
Without often saying a word, their presence fosters calm and trust in identifying one's feelings. Horses act like mirrors to reflect a person's fears, strengths, and untold stories. Because of this, the technique has proven helpful for people who have experienced trauma, anxiety, or communication issues.
Tibetan singing bowl therapy
You might have seen this familiar sight where vibrations are created by softly striking or circling metal bowls made of sacred alloys, using a mallet. These vibrations create a deep sense of peace as they resonate throughout the body and psyche.
Research has shown that specific sound frequencies slow down brainwaves; thus, the body can enter into a meditative state where emotional tension starts to dissolve, breathing deepens, and stress doesn't feel as intense. Many describe the experience as being "bathed in sound," with vibrations that are simultaneously calming and grounding.
African dance movement therapy
In most African cultures, dancing is not a mere celebration but is deemed as a form of storytelling, emotional expression, and spiritual release. This therapy is inspired from ancient customs. Grounded footwork, rhythmic movement, and group energy helps individuals to process their emotions and reconnect with themselves.
The rhythm becomes the heartbeat of the session, stirring and encouraging people to move-to release stress, show happiness, and let go of grief. Under the guidance of a licensed therapist, participants will explore body posture, breathing, and rhythm as tools for emotional awareness. The sense of community created in African dance creates an intense feeling among participants of being encouraged supported, and seen.
Bibliotherapy
The concept of bibliotherapy, stemming from Greek philosophy, is the simple and profound belief that books can heal. It was the Greeks who designed the early Alexandrian libraries, at that time referred to as "medicine for the soul," with their belief that books could help a person reach emotional balance, clarity, and strength. Reading then becomes a mirror and companion-be it through a poetry articulating an unsaid feeling or a novel reflecting the character's hardships.
In Bibliotherapy, you can read books under the guidance of a qualified therapist to gain
perspective, understand your internal fight, and seek comfort in the shared human experience. It acts as a strong reminder that sometimes, at precisely the correct moment, the right words can completely change an entire emotional landscape.
In Anne Lamott’s words, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” These therapies are a constant reminder to slow down, listen within, and reconnect with what really matters in this chaotic tech driven world. Let’s pause, take a deep breath, and return to ourselves with a little more compassion and a lot more clarity.