What is Art Therapy or Art-therapy?

Contents

• Art as therapy
• What is Art Therapy?
• Who can benefit from Art Therapy?
• The different art media
• Art activities

Art as therapy

Art Therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses art and artistic media to help people explore their thoughts and emotions in a unique way. The idea behind this type of therapy is to use art as the main means of communication, something that can be useful for those who have difficulty verbalizing their feelings. By being practical and using physical objects, such as brushes and paper, it often helps people feel more connected to the world around them..

In addition to helping people with mental health problems, Art Therapy can be beneficial to a wide range of people, including young children, the elderly, and others. No experience or skill in art is required as your work will not be criticized, it is more about the emotions expressed and felt throughout the process.

What is Art Therapy?

Unlike many other psychological therapies, Art Therapy works as a three-way process between the client, the therapist, and the art itself. Offering an opportunity for creativity and expression, this type of therapy helps communicate emotions that would otherwise be difficult to verbalize..

In Art Therapy sessions, work is done individually or within a group, depending on the needs of the participants. Therapy can take place in a variety of settings, including private practices, community centers, prisons, schools, and hospitals. Sessions usually last around 1-1.5 hours and should be carried out on a regular basis, for example once a week or once every two weeks.

As part of your therapy, the art therapist may ask you to show your work in an exhibition. This can be helpful as it often helps you accept your own emotions and feel more accepted by others. This occurs because your experiences are presented here in a way that is easier for others to understand. If you don't want to display your art, simply framing it may help. Many people say that they feel as if the frame acts as a barrier, keeping the emotions within the image of security..

Who can benefit from Art Therapy?

The versatility of Art Therapy makes it accessible to a wide range of different people. It can be particularly beneficial for those who have tried other forms of therapy and found it difficult to express themselves by speaking.

Art Therapy tends to look at problems in a different way and can help participants tap into emotions that have previously been buried or ignored. Many people also say that with Art Therapy they feel like they have a greater sense of control and choice when compared to other talk therapies..

The following groups of people are believed to especially benefit from art therapy:

• People with mental health problems: Art Therapy is recommended as a treatment for schizophrenia and related illnesses.
• People with learning difficulties: Art as therapy can be useful for those who may not be able to verbalize what they feel clearly.
• Those on the autism spectrum: Art Therapy can help improve communication skills and offers an easy way for participants to express.
• Those in the justice system: Art therapists often work in prisons to help criminals deal with their feelings in a healthy way.
• People with dementia: Harnessing the creative part of the brain helps lower stress levels and restore a sense of personal identity.
• People with a chronic or terminal illness: This type of therapy can help patients regain a sense of control, freedom, and free expression..
• Who finds it difficult to talk about their feelings or feels estranged from their emotions.

Being creative in this type of safe and therapeutic environment can be invigorating and usually uplifting. The sense of freedom and lack of judgment that is felt within art therapy can be cathartic and unique compared to other more traditional forms of psychotherapy..

The different art media

The beauty of Art Therapy is its versatility. Although there is of course the option of working with paint and canvas, there are many other mediums to choose from. You can take a look at the following list of examples used in art therapy:

• Painting: Putting paint on paper is one of the purest forms of art and allows you an immense amount of freedom. Being in front of a blank canvas can be intimidating at first, but your art therapist should guide you by giving you instructions and exercises..
• Colored Pencils / Chalk: Allowing you to mix and create unique effects, many people like to use colored pencils and chalk within art therapy. Colored pencils can also instill fond memories as they often depict your childhood experiences..
• Sculpting: This is usually done with clay or some other flexible material. Sculpting 3D models can help bring your emotions to life. You can also work with more muted colors if you find bright hues too stimulating..
• Drawing / Illustrating: You can feel happier with a simple pen or pencil to draw whatever comes to mind. Again, if you want, you can add color and shading with different colored pencils and pencils..
• Photography: For some people the simplicity of taking a photograph is more attractive than drawing or painting. Use a camera to capture parts of your life, things that you find beautiful, things that you would like to change, or even photos of your friends and family..
• Found objects: Many artists create art from the objects they have found. If you have saved certain objects that you think somehow represent how you feel, you can try creating a work of art with them. Turn them into a sculpture, decorate or just frame them.
• Collage: Making collage is a simple activity that can really help you make sense of your feelings. Cutting out pictures or words and pasting them on a collage board gives you freedom and will bring out your creative side. Try to choose a theme or an emotion you want to explore and make a mood chart.

Art activities

During your Art Therapy sessions, your therapist may ask you to do certain specific art activities. These are designed to help you explore your emotions and feelings in a new and creative way. If there is anything you would like to do above all, be sure to let your therapist know so they can help you..

The types of art activities that you may be asked to do will depend on the nature of the problem you are exploring and on the art therapist themselves. Below is a list of examples of the type of activities you may be asked to do..

• You paint their emotions: Your therapist may give you an emotion to paint (for example, anger) or they may simply ask you to paint the emotion that you are feeling at the time. Making use of color and shading can really help represent certain emotions..
• Create an art journal: Many people find themselves writing in a therapeutic journal, but you may want to keep a visual journal instead. Fill your journal with drawings or doodles about how you feel and try to get something out every day. This will help you stay in touch with your feelings and ask you to consider your actions..
• Make a mandala: A mandala is a circular meditation symbol found in many Eastern religions. Take a look at the mandalas, create your own well drawn mandala in sand or on paper. subsequently, you may want to use your mandala as something to meditate on, or you may want to frame it somewhere in your home so that you can look at it when a moment of calm is needed.
• Painting in the dark: You don't need to worry about how your image looks as it can be incredibly liberating. Painting in the dark allows you to paint from the heart and adds an element of fun. Seeing how paintings from around the world look when the lights are turned on can also be a wonderful moment..
• Drawing in the sand: Drawing shapes and images in the sand can be very therapeutic, as in Japanese Zen gardens, they often incorporate patterns in the sand. Use your fingers or some tools to create patterns and then clear and simple the pattern and start over whenever you want. You may even want to get a small Zen garden so you can make the patterns when you need to calm down..
• Draw something big: Using your whole body to draw something can help relieve stress and tension. Experiment with different tools and methods of painting on large canvases until you find something you like. Once you've drawn something big, why not draw something very small? The themes of your drawings large and small can reveal something about yourself without discovering.
• Draw a self-portrait: Self-portraits and portraits of others are common themes within art therapy. You may be asked to simply draw a self-portrait of what you see when you look in the mirror, or you may be asked to draw another version of yourself..
• Painting someone who has lost: If you have lost someone close, it can often be cathartic to remind you through art. Bringing good memories to life with a painting or sculpture can give closure and something to remember for them..
• Create a collage: Collages are interesting because they are so easy to do. A common activity is the art of creating a calming collage, filled with images, colors, and words that soothe you. This can be used whenever you feel the need to get away from it all, offering a brief window of escapism..
• Draw a visual autobiography: Drawing your autobiography helps you look back in a non-confrontational way. Draw happy moments, sad moments, and all those other moments in between to see how they have come together. Your art therapist may then ask you to continue this drawing in the future, drawing what we want to happen after therapy..
• Paint your dreams: The dreams we have at night can be surreal and may not make sense at the moment. Painting or drawing can help them understand the symbolism behind them and provide you with a unique and unusual object..
• Working on a group project: Working with other people can help develop teamwork and communication skills. It also helps open your eyes to other people's experiences and can help you find more creative ideas..

All Psychological Therapies