What is Art Therapy?
Art Therapy is based on the belief that the creative process involved in the making of art is life enhancing and healing. British artist Adrian Hill started painting to relieve boredom while in a sanatorium during WWII and other patients became interested in what he was doing and started painting too.
Benefits of Art Therapy
Increases self-awareness
Helps people cope with symptoms of disease
Decreases Stress Levels
Enhances Cognitive Abilities
Helps people affirm life’s pleasures
Enhances positive mood states
Improves low self esteem
Slows heart rate, respiration rate and blood pressure
Stimulates neural pathways from the brain to the hand
Helps clients who have difficulties talking about their fears, hopes, anger and other strong emotions communicate as it uses a language other than words.
Helps people get in touch with thoughts and feelings hidden from the conscious mind
The process of art helps with self-discovery.
Art is a cathartic activity
Creating art can be an emotional journey toward self-actualization
Through art people can express their desires and feelings especially those who do are unable to find the words to describe their emotions.
Activities
Free Drawing – Can use drawings to mirror feelings, problems, strengths, and weaknesses
Three wishes – This is where a client is asked to paint or draw three wishes. This can reflect many unknown things to the client about their own inner desires and help promote discussion about goal setting. Great activity to move clients who feel stagnant forward.
Self Portraits – Helps with self-awareness. Can allow a therapist to see a client’s self-perceptions and encourages discussions about the origin of these perceptions.
Batik – Dripping candle wax on material then colouring it with dye. Allows the clients to let go of all thoughts. Taught the client it is all right not to always be in control. Client comments after Batik therapy sessions – “I didn’t have to concentrate on what I was doing, and an interesting creation still appeared” and “I could just relax and have fun.”
Boxes – Decorating the inside and outside of boxes – often clients equate this with exploring themselves internally and externally.
Collage – Can reveal a lot about a person’s likes, dislikes, desires, and life. What types of pictures the client chooses to use, the size of those pictures and where they are placed in relation to other pictures in the collage can give the therapist great insight into various aspects of the client’s life and relationships and can give starting points for discussions into these areas.
Clay – Good way to release stress and dissipate anger. The client can create something and then destroy it to dispel anger in an appropriate fashion. Kneading the clay can be very relaxing. Creating sculptures can enhance self-esteem.
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