Art Therapy

Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

~Pablo Picasso

What is Art therapy?

Art therapy is a specialized area of mental health that uses the creative process of art to improve a person’s physical, emotional and mental well-being. Art therapy can include a mixture of drawing, colouring, painting, sculpting and pretty much everything else you can think of that is artistic, however, music, art, and dance are the main expressions for this variety of therapy. Music therapy can be a mix of playing instruments, listening to music, and singing while dance therapy utilizes dance and movement.

All the activities involved in art therapy are things people love to do as hobbies, therefore, why not use it to better yourself? Endorphins (natural chemicals in the body that fight pain and can also help bring about feelings of euphoria and general well-being) are released into your body when you do an activity you love/enjoy.  For this reason, doesn’t it make sense that this form of therapy has been proven to be effective? I believe it does!

How does Art therapy work?

Art therapists are trained to pick up on nonverbal symbols and concepts that are usually difficult to express with words. It is through creating art and reflecting on your products and the processes that one really begins to see the effects of art therapy and the discoveries that can be made. There’s therefore more to art therapy than simply “drawing your feelings.” Just as your doctor may prescribe medication to aid your physical healing, art therapists are trained to lead people through the creative process in a therapeutic way. You are the expert on your own artwork and creative process, and the art therapist’s role is to facilitate explorations of your work rather than to analyse or interpret it. Your art therapist will offer art-based therapy interventions that are tailored to your needs, and the choice on the specific types of materials to engage in ultimately lies with you.  

Who can use art therapy?

Younger people are less capable of expressing themselves using words than adults. Art therapy can therefore be especially beneficial to them, however, it can also be very helpful to adults. With that said, anyone can use art therapy. From groups or communities to individuals to families to people in all sorts of relationships can use art as therapy. Other forms of communication involve the use of words or language to communicate one’s feelings or emotions, and often times, humans are incapable of expressing themselves within this limited range. Art therapy thus makes it easier for one to express themselves without the added pressure of verbally communicating your thoughts and feelings and without the fear of being verbally misinterpreted. Some of the common uses of art therapy include but are not limited to:

• One who believes they are problem free and would simply like to explore themselves more deeply
• Children or young adults experiencing problems in school
• Someone with learning difficulties or disabilities
• Someone with mental health problems
• People with autism, brain injuries, eating disorders, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, 
• Kids, teenagers, or adults with personal problems

Benefits of Art therapy

• It can help people improve their social skills
• It can help with reducing pain, anxiety, and tension
• It has been shown to be beneficial to people with mental disorders such as bipolar and autism, those suffering from emotional abuse (light or severe), cancer, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), and a variety of other serious ailments.
• Through art therapy, people can increase self-awareness and that of others, increase self-esteem, resolve psychological conflicts, cope with symptoms, stress and traumatic experiences and enhance their cognitive (psychological) abilities

             All in all,the benefits of art therapy can be quite broad and make it worth exploring!

To read about how art therapy can be beneficial in managing anxiety and stress at work, follow this link .

Happy reading!

xxx