Art Therapy
Have you ever admired that after a long tiring day, doing something creative can relax you? This happens because it has therapeutic properties. Using art for relieving stress, or treating someone with a stroke of paintbrush seems quite unrealistic.
Also called creative art therapy or expressive art therapy, art therapy is the use of artistic ways to cure psychological illnesses and boost mental health. It isn’t just a way of treating negative experiences but also a way to see a new and better you. It has already worked wonders in many patients’ life
People who make art may analyze that their art is representing how they feel. To practice art as a therapy, one does not need previous artistic experience. It aims to raise self-awareness and expands spiritual well-being. Art Therapy does not mean to be confined; its beauty is to draw or paint without boundaries.
Practicing art for therapy is quite easy; drawing, painting, coloring, sculpting, and collaging is part of art therapy. It involves combining traditional psychotherapeutic theories with an understanding of psychological aspects.
History of Art Therapy
Typical art dates back to almost forty-thousand years or even more. Architects have found drawings by the ancient people inside the caves they used to live in; however, art therapy is relatively a newer term. Art Therapy was first discussed by a British artist Adrian Hill in 1942 when the sanatoriums were full of people suffering from tuberculosis. He started teaching art to small groups of patients, utilized several tactics to engage them in art, and encouraged them to make doodles.
Hill wrote that art therapy is “completely engrossing the mind and fingers, releasing the patient’s creative energy.” Hill’s work was carried out by Edward Adamson; he worked with Hill to initiate this therapy to long term Britain’s mental patients. They collected over one-hundred-thousand samples of art from such patients, out of which a few thousand are still on display at the welcome library.
By the mid-1940s, several writers began to publish their work under the heading of art therapy; the most famous were Margaret Naumburg and Edith Kramer. Their work allowed an increase in expression in the course of treatment and highlighted the significance of creativity and writing.
Uses and Benefits
Art Therapy has performed miracles in peoples’ lives. It helps enhance coping skills, relieves stress and depression, solves aging-related issues, emotional difficulties, and PTSD. Supports children dealing with behavioral and social problems and low language and communication skills, it is an excellent remedy. For couples, art therapy assists them to solve family and relationship issues.
A study says that using art as therapy helps cancer patients dealing with depression and pain. Patients feel as they are being listened to and feel confident about their future. It also allows prisoners and older adults.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01531/full
Types of Art Therapy
Painting
Often done as a source of enjoyment, painting gives people a great feeling of freedom. A blank paper provides the painter with an opportunity to paint his/her feelings without any limitation.
Drawing
The use of simple paper and materials such as pencils, pens, pastels, crayons, and markers provides the person an opportunity to express his/her emotions. The technique of drawing art therapy is identical to paint art therapy.
Digital Art
A convenient way to make art, digital art makes use of digital resources, and is better for people who are comfortable with electronic devices.
Collaging
Collaging is cutting and pasting pictures and stickers in a particular pattern. It is similar to the vision board of your ideal life. Collaging offers a productive result as it involves the construction of already created designs. It is better for someone who overthinks before starting something or is unable to make a decision.
Textile
This technique involves the use of stuff toys to create your masterpiece. Handling soft and textured tools provides comfort.
Sculpture
Making sculptures illustrates that situations can be approached from diverse perspectives. It gives people a chance to create their surroundings.
When exposed to types of art therapy, the patient attracts a particular kind of treatment based on their past incidents.
Become an Art Therapist
Art therapy differs a lot from your regular art classes, which focuses on teaching methods only. Art therapy emphasizes painting your inner experience. Art Therapist works at different places, considering the people they are dealing with. Their workplace can vary from hospitals, care units, and charities to art studios and prisons.
Becoming an art therapist is quite a complicated job as it requires artistic abilities, imagination, ability to deal with embarrassing situations, a non-judgmental character, and patience all at once.
One must have studied human development and psychological disorders, have experience of counseling, or should be a social worker to step into the field of art therapy.
According to the American Art Therapy Association, an art therapist should have a master’s degree in art therapy or counseling. Art analysts are coached to pick up the undeclared symbols expressed through patients’ art, plan meetings, listen and advise patients, and refer them to other psychiatrists if needed.
