What is Art Therapy?
Art Therapy
Art therapy combines the creative process and psychotherapy to facilitate self-exploration and understanding. Using a variety of multimedium such as imagery, colour, and shape, the creative therapeutic process evokes thoughts and feelings that might otherwise be difficult to articulate.
Art therapy can be used for a multitude of services. These can range from assisting individuals who are seeking support for their mental health to facilitating art activities in a way to create socialization, relaxation or communication. Within the last 30 years, art therapy has been vastly successful as an alternative method to talk therapy.
The most important thing to recognize about art therapy is that you don’t need to be an artist to take part, it’s about the process not the product.
Who Could Benefit?
Since art therapy is so versatile, the impact it can have in a diverse school population can be very beneficial. Schools are not only offering an additional service for their students, they are also helping them grow and understand themselves as individuals.
Most of us understood the power of art instinctively as kids. However, other than making random doodles in the margins of a page, if you’re like most adults, you probably don’t express yourself with art as you did when you were a kid. You may not think you're any "good" at creating art, or you may not think it's worth your time, but art is actually a valuable pastime.
Working with individuals on the autism spectrum is an absolute joy. We all learn in our own unique way and interacting with this population through the art making process is truly amazing.
Art therapy is especially useful in a group setting. It provides a social support network of other mothers who may be struggling with similar experiences.
Cancer can come with a range of emotions for both the person diagnosed and their loved ones. Art therapy can be very helpful in navigating these emotions. For instance, research has shown that art therapy can help children and teens communicate how they feel about their cancer diagnosis and treatment. Other studies show that art therapy may help people living with cancer cope with depression and fatigue, and may help improve quality of life and reduce stress.
Sometimes it’s hard to articulate your thoughts and emotions. Art allows a safe space to access parts of you that might be pushed aside.
Studies have found that art therapy added greater benefits than psychotherapy alone in both physical and emotional ways. These benefits included helping those cope or manage feelings of anxiety, depression, and other chronic mental illnesses.
Individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease can have their independence stripped away. Something as simple as allowing someone to have a choice in paint colour, materials or media can have a huge positive impact.
