For some people traditional methods of therapy may not work. They may be resistant and find it hard to talk about difficult issues. In some cases it may be because they are not confident with their verbal skills. In other instances it may be because they do not want to verbally communicate and this instance an art therapist may work as either an additional therapy or as an alternative to a more traditional discussion with a patient.
It has been known for some time that people suffering from mental, social or emotional problems often expressed themselves through drawing or other forms of art. Indeed a lot of people rightly or wrongly associate creativity with a different kind of mental perspective. It was only until the mid twentieth century that mental health professionals began to develop a formal frame work that would come to be defined as art therapy.
The first thing to understand with this kind of therapy is that it does not necessarily require the client to be a creative person. You do not need incredible artistic skill in order to illustrate feelings. Often the act of creating something and explaining the context of what you have created can be enough.
In effect the idea is that anyone being treated has an equal chance of receiving a positive benefit from the treatment. It may be applied in different ways such as part of their rehabilitation or as a form of psychotherapy. However the act itself is often enough to get people thinking beyond what they would normally talk about with their friends, family and even sometimes illustrate more than they would be able to discuss verbally with a therapist.
In other cases a patient may be capable of verbal communication but may be too traumatised to discuss this. For example if a child has been abused or an adult has gone through a similar traumatic event then they are less likely to talk about it, even if the therapist does their best to create a comfortable, non threatening environment. They may become quiet or in the more severe cases lash out in an aggressive way.
It is important to emphasise that the end product is not the issue. Anyone making something does not necessarily need to be a brilliant artist in order to produce an artwork that a therapist can interpret. However the therapist will need to have sufficient art qualifications in order to ensure the work is properly supervised.
However the creative process allows for a more objective perspective for both the therapist and the patient. By not directly talking about issues it ironically often becomes easier to discuss them. Over time this can then make treatment easier as a patient becomes more used to expressing themselves.
There are numerous organisations you can find online to help you find therapists who specialise in this field. They may not necessarily just use painting, sculpture and so forth with many also using drama, role play and other forms of expressive exercises to help people. Look online for more information as well as feedback from people who have used this kind of therapy in the past.
It has been known for some time that people suffering from mental, social or emotional problems often expressed themselves through drawing or other forms of art. Indeed a lot of people rightly or wrongly associate creativity with a different kind of mental perspective. It was only until the mid twentieth century that mental health professionals began to develop a formal frame work that would come to be defined as art therapy.
The first thing to understand with this kind of therapy is that it does not necessarily require the client to be a creative person. You do not need incredible artistic skill in order to illustrate feelings. Often the act of creating something and explaining the context of what you have created can be enough.
In effect the idea is that anyone being treated has an equal chance of receiving a positive benefit from the treatment. It may be applied in different ways such as part of their rehabilitation or as a form of psychotherapy. However the act itself is often enough to get people thinking beyond what they would normally talk about with their friends, family and even sometimes illustrate more than they would be able to discuss verbally with a therapist.
In other cases a patient may be capable of verbal communication but may be too traumatised to discuss this. For example if a child has been abused or an adult has gone through a similar traumatic event then they are less likely to talk about it, even if the therapist does their best to create a comfortable, non threatening environment. They may become quiet or in the more severe cases lash out in an aggressive way.
It is important to emphasise that the end product is not the issue. Anyone making something does not necessarily need to be a brilliant artist in order to produce an artwork that a therapist can interpret. However the therapist will need to have sufficient art qualifications in order to ensure the work is properly supervised.
However the creative process allows for a more objective perspective for both the therapist and the patient. By not directly talking about issues it ironically often becomes easier to discuss them. Over time this can then make treatment easier as a patient becomes more used to expressing themselves.
There are numerous organisations you can find online to help you find therapists who specialise in this field. They may not necessarily just use painting, sculpture and so forth with many also using drama, role play and other forms of expressive exercises to help people. Look online for more information as well as feedback from people who have used this kind of therapy in the past.
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