Click below to listen to this article
Art therapy
Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses creative activities to enhance mental and emotional well-being. It can help people cope with stress, trauma, anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues. One of its possible benefits is that it can facilitate self-transcendence, which is the ability to go beyond one’s personal boundaries and connect with something greater than oneself. self-transcendence can foster a sense of meaning, purpose, and spirituality in life. In this article, we will explore how art therapy can promote self-transcendence and what are the implications for clinical practice and research.
What is art therapy?
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses creative expression as a way of healing and enhancing well-being. It can help people cope with stress, trauma, emotional issues, mental disorders, and physical illnesses. It can involve various forms of art, such as painting, drawing, sculpting, collage, photography, music, dance, and drama. This can be done individually or in groups, with or without the guidance of a trained art therapist.
Some examples of art therapy are:
- Making a self-portrait to explore one’s identity and self-image
- Creating a collage of images that represent one’s goals and dreams
- Painting or drawing one’s feelings or emotions
- Writing a poem or a song to express one’s thoughts or experiences
- Acting out a scene or a story to process one’s conflicts or challenges
- Dancing or moving to music to release tension or energy
- Sculpting or moulding clay to shape one’s inner world or outer reality
Benefits of art therapy
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses visual and tactile media as a means of self-expression and communication. It is an established form of psychological therapy delivered by trained art therapists / art psychotherapists. It’s designed to help anyone, including those whose life has been affected by adverse experiences, illness or disability, by supporting their social, emotional and mental health needs.
This therapy can benefit people of all ages and abilities and at all stages of life. Research indicates art therapy can improve communication and concentration and can help reduce feelings of isolation. This type of therapy has also been shown to lead to increases in self-esteem, confidence, and self-awareness. It can also promote self-awareness, facilitate intellectual stimulation, improve cognitive skills and coordination, and reduce anxiety and stress.
The therapy participants use art to express their experiences, to find the words to articulate how they have been affected, and to support their wellbeing. When our lives are affected by adversity, it can have an impact on our wellbeing – but this experience may be difficult to put into words. Because of this, art therapists can often work with people who have not been able to access talking therapies. In this way, it helps to ensure that no one is left behind.
One key benefit is, of course, that this form of therapy is available to all, without the need to have professional assistance. It has such a diversity of creative avenues that an individual can immediately access and find the right form of art therapy for them.
Further reading
Here are some weblinks that detail the positive research that has been done for art therapy:
Art Therapy: A Complementary Treatment for Mental Disorders
This article reviews the theoretical basis, clinical applications, and future perspectives of art therapy for patients with mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and autism. It suggests that art therapy can serve as a useful therapeutic method and an auxiliary diagnostic tool for mental health professionals. The article can be accessed at https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686005/full
Linking Positive Psychology to Art Therapy Theory, Practice, and Research
This article discusses the relationship of positive psychology to art therapy and its capacity to mobilize client strengths, induce experiences of flow and positive emotions, and express life purpose and meaning. It also provides suggestions for research and practical applications of positive art therapy to help individuals and communities flourish. The article can be accessed at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271622126
0 Comments