It all started nearly 9 months ago as I contemplated. I have been there for a little over a year. I sat there bored, uninterested in my current duties, I began thinking about my current stance as an artist. “Am I doing all I can to make the world a better place?” -- I asked myself. I looked for ways to use my skills and passion as an artist in a way that would help and benefit others. Throughout my undergraduate education, I discovered the healing effects of art. As someone affected by mental health issues, I found power in expressing and processing my mental frustrations and emotions through artwork. Art has always been a consistent outlet for alleviating my problems. I found that reflecting on, creating and observing art helped me processed my problems and move past them. Soon after, I sought out and wanted to become a part of a support system for young adults. Through my own healing process and that of my loved ones, I became interested in and developed a passion for mental health. …show more content…
My ultimate goal is to obtain my Post - Master’s Certificate as a Mental Health Counselor with a specialization in Art Therapy. I would like to use my Art Therapy certification to aid in helping individuals manage their behavior, resolve internal conflicts, and achieve inner peace. With the help of my past insights, volunteering opportunities, and personal experiences, I am enthusiastic about the possibility of starting a graduate program in counseling. I would like to use the skills I obtained through this program to educate and empower young adults who struggle with recovering from trauma and major life
People from all around the world suffer from many different anxieties and troubles. They turn to things they enjoy so that they can forget reality and be somewhat happy or simply to communicate with one another. Most of the enjoyment is temporary and not sufficient, that is why they continue doing what they do. Creative Arts Therapy, also known as Expressive Arts Therapy, helps those who find themselves completely lost and have nowhere to go or anyone to go to. They can express themselves however they please. In order to better understand arts therapy one must have a knowledge of creativity, emotions and, of course, people.
Over the next two years, I will work towards completing 3,000 hours of post licensure internship while continuing my education in a doctoral program. After completing the doctoral program, I would like to hold dual licensure as a professional counselor and psychologist. In the next 10 years, I would like to work at the collegiate level as an educator in psychology and/or counseling. My ultimate career goal is to operate a program for at risk men and women ages 18 to 25. The program I hope to create will focus on the transition to independence process (TIP) model. My focus will be to provide psychological services for young people who are aging out of foster care, have a juvenile record, or are teen parents. The process of entering adulthood is often difficult, especially for those who struggled through their adolescent years like my
My day started kind of rough, because I and my wife couldn’t agree to manage our diverse schedule. I was scheduled to meet with members of my class in downtown San Diego, and she was scheduled for her event at work. Ultimately, after a brief argument, we utilized two different vehicles heading the same direction. A conflict in timing was the cause of our disagreement. As a result, the day for me started chaotic resulting in no inner peace of mind. I didn’t sense no normal pattern of tranquility in my thoughts. I felt mentally exhausted, anguish and pain at the knowledge I that couldn’t be trusted to go to a museum on my own. I started my day with an attitude of frustration and anger. To make matters worse, I thought I was going to a place where historically I found peace and tranquility in my mind. I was always very fond of art, and believe artist today have the freedom to express themselves with whatever style and methodology they have in life. Contemporary artist have greater freedom and influence than artist in the past, because they can use their artistic works to persuade individuals and help them realize or understand they have psychological or emotional personal problems. I believe art can help identify and expose underlying emotional and personal issues that some would normally be reluctant to share openly. This is my own profound personal self-realization.
I wish to enroll in the Occupational Therapy Program at Loma Linda University in order to pursue my interests in rehabilitation for individuals of all ages with varying health concerns. As a rehabilitation psychology and psychology double major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, my undergraduate curriculum has provided me with a strong background in research and critical thinking skills. After deciding to pursue a career in occupational therapy, I enrolled in the “Orientation to Occupational Therapy” course which answered many of my questions and curiosities surrounding occupational therapy as a profession. I found myself excited for class every week and applied the information that I learned while volunteering with occupational therapists at Children’s Therapy Network and Capitol Lakes. The theories and practices in this subject along with the relevance to my interests in a clinical setting impressed me.
Sometimes individuals consider becoming counselors after overcoming some major life challenge such as addiction or a history of bad relationships. Perhaps an individual has encountered a particularly effective counselor or therapist and has a desire to follow in those footsteps. Others may have had a bad experience with counseling and concluded that it can be done better. People do not think of this work so much as a job, or even as a career. More typically, a constellation of life experiences that demand explanation and a sense that others seek one out for assistance and emotional sustenance become driving forces leading one toward the counseling profession” (An invitation to). .
My vision of Art Therapy was very vague. I always thought art therapy was a form of therapy for distressed or abused children trying to tell a story through pictures or drawings. The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well being of individuals of all ages. Art therapy is a form psychotherapy that has been practiced for over sixty years and it has been promoted as a means of helping people who find it difficult to express themselves verbally (Crawford, et al., 2010). Art therapy sessions usually start with a form of relaxation such as deep breathing , progressive muscle relaxation, or setting an intention for the session ahead (Hart, 2010). Art therapy is used for several different types of people with diverse illnesses such as: Autism Spectrum Disorder, people living with HIV/AIDS, mental disorders and even Cancer. Studies show that art therapy can lead to increased self awareness of self, as well as improved ability to cope with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences (American Art Therapy Association). This form of therapy helps these patients express positive feelings that may not be easy to access in the midst of a fear provoking experience (Hart, 2010). Art therapy help people to identify their feelings, and resolve the issues associated with their illness. Although, my lack of knowledge on this therapeu...
...ve them of their inspiration and interfere with their creativity. It is a thorny, and relatively new, question, and Jamison merely outlines the controversy without offering an opinion on what should be done to rectify the situation, leaving the door open for further research. Mental illness in artists is a fascinating subject, and Jamison does an excellent job of providing a through portrait of many artists who have grappled with manic-depressive disorder, in addition to exploring how these disorders affect creativity and productivity. Jamison also maintains an awareness of the objections to her attempts to draw a correlation
Creativity could also be used to create a space for individuals with mental health issues to acknowledge, interpret and embrace the healing properties of creativity.
Art is all around us; it’s in music, movies, paintings. It’s a way to communicate with the audience in a deeper level nonverbally. Art has evolved over the years and it encourages us to express ourselves individually. In the movie, Wasteland, by Vik Muniz, is about an artist who captured the lives of Rio de Janeiro. Psychiatric Tales, graphic novel, by Darryl Cunningham, is eleven stories about mental illness. Both of the authors disclose and engage the audience through their personal experience and interests.
I am a first generation Portuguese-Canadian woman who was raised in a Roman Catholic community; divided between traditional beliefs and progressive millennial mindsets. My upbringing has cultivated adaptability, creativity, and a genuine curiosity for human behaviours. I have a passion for learning and view a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy as a rewarding academic and vocational endeavor.
My career goal is to help youth find a career path that they love and want to pursue for a lifetime. I believe that a Master of Arts in Counseling would help me to facilitate this goal. A person’s career is such a part of an individual’s identity, in my opinion; it should be commonplace for individuals to begin exploring career paths in early childhood. A degree in Counseling with a School emphasis would allow me to work in the school system to help students begin to explore their employable interests.
As a student who began her college career without specific objectives, I never thought I would be writing a personal statement for an application to receive a Master’s Degree in the social work profession. However, I feel now that there is no other future for me than that of offering my education and personal commitment to vulnerable individuals in order to stabilize their lives. After careful consideration of all areas of social work, I have found that my main area of interest is in providing resources and encouragement for individuals with disabilities to gain the freedom to live independent lifestyles without discrimination. My personal goal in this profession is to make every possible effort in assisting these individuals with finding the means to satisfy their needs.
“To use art, counselors need to learn how to integrate art therapeutically into counseling. In using art, they need to emphasize process over product and clarify the potential benefits to the student. It has been suggested that art therapy fits nicely into the American School Counselor Association’s national standards.” (Howard, 2017).
Art can benefit the unhealthy as well. With 34,000 soldiers coming back from Afghanistan as proposed by Barack Obama, there are many who consequently have mental disabilities or post-traumatic stress disorder. To cope with depression, or other symptoms, many doctors have used art programs...
The arts have influenced my life in amazing ways. Throughout my life, art has been the place I run to and my escape from the world. As I’ve grown older, art has become so much more than that. Every piece of art I create is a journey into my soul. It’s a priceless way to deal with my emotions and my struggles. I create art not only because I enjoy it and because I want to, but because I have to. Somewhere deep inside there is a driving force, urging me to put my heart down on paper. I become emotionally attached to each of my pieces because they are like dashes on the wall marking my growth. Each one is the solution to a problem I have dealt with and overcome.