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Introduction Many say that art is just a work of creativity. However, it is much more than that. Art can help people in many ways because it raises self-esteem, helps with mental disorders, and it can work as a very powerful therapy method. Art Therapy isn’t all about creativity. It can sometimes help more than actual face to face therapy. It tends to feel less intimidating. Does Art Help with Self-Consciousness? One issue many people, especially girls, struggle with is self-esteem. Many different ways are tried to fix this problem. Some of which may not be the best or healthiest of ways. A specific way most haven’t tried is by using art. Studies have shown that art most certainly can raise self-esteem. Brookes (1995) did a study on the effectiveness of group art therapy intervention for increasing the level of self-esteem of sexually abused survivors’ (Drapeau, 2007). His study concluded that group art therapy indeed raised the survivors’ level of self-esteem (Drapeau, 2007). The making of art allows a person to express themselves on paper. Also, it can allow them to draw out the way they see themselves. This can help a person be more confident in themselves. Art can be used to keep anyone occupied. Another study was done by Hartz and Thicke (2005) to find the benefits of using art therapy to improve female juvenile offenders’ self-esteem. The study showed that art therapy groups could increase self-worth. Also, they found that it builds greater trust in others and increases self-disclosure (Drapeau, 2007). Juvenile offenders’ may think art can only be graffiti. However, using art in that way is a serious crime. One ... ... middle of paper ... ... full on explaining what they are. Also, it seems as if it would be a more entertaining approach. With a more entertaining approach patients may feel better about sharing feelings. In the end if anyone cannot handle the thought of talking out their feelings maybe they should attempt to try art therapy. A safe, quiet, and fun way to get help. Works Cited Chambala, A. (2008). Anxiety and art therapy: Treatment in the public eye. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?q=art therapy helps with anxiety&ft=on&pg=2&id=EJ825774 Drapeau, M. (2007). Creative art therapy groups: A treatment modality for psychiatric outpatients. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?q="art+therapy"&ft=on&id=EJ777028 Sutherland, J. (2010). Art Therapy Connection: Encouraging Troubled Youth To Stay In School and Succeed. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?q=”art therapy”&ft=on&pg=2&id=EJ901198
For example, adolescents are often forced into therapy by their parents or school as a result of an inability to cope with stress in a socially acceptable way. Patients at this stage are too old to engage in play therapy, where therapists analyze a child’s behavior during play and when presented with toys. Also, patients acting out during adolescence are often too young to obtain the maturity to verbalize their emotions in a socially acceptable form. Art therapy is useful at this stage of development because similar impulses expressed in play therapy are expressed through drawings, meanwhile not requiring verbal communication. Art therapy introduces the mature defense mechanism of sublimation to the patient, guiding them to achieve better self control as they learn to communicate their impulses through art and talking about their art. A particular form of therapy is managed in groups, and adolescents are encouraged to engage in conversation about their drawings while they are creating them. This creates an environment of low anxiety, allowing patients communicate internal conflict and disregard their normal defense mechanisms that are used to conceal these emotions. The defense mechanism of sublimation is apparent in this process, as the use of color, composition, space and shapes to provide an
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.
Drawings and other self-generated forms of visual art produced by people suffering from mental illness sparked the interest of psychiatrists around the end of the 19th century. They were considered “outpourings of the mind in turmoil” (Rubin 6). Fascinated by these samples of artwork, psychiatrists began to study them in an attempt to better understand the creator and the illness. Art therapy is a fluid, adaptable and evolving field. Today art therapists employ a variety of methods and work in a variety of rehabilitation settings, but the focus of this paper is the use and benefits of visual art therapy in correctional settings. Unfortunately, there has been little research to measure the effectiveness of art therapy in prison. Researchers are still in the early stages of understanding what art therapy does, how it does this, and why it is effective. Through art therapy programs, prisoners are able to more fully come to know themselves and are therefore fore able to authentically participate in life and community as well as develop an ongoing motivation towards recovery.
For my group proposal, I am considering a 16-week art therapy group intended for adolescents with generalized anxiety
Widened with amazement, my eyes watched as my fingers swirled the blobs of red and blue paint into a deep purple. The smell of tempera paint and wet wood-chips surrounded me that rainy day in the small playground of De Colores pre-school. I vividly remember feeling that astounded thrice more; first, when I roamed the aisles of Michael’s craft store for the first time, secondly, when I perfected my favorite shrimp dish, and lastly after my first psychology course. Though I have had countless positive and exciting experiences, I have also had some pretty impactful negative ones. Dropping out of high school was the biggest blessing in disguise of my life. It led to my enrollment in a concurrent enrollment program at a local community college that changed my life, through which I met some resilient people that I will always remember. Art therapy is my number one career choice and the Master of Arts in Art Therapy program at Notre Dame de Namur University
“Art therapy is a form of therapy in making of visual images (paintings, drawings, models etc.) in the presences of a qualified art therapist contributes towards externalization of thoughts and feelings which may otherwise remain unexpressed”(Walter & Gilory, 1992).
This approach she felt was prominent during the art making portion of the session. Besides from the art portion of a session, Riley believed the verbal component of art therapy was important. Riley explored the stigma surrounding art therapy and the client's verbal expressions. From the book, Integrative Approaches to Family Art Therapy (Riley & Malchiodi, 1994), Riley states: “Hearing client’s language does not negate the process of looking at the art product. It is a synthesis of two creative means of communication.” Joining these two stories was key in Riley’s
Having a group art session could also benefit by helping them develop positive interpersonal relationships between inmates and the staff. The therapist is there to assist them to learn how to behave in social settings. One example is critiquing each other’s work in a productive and supportive way. They can learn that comments are not a personal attack on the art work but what the art represents to each inmate and their interpretation. Learning how to accept this kind of feedback is a very mature process. Prisoners learn to express themselves...
Kramer, Edith. “The Art Therapists Third Hand: Reflections on Art, Art Therapy, and Society at Large.” American Journal of Art Therapy Feb. 1986: 71-86.
Knowledge is the only thing in this life that cannot be taken away. Therefore the quest to gain knowledge should never truly end. After taking a small hiatus from school, I am ready to begin my journey towards obtaining a Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling. Obtaining this degree will put me one step closer towards my dream of becoming an art therapist. As an art therapist I would be able to combine my love of art and psychology to help children who are unable, or find it difficult to communicate verbally.
Before art I could never fully express my feelings into anything but now that I have art I can take what I am feeling and put it onto the paper. Art is a much easier communicating tool than talking. With art I feel that I can express myself more than with just saying words. It is always easier to express what I am feeling or what I want through art. If I am sad, mad, or even just content I can pick up a pencil and start to draw and I will still immediately feel happy and at peace.
“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...
Art has been a therapeutic outlet for me since I was very young. I was intrigued by the ability to create from my imagination or translate what I observe and put it onto a canvas or paper. As a young, female with an eating disorder, art has let me channel any negative thoughts or emotions into art pieces that reflect what I am afraid to express verbally. If I ever felt like the voice of the eating disorder was blaring, I would grab a pencil or a paintbrush and channel it into a tangible form of release onto a physical, exterior surface. The daily struggle of living with an eating disorder has also influenced my style artistically. My illustrated figures are often distorted with long necks and skeletal bodies and limbs. Their distortion is derived from