Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Two Main Branches of Art therapy Art therapy began as a natural extension of Freud’s groundbreaking psychoanalytic theories at the turn of the last century. Psychiatrists discovered that visual arts could be used as a tool of assessment, and by the 1940s art was being used not only for assessment, but also in therapeutic applications (Junge, 2010). Two main branches evolved from these early years: art as therapy and art psychotherapy. With Freud and others at the forefront of modern psychological thinking, it is not surprising that the theories of psychoanalysis entered into art therapy. Margret Naumberg, considered by many to be the creator of art therapy, incorporated her concepts of artistic creation and symbolism with Freudian psychoanalysis (Junge, 2010). Art psychotherapy assumes “that imagery [is] an outward projection of the patient’s inward intrapsychic processes” and relies on “symbolic communication between the patient and therapist” (Junge, 2010, p. 38). Naumberg’s approach to analysis differed from Freud’s however. She allowed the patient to make his or her own interpretations rather than rely on the omnipotent therapist to provide insight (Junge, 2010). Goals of art psychotherapy include: making the unconscious conscious, transference through art making to the artwork itself, and client-based interpretation. Art directives in an art psychotherapy approach are understood in terms of the spontaneous expression that gives access to unconscious material (Case & Dalley, 2006). The triangular relationship between the art, client, and therapist is considered more important than the final art product. Case and Dalley (2006) describe an art psychotherapy directive in which a child client is asked to paint a series of... ... middle of paper ... .... The modern history of art therapy in the United States. Springfield, Il: Charles C. Thomas Kaplan, F.F. (2000). Art, science and art therapy: Repainting the picture. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley. Kramer, E. (1972). Art as therapy with children. New York, NY: Schocken Books. Lusebrink, V. B., (2004) Art therapy and the brain: An attempt to understand the underlying processes of art expression in therapy, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 21:3, 125-135 Mcdiarmid, M. D., Bagner, D. M., (2005). Parent child interaction therapy for children with disruptive behavior and developmental disabilities. Education & Treatment of Children, 28(2), 130. Shiflett, C. & Tang, H. (2011). Integrating the expressive arts into counseling practice theory-based interventions. In Degges-White S., Davis N. L. (Eds.). New York, NY: Springer Pub.
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.
Dothan, AL: Michelin Apa Publications, 2010. Print. Moon, Bruce. Existential Art Therapy: The Canvas Mirror.
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.
In recent times, trying to express oneself has become increasingly difficult; this is as such with patients suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a result of extreme exposure to physical harm or danger. These traumatic experiences could be caused by reasons such as near-death, serious accident, violence, war, torture, or any event that causes extreme fear. A common occurrence with patients dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a hesitancy or inability to discuss or express emotions and thoughts verbally. We as art therapist need to come up with a method to reawaken the positive emotions and address the symptoms of emotional freezing in patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. If not, these patients will suffer lifelong with damaged relations and innumerable ailments, both physical and mental. With that being noted, the method of associative art and its various forms will bridge the gap between the imprisoned emotions detained by those suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the positive aspects of their life.
“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).
Throughout history there have been countless souls who were willing to challenge the norm of their everyday life. These individuals work towards change, help those around them, and strive for a better tomorrow. One individual who has been recognized as such was Shirley Riley. Riley was a prominent art therapist during her lifetime. This paper will discuss Riley’s professional career as well as her personal and fairly private life.
Zeki, Semir. Inner Vision : An Exploration of Art and the Brain . Oxford: Oxford
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.
Works of art such as books, paintings, poems, and sculptures oftentimes are said to express the feelings, personalities, interests, and desires of their creator. One method for interpreting these details from books and other literary works is known as psychoanalytic literary analysis. This analysis seeks to identify the nature of relationships between characters as well as the author’s relationship with the characters. In the analyses the critic will discuss interactions between characters and with the author and often go so far as to make assertions about the author’s conscious and unconscious reasons for telling their story in the way they did. While psychoanalytic criticism is well accepted it is not without its own critics. At times it
For years, researchers have uncovered the benefits of art related enterprises as they relate to therapy for distressed and anxious individuals. Similarly, and more related to the stressed and overworked individual today, coloring an intricate design or an inspirational message can act as a soothing and therapeutic release for the individual partaking in the activity. Neuropsychologist Dr. Stan Rodski and brain scientist Dr. Joel Pearson both agree. In an interview, Dr. Rodski shares his belief that coloring for adults can encourage a relaxed state as the coloring individual focuses their attention on the detail and intricacies of a particular image.
One of the disadvantages of art therapy is that the therapist is more vulnerable to misinterpretation in terms of the objective understanding of content. Care must be taken not to make rapid interpretations on the specific piece of art which might prevent or even deny the client the satisfaction of discovering and finding out for herself (Case and Dalley, p. 65). This is because art therapy involves a lot of interpretation, it is understandable that critics about this technique are similar to that of psychotherapy. The client’s images can come across as many things with contrasting ideas, but only the individual themself can explain it. The therapist is urged not to point out obvious red signals, instead they should allow the client to come up with their own interpretations. Their own interpretations alone are something to make note of as it may shed some light on the client's thought process about the
Solso, Robert L. The Psychology of Art and the Evolution of the Concious Brain. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT P. 13-21.
Expression theory is a therapeutic value of art. “To become fully conscious of it means becoming conscious of it not merely as an instance of anger, but as this quite peculiar anger. Expressing it, we saw, has something to do with becoming conscious of it;