Contenders feel that art therapy is heavily consumer driven. Opponents claim that general population people are doing art therapy due to the influences of the media. Mary Sykes Wylie states in her article Consumer-Driven Therapy that “Consumers have been powerfully influenced by the explosion of the pop psychology media market.” (Wylie, Mary S. "Consumer-Driven Therapy." Psychotherapy Networker 1997, pp. 34-41. SIRS Issues Researcher, http://sks.sirs.com) This is saying that people see or hear about art therapy and they want to do it, even if they don’t necessarily need it, the just want to follow a trend.
In addition to, many common people are skeptical of art therapy's benefits. “ Some people may have emotional responses and reactions that are unfamiliar and could make things worse.” says Mary Sykes Wylie in her article
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Art therapy gives a chance to express feelings and emotions. Marilyn Magnuson states in Dancing through Depression “Patients let their bodies express themselves by painting or dancing, it allows the unconscious to surface: The memories buried from the conscious are expressed.”(Brown, Mary G. "Dancing through Depression." Horizons (Winnipeg, Canada) Vol.20, No.2 2006, pp. 28+. SIRS Renaissance,http://sks.sirs.com) It’s saying when you let yourself create freely emotions surface and you work through them in a healthy way.
It allows people to process their emotions in a healthy way. In Jenny Hontz The healing canvas she states “In art therapy, patients express their feelings not just through discussion, but through drawing, painting and sculpting. That's why this type of therapy is thought to be especially helpful for people who have difficulty articulating feelings.”(Hontz, Jenny. "The Healing Canvas." Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA), 20 Mar 2006, pp. F1+. SIRS Renaissance,http://sks.sirs.com) Art therapy helps process difficult issues, and people can express their feelings through
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.
According to Sladyk (2008), interventions following the Psychodynamic Frame of Reference often lead clients to gain awareness of themselves and release what is inside of them (p. 2). This being said, art would be appropriate for Maggie to participate in. Art would allow her to release her emotions, and learn more about herself. Having an intervention of art for therapy would not only relate to the Psychodynamic Frame of Reference, but it would also relate to CMOP-E. Art relates to this model because Maggie would be engaging in a client-centered activity, leading her to learn more about herself, which she would then realize what she enjoys and finds
I then came across the practice of art therapy. As a child, I've had a love for drawing and art, and I never really grew out of it. I saw art therapy as a wonderful opportunity for me since I found this both an enjoyable and useful study. I became interested in art therapy because it serves as a creative outlet for me to help people by applying what I love for them. I believe art therapy can help troubling patients because it connects with troubling patients at
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.
Rubin, J. A. (2001). Approaches to art therapy: Theory and technique. (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
“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
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.
processes of art expression in therapy, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 21:3, 125-135
Pierson, M., & Wilson, H. (2009). Exploring Art as Therapy. In Using Expressive Arts to Work with Mind, Body, and Emotions: Theory and Practice (pp. 202-222). Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsly Publishers.
What is Art therapy used for? It provides an outlet for coping for some people who may be suffering for any type of illness, in Stanford Medicine It was used with cancer patients; with this therapy the Art Therapist will provide and use pictures, art supplies and visual symbols to help create a better understanding of what the patient is feeling and help address their own concerns or conflicts (cancer.stanford.edu). Some of the examples of art therapy could be coloring, painting, doodling, photography, etc. Art therapy is a very pleasant and fun activity but is not to replace treatment and medicines it is only there for the stress reduction, help relieve anxieties and to help the patient express emotions which they could not before, then after the patient is done with their art and pictures; they will sit down with a licensed therapist and go over what they see and why they took pictures of or drew what they did. As for the time being, there are no complications linked with patients and art therapy, ...
“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...
Brooke, S.L. (2004). Tools of the trade: A therapist's guide to art therapy assessments (2nd ed., Rev.). Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas.