Argumentative Essay On Art Therapy

1599 Words4 Pages

In today’s world there are many different forms of therapy offered that range from all across the board, but there is one in particular that I have in mind for this discussion; Art Therapy. This specific form of therapy has its own unique ability to awaken emotional expression by permitting non-verbal communication. This is a crucial element that Art therapy offers, for its usefulness in cases where traditional psychotherapy (verbal therapy) has been proven non-effective. Through art and the making of art, it allows sensory based communication involving the brain and the body in way that verbal language fall short of. Many studies have been conducted to prove, when implementing art therapy into the lives of these patients, the overall outcome …show more content…

There are multiple uses for art therapy in regards to healing, but the benefits may surprise you if you have not heard of art as a form of therapy before today. Art therapy can inhibit social interactions, as well as improve some individuals over all wellbeing through the creative process of healing with art. In the article Improving Self-Esteem Through Art for Incarcerated Youths written by April Murphy, Jeff Beaty, and James Minnick a study that was done showed “A dependent sample test was conducted in order to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in self-esteem scores from pre- to post-test. Preliminary data indicate that, of the 55 youths who participated in the mural project, and who completed both the pre- and post-surveys, self-esteem increased 2.5 points from pre- to post-test. Additionally, 100 percent of the individuals who classified as having “low” self-esteem (i.e., score less than 15) pre-test showed an increase in self-esteem post-test. More specifically, juveniles in the “normal” range on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale pre-test had a 1.6-point increase from pre- to post-test while juveniles in the “low” self-esteem group showed an increase of 7.4 points from pre- to post-test. This study goes to show the proven effectiveness in can have on the lives of adolescents, and that there certainly is a positive and healthy impact on such individuals, even as young as youth who are in some form of Art therapy or another, be they solo workings, or even as a part of a

Open Document