Art therapy is becoming increasingly popular today. Everywhere, adults and children are offered art therapy classes: drawing, fairy tale therapy, sand drawing, and other types. Private kindergartens, development centers, and creative schools include such classes in their programs, and adults are invited to use them to relieve stress. So what is art therapy and how does it differ from ordinary drawing, dancing, or modeling?
Art therapy is a branch of psychotherapy, which literally means treatment with the help of art. The term was first used in 1938 by the British educator and artist Adrian Hill, although he was not the first to use this method. Art therapy is designed to improve the psycho-emotional state, help overcome stress and trauma. At first, it was about drawing, but later other methods were included. Today, art therapy includes:
- isiotherapy (the use of drawing);
- color therapy (using the influence of different colors on the psycho-emotional state of a person);
- music therapy (listening to different melodies);
- sand therapy (working with sand);
- video therapy (watching movies where characters face different problems and look for ways to solve them);
- bibliotherapy (reading, listening and analyzing various books, texts, creating your own texts; a popular subtype is fairy tale therapy);
- dance and movement therapy;
- play therapy (playing various games);
- drama therapy (acting out stories).
All types of art therapy are based on the use of art as a mediator in communication. Unlike a regular drawing lesson, during art therapy, it is not the result (the final drawing) that is important, but the process that allows a person to express, consciously or unconsciously, their feelings, fears, emotions. Therefore, the art therapist is not required to be a skilled artist, nor is any skill required of the patient. In art therapy, it does not matter how correct or skillful the drawing is, only what it conveys is important.
Through drawing (or other forms of art), a person can convey his or her experience and make it available for further comprehension. The creative process allows you to express those emotions, feelings, experiences that cannot be expressed in words, or that are difficult or uncomfortable to express.
Isiotherapy (drawing therapy) is based on the interaction of the two hemispheres during drawing. By drawing, the patient projects his or her feelings, dreams, desires, or even relives different situations, rebuilding them anew, and thus painlessly faces unpleasant or traumatic images. Therefore, drawing is used to relieve mental tension, stress, and to correct neuroses and fears. By guiding the process and influencing the subject matter of the drawings, the art therapist can help the patient to switch their attention and concentrate on specific significant problems. In this way, a person can not only relax and get rid of stress, but also get rid of complexes, solve psychological problems, and get to know themselves better.
Art therapy can be used to achieve the following goals:
- getting to know yourself and your needs;
- self-expression and analysis of your actions;
- concentration on the problem and finding the right solution;
- improvement and stabilization of psycho-emotional background;
- development of emotional intelligence;
- getting rid of tension, fears, anxiety, excessive emotionality;
- control of your own emotions;
- elimination of aggression;
- establishing trust between doctor and patient;
- promotion of social adaptation;
- supportive method in the treatment of depression.
For children, art therapy can be prescribed in the following cases
- to overcome stubbornness, aggression, fears, tics, stuttering, obsession, etc;
- to combat frequent mood changes, excitability, apathy, hyperactivity;
- in case of delays in speech and mental development;
- in crisis situations;
- in case of difficulties at school, in communication with peers and (or) adults;
- when changing place of residence, preparing for kindergarten or school or during the adaptation period;
- if parents feel that they have lost control over the child, in cases of disobedience;
- in case of shyness and self-doubt.
Art therapy can be used as a separate form of treatment or as a complement to mainstream therapy. It is an integral and very effective element of treatment for children with special needs, as well as one of the means of developing a child.
Although art therapy is a very gentle method of treatment and has no contraindications, like any therapy, it can be harmful if used incorrectly. Here we can divide different situations in which art therapy is used:
for relaxation and self-expression
as a means of correcting psycho-emotional states or helping with serious mental conditions and problems
Of course, the use of art therapy for self-expression or relaxation does not require any special skills, so parents can do it with their children at home. However, when it comes to more serious situations, it is possible to harm the child.
