Art therapy is used for cancer, depression and anxiety, autism, dementia and cognitive impairment, as these patients are reluctant to express themselves in words, according to a study. Coping skills help clients to identify emotions, implement grounding techniques, and use self-regulation strategies to reduce maladaptive behaviours, it added. Art therapists are trained in both art and therapy.
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Is art therapy becoming more popular?
Whatever technique is applied the idea that creative expression can foster healing and mental well-being is becoming very popular and giving rise to a whole new way of dealing with mental health challenges especially in kids. (3) Art therapy is mainly used for cancer, depression and anxiety, autism, dementia and cognitive impairment, as these patients are reluctant to express themselves in words (Attard and Larkin, 2016; Deshmukh et al., 2018; Chiang et al., 2019). Art therapy supports the important tenets of DBT by providing coping skills to clients. Coping skills help clients to identify emotions, implement grounding techniques, and use self-regulation strategies to reduce maladaptive behaviours. Traditional talk-therapy is also a challenge for individuals who have experienced trauma and have a difficult time verbalizing their experience. As an alternative, art therapy offers the space to explore and process the feelings, memories, and effects of trauma in their creations. In the UK, the artist Adrian Hill is generally acknowledged to have been the first person to use the term ‘art therapy’ to describe the therapeutic application of image making.
Who is art therapy best for?
Art therapy is an effective treatment for persons experiencing developmental, medical, educational, social or psychological impairment. A key goal in art therapy is to improve or restore the client’s functioning and his/her sense of personal well being. Art therapists are trained in both art and therapy. But it’s important to note that art therapy is not a kind of CBT. Rather, CBT is a viable approach to art therapy. Nonetheless, many studies have shown that art is an effective tool in the CBT process. Two studies showed that, when combined with CBT, art can help treat anxiety disorders. As defined by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) in About Art Therapy (2018), art therapy, as facilitated by a professional art therapist, is a therapeutic modality used over ongoing sessions to “improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience … Paints, oil and soft pastels, markers or other drawing tools, and clay give art therapists a solid toolbox for various therapeutic interventions, but there are many other tools that therapists use, such as tissue art, fiber arts, beadwork, and mask making.
Is art therapy scientifically proven?
Case studies do seem to suggest the treatments are effective. A 2014 review of 16 case studies and small experiments exploring art therapy as a treatment for dementias found evidence suggesting that art therapy may ease neuropsychiatric symptoms, raise self-esteem, and improve social behavior (2). By this definition, art therapy is an addition to the branch of psychiatry concerned with psychological methods, which facilitates the process through both image making and verbal exchange with the therapist. Art therapy integrates psychotherapy and some form of visual arts as a specific, stand-alone form of therapy, but it is also used in combination with other types of therapy. Because children often feel scared, nervous or upset during hospital visits, art therapy offers them the ability to make choices and be in control. It helps children and families explore and express their emotional responses to their hospital experience, which are sometimes difficult to capture with words.
What are two benefits to art therapy?
It encourages the development of healthy coping strategies. Therapy can facilitate insight, empathy, and acceptance of other’s life challenges. It is capable of promoting problem-solving skills. Art therapy is capable of exploring, managing, and providing insight into traumatic experiences. Much of the art therapy literature focuses on theoretical concepts and interpreting art for diagnostic use (Huet, 2015; Malchiodi & Coolidge, 2000). ART is most similar to eye movement desensitization reprocessing therapy (EMDR). It also draws from other types of therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic approaches. According to its creator , ART is more directive, easier to learn, and often administered in a shorter time than EMDR. Some cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) principles useful to art therapists are problem-solving, modeling, relaxation techniques and mental imagery, stress reduction and systematic desensitization and/or flooding. These CBAT principles are discussed using examples from both historic and current writers.