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What are the benefits of the expressive arts?
Expressive arts awaken a child’s imagination and creativity to help him discover who he is and how to engage his senses. They also bring a sense of calm to the body and positively impact mindset, interpretation of surroundings and emotional state. The Expressive Arts is made up of three subjects – Music, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. Students develop knowledge and skills in each subject. In an expressive therapy session, a trained therapist guides you through the process of expressing yourself through art. It’s usually a mix of different activities, but sometimes therapists focus on just one. For example, writing or keeping a journal might be better for someone who is new to therapy. The difference between expressive arts therapy and art therapy is that expressive arts therapy draws from a variety of art forms such as writing, psychodrama, dance, movement, painting, drawing, sculpting, play and music (or a combination of them), while art therapy is based on one particular art form. There is increasing evidence in rehabilitation medicine and the field of neuroscience that art enhances brain function by impacting brain wave patterns, emotions, and the nervous system. Art can also raise serotonin levels. These benefits don’t just come from making art, they also occur by experiencing art.
What is the goal of expressive arts therapy?
Goals of Expressive Therapy The goal of Expressive therapy is to promote healing and reveal any hidden truths or conflicts in a patient. The individual has no obligations in analyzing their own work because the goal is to help them by discussing the art in a non-judgmental manner and supportive setting. In expressive arts therapy, each client is encouraged to use multiple forms of creative expression to articulate their inner world, including drawing and painting, photography, sculptures using a range of materials from clay to paper mâché, music, drama and role-play, poetry, prose, and dance and movement. Expressive Arts aims to promote pupils’ development in all areas plus developing confidence and self-esteem and a growing awareness of cultural heritage, values and diversity. The children’s artwork is constantly on display inside and outside the school. Art is a way to express our emotions and feelings. It can be used to communicate ideas and thoughts; it can be used as a tool for self-expression, used as a form of therapy, or even as a means to find beauty in life.
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. Benefits of Art Therapy Adults experiencing severe stress. Children experiencing behavioral or social problems at school or at home. Children or adults who have experienced a traumatic event. Children with learning disabilities. Who can benefit from art therapy? Art therapy is suitable for anyone who is willing to use art to express their feelings. It can be especially helpful for those looking for a creative way to move forward when they feel stuck in life. Art is an expression and response to our emotions; it depicts our innermost thoughts through an aesthetic experience. A person’s innermost feelings are reflected in their art. Art is a way of looking at life, which is why people with artistic abilities and knowledge tend to be sensitive and insightful. Lesley Professor Shaun McNiff, who established the Expressive Therapies program in 1974, calls it arts-based knowing. Expressive therapies came into a more prominent role in current culture with the arrival of psychiatry in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Expressive Arts Area of Learning and Experience centres on the five disciplines of art, dance, drama, film and digital media, and music. While these disciplines have a common creative process and share transferable skills, each has its own discrete body of knowledge and set of discernible skills.
What are the characteristics of expressive arts therapy?
Expressive arts therapy uses various arts—movement, drawing, painting, sculpting, music, writing, sound, and improvisation—in a supportive setting to facilitate growth and healing. It is a process of discovering ourselves through any art form that comes from an emotional depth. It is not creating a pretty picture. Limitations of Expressive Arts Therapy. One of the major criticisms of expressive arts therapy is the fact that the primary reason for healing is not clearly discernible. It is not clear whether healing occurs from the creative process or if it is due to positive interactions with the therapist. Art therapy improves the mental health of people who are dealing with addictions, anxiety, attention disorders, grief and loss, dementia, depression, eating disorders, physical illness, PTSD, trauma, relationship issues and much more. Art can uplift, provoke, soothe, entertain and educate us and is an important part of our lives.
How effective is expressive arts therapy?
Effectiveness. Research suggests that the use of the expressive arts for therapeutic purposes offers several benefits. A few of these include developing strengths and skills, personal growth, symptom reduction, improved communication, and making meaning of personal experiences. Art therapy can reduce pain, anxiety, and tension, as well as enhance the emotional, spiritual, cognitive, and physical well-being. It is often used to improve the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma. Because of these feel-good effects, art is a powerful tool for self-care and mental health. Studies have shown that expression through art can help people with depression, anxiety, and stress. Art has also been linked to improved memory, reasoning, and resilience in aging adults. Creating art can “validate the uniqueness of an individual, which gives rise to a sense of accomplishment and to feelings of self-worth,” they write. Also, “the arts have been shown to support a sense of social identity” and can “encourage goal-directed behavior, and enhance social resilience.” Art is a powerful way to express oneself, and it is also one of the most important ways to connect with others. Art helps you process your emotions and understand your surroundings. It allows you to see life from a different perspective and it makes you feel alive. Art engages children’s senses in open-ended play and develops attention span, problem-solving skills and other cognitive social-emotional skills such as turn taking, observation… Meaningful art experiences provide children with authentic self-expression – the freedom of choice, thought and feeling.