Art Therapy | Portraying Emotions Visually
Over the past year, Mental Health has come to the forefront of many debates. With people being locked in doors, those suffering with Mental Health issues have found themselves finding it harder to seek help.Below we will take a look at Art Therapy. An interesting way to help with Mental Health issues in a new way.What Is Art Therapy?
Art Therapies used art-based activities in safe and therapeutic environments. Using the expertise of Art Therapists who specialize in the field. This is done for those who feel unable to speak about the issues they personally suffer.The main focus of Art Therapy is to aid communication in a safe place. You do not need any experience as an artist before hand as Art Therapy focuses unlocking your creativity and allowing you to express yourself freely. Experiences with Art Therapy may differ but its hope is to help resolve the complicated feelings the someone suffering with poor Mental Health may have.This is not a new revelation, Art has been used as a form of calming therapy for thousands of years. Becoming a formal form of Therapy in the 1940’s. Doctors at the time observed those with Mental Illness expressing themselves through various pieces of art. This calming effect was then taken forward and has become an ever more important aspect of Therapy.How Can Art Therapy Help?
Art Therapy can help for a variety of Mental Health Conditions such as severe stress, behavioral issues or those who have suffered traumatic events. The biggest piece of Art Therapy is expression. This isn’t just limited to doodling, art therapy can include music and even dancing. But at the core of all of them, is expression. This is to help those with Mental Illness too feel like they are being listened to without them necessarily having to relieve traumatic events. It allows those in therapy to come to terms with the problems they face on their own terms in their own time.
Art Therapy has also been used to help those without illnesses that affect the body, showing its versatility. Art Therapy is also accessible to almost anyone as you do not need any skill to be able to utilise it. And with An Art Therapist to hand, although, you can use these techniques on your own.
The Art Therapists job is to look at and understand the art that is being created. Various patterns and symbols can communicate to the Art Therapist how someone with Mental Health issues is suffering. This helps them hone in the Therapy in on each person on an individual level. They may also move over to more verbal therapy using the indications gathered from the art created. This is the secondary reason Art Therapy focuses so heavily on Expression.
Art Therapy At Home
It is important to note here that if you are suffering from Mental Health problems you should contact professional help. There are many services that are available to you and will help you find the right therapy for you. You can however practice Art Therapy at home. This is mainly used to relieve stress and anxiety.
Simply sitting down to doodle, draw or paint, no matter your skill level can reduce stress and anxiety levels. If you want to get into art and doodling but are afraid you’re not talented enough or feel a block, check out our interactive social doodling events Doodleledo, either for you to doodle at home with our drawing challenges or get your friends or team together and book one of our virtual sessions. We doodle, we connect and bond over bad drawings and lots of fun. We either offer full of energy team socials or mindful and relaxing sessions filled with music, reflection and slowing down. A great way to get together and take care of that tired mind. Doing any form of art, whether that’s doodling, sketching or painting is proven to lower stress and anxiety levels, trains focus and thinking on the spot. It lowers blood pressure and allows for the creative side of the brain to activate. All in all it’s good for you and your mental health.
If you are suffering from Mental Illness, contacting professional help is always the best route to take.
Some services available are:
Mind Uk
Therapy For You
Better Help
Conclusion
In conclusion Art Therapy seems like an incredibly inventive and unique way of dealing with Mental Health Issues. It should however be noted that the studies undertaken on Art Therapy have been done only on small groups. These studies have also produced mixed results. At the end of the day, the type of therapy needed will vary for person to person. But Art Therapy is well worth the consideration as its calming effects are well noted.
The Bibliography below contains more information on the subject if you wish to read more and the links above provide helpful resources if you or someone you know is suffering with Mental Illness.Bibliography
Baat.org. 2021. About Art Therapy. [online] Available at: <https://www.baat.org/About-Art-Therapy> [Accessed 10 March 2021].
Mind.org.uk. 2021. About arts and creative therapies. [online] Available at: <https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/arts-and-creative-therapies/about-arts-and-creative-therapies/> [Accessed 10 March 2021].
Verywell Mind. 2021. How Does Art Therapy Work for Patients?. [online] Available at: <https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-art-therapy-2795755> [Accessed 10 March 2021].
Programs, S., States, U., Scholarships, G., therapy?, W., it?, W., Orgs, A., Site, B., Color, P., Symbolism, C., Charts, C., Therapy, C., jobs, A., Outlook, A., Therapist, H., Trends, A., Programs, G., Ideas, A., Health, M., Seniors, E., Children, K., Quotes, A., Abuse, S., Therapy, M., Therapy, E., Beirne, D., Schreibman, R., Pradhan, P., Gale, A., Miller, J., evans, j., Q, T., avilez, k. and saraceanu, a., 2021. What is Art Therapy? | What Does an Art Therapist Do?. [online] Art Therapy. Available at: <http://www.arttherapyblog.com/what-is-art-therapy/#.YEgNo2j7SUk> [Accessed 10 March 2021].
