Art therapy allows feelings to be expressed through art. Like regular therapy, art therapy might not be for everyone. Art therapy uses both artistic and therapeutic techniques to provide clients with a way to express themselves through their work. Art therapy is used in many places and provides benefits for those who participate. It is important to implement art therapy into everyday life because it will allow one to find themselves. The first person to refer to therapeutic applications of art was Adrian Hill, in England, while being treated for tuberculosis. Edward Adamson, another artist, continued Hill’s work and opened a studio for patients to freely create art without being judged. Art therapy was introduced in America during the 1940’s by Margaret Naumburg and Edith Kramer. Margaret Naumburg was a psychologist whose work was based on the idea “of using art to release the unconscious by encouraging free association” (“The History”). Naumburg would encourage patients to interpret and analyze their artwork. Dr. Edith Kramer, an Austrian woman, founded the art therapy graduate program at New York University and served as the Adjunct Professor of the program from 1975 to 2005. According to the Art Therapy Journal, by the middle of the 20th century “many hospitals and mental health facilities began including art therapy programs after observing how this form of therapy could promote emotional, developmental, and cognitive growth in children” (“The History”). Art therapy incorporates art and therapeutic techniques and aids people of all ages. Many people may benefit from art therapy because they may “find it scary or difficult to express themselves in a clinical setting” (How Art). Art therapy is “the prescripti... ... middle of paper ... ...lletin 2 Dec. 2013: n. pag. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. “How Art Therapy Can Help Children.” Art Therapy For Children. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. Johnson, Carol M., and Eileen M. Sullivan-Marx. “Art Therapy: Using the Creative Process for Healing and Hope among African American Older Adults.” Npaonline. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. Peebles, Alison. “How Can Art Therapy Benefit People with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress.” Counselling-directory. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. “The Rialto Jean Project Partners with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to Supply Art Therapy to Children.” Entertainment Close-up. 4 Aug. 2013. General OneFile. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. Schwartz, Deah, Dr. "Art Therapy Activities." Art Therapy RSS. N.p., 2008-2013. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. “What Is Art Therapy.” American Art Therapy Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
Throughout history there have been countless souls who were willing to challenge the norm of their everyday life. These individuals work towards change, help those around them, and strive for a better tomorrow. One individual who has been recognized as such was Shirley Riley. Riley was a prominent art therapist during her lifetime. This paper will discuss Riley’s professional career as well as her personal and fairly private life.
Drawings and other self-generated forms of visual art produced by people suffering from mental illness sparked the interest of psychiatrists around the end of the 19th century. They were considered “outpourings of the mind in turmoil” (Rubin 6). Fascinated by these samples of artwork, psychiatrists began to study them in an attempt to better understand the creator and the illness. Art therapy is a fluid, adaptable and evolving field. Today art therapists employ a variety of methods and work in a variety of rehabilitation settings, but the focus of this paper is the use and benefits of visual art therapy in correctional settings. Unfortunately, there has been little research to measure the effectiveness of art therapy in prison. Researchers are still in the early stages of understanding what art therapy does, how it does this, and why it is effective. Through art therapy programs, prisoners are able to more fully come to know themselves and are therefore fore able to authentically participate in life and community as well as develop an ongoing motivation towards recovery.
One of the most memorable experiences I had last summer was visiting the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. (3)At this museum, professional artists had created none of the works hanging on the walls. Visionary art is an individualized expression by people with little or no formal training; the rules of art as a school did not apply here. While I was there, I learned that for many years, the artwork created by patients of mental institutions, hospitals, and nursing homes were disregarded and destroyed by their caretakers. After seeing what powerful and telling work came from many people in these situations, I found this information to be very distressing. Fortunately, the development of art as a form of therapy has changed the medical attitude toward art created by the healing in the past fifty years. While the work created through this therapy is rarely showcased as at the American Visionary, it is aiding therapists and their clients in reaching a new awareness.
In recent times, trying to express oneself has become increasingly difficult; this is as such with patients suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a result of extreme exposure to physical harm or danger. These traumatic experiences could be caused by reasons such as near-death, serious accident, violence, war, torture, or any event that causes extreme fear. A common occurrence with patients dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a hesitancy or inability to discuss or express emotions and thoughts verbally. We as art therapist need to come up with a method to reawaken the positive emotions and address the symptoms of emotional freezing in patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. If not, these patients will suffer lifelong with damaged relations and innumerable ailments, both physical and mental. With that being noted, the method of associative art and its various forms will bridge the gap between the imprisoned emotions detained by those suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the positive aspects of their life.
I then came across the practice of art therapy. As a child, I've had a love for drawing and art, and I never really grew out of it. I saw art therapy as a wonderful opportunity for me since I found this both an enjoyable and useful study. I became interested in art therapy because it serves as a creative outlet for me to help people by applying what I love for them. I believe art therapy can help troubling patients because it connects with troubling patients at
People from all around the world suffer from many different anxieties and troubles. They turn to things they enjoy so that they can forget reality and be somewhat happy or simply to communicate with one another. Most of the enjoyment is temporary and not sufficient, that is why they continue doing what they do. Creative Arts Therapy, also known as Expressive Arts Therapy, helps those who find themselves completely lost and have nowhere to go or anyone to go to. They can express themselves however they please. In order to better understand arts therapy one must have a knowledge of creativity, emotions and, of course, people.
My vision of Art Therapy was very vague. I always thought art therapy was a form of therapy for distressed or abused children trying to tell a story through pictures or drawings. The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well being of individuals of all ages. Art therapy is a form psychotherapy that has been practiced for over sixty years and it has been promoted as a means of helping people who find it difficult to express themselves verbally (Crawford, et al., 2010). Art therapy sessions usually start with a form of relaxation such as deep breathing , progressive muscle relaxation, or setting an intention for the session ahead (Hart, 2010). Art therapy is used for several different types of people with diverse illnesses such as: Autism Spectrum Disorder, people living with HIV/AIDS, mental disorders and even Cancer. Studies show that art therapy can lead to increased self awareness of self, as well as improved ability to cope with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences (American Art Therapy Association). This form of therapy helps these patients express positive feelings that may not be easy to access in the midst of a fear provoking experience (Hart, 2010). Art therapy help people to identify their feelings, and resolve the issues associated with their illness. Although, my lack of knowledge on this therapeu...
Brooke, S.L. (2004). Tools of the trade: A therapist's guide to art therapy assessments (2nd ed., Rev.). Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas.
Kramer, Edith. “The Art Therapists Third Hand: Reflections on Art, Art Therapy, and Society at Large.” American Journal of Art Therapy Feb. 1986: 71-86.
Art therapy began as a natural extension of Freud’s groundbreaking psychoanalytic theories at the turn of the last century. Psychiatrists discovered that visual arts could be used as a tool of assessment, and by the 1940s art was being used not only for assessment, but also in therapeutic applications (Junge, 2010). Two main branches evolved from these early years: art as therapy and art psychotherapy.
Trauma, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. In order to process and overcome a traumatic experience, most seek a therapist. This is especially true for individuals who have dealt with childhood sexual abuse. There are different types of therapy and therapists that exist that individuals go to. Art therapy is a kind of psychotherapy that uses art as it’s main technique of communications in order to improve the emotional and mental well being of the patients. It combines the areas of human development, visual art such as drawing, sculpture, painting and other kinds of art and the artistic process with counseling and psychotherapy.
Solso, Robert L. The Psychology of Art and the Evolution of the Concious Brain. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT P. 13-21.
Salmon, Mark. "Teaching Art and Art Therapy." Opportunities in Visual Arts Careers. Chicago: VGM Career, 2001. 102-12. Print.
Art had always been a big part of my life, so I feel that art is more than just an academic subject as it is a way of life that gives people an outlet to express themselves. Art allows us to express ourselves when words fall short while also giving us the ability to share a story without a single word being said. For centuries, people from all over the world have used art to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and actions throughout their lives, creating stories for others to observe, interpret, and make meaning of. Art not only encompasses expression, it also includes creative thinking, higher order thinking, and problem solving. Art stresses the importance of developing creative problem solving skills to express and learn about ourselves and the people around us.