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Art Therapy

The American society has embraced the concept of therapy as a means to support people

with mental health concerns. One type of therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The

main goal of this short-term psychotherapy treatment is to improve ones thoughts to be more

positive about life and be free from uncooperative behavioral patterns (In-Depth: Cognitive

Behavioral Therapy). In this type of counseling, the client sets goals with a therapist and may

carry out tasks to accomplish those goals in between sessions. A course of CBT treatment usually

involves about 6 to 15 sessions, which lasts an hour each. Another effective therapy is drug

therapy, also known as pharmacotherapy, which is a general term for using medication to treat

disease (Pharmacotherapy). Drugs connect with receptors or enzymes in cells to build up

healthy functioning and lower or even eliminate the symptoms of the illness itself. Medications

are strongly researched and approved before prescribed to patients, but may have unanticipated

effects when combined with certain foods, various remedies or other drugs, (Drug Therapy

What Is It?). Although these kinds of therapies may be remarkably effective, none of them guide

patients to find healing through their expressive sides like art therapy. People of all ages may

benefit from art therapy as it involves talking therapy, but also creative expression, which

enhances healing and coping.

Whether it is painting, drawing, singing, dancing, or sculpting, as children, people

naturally love art and may learn valuable lessons through the creation of any kind. Generating

pictures is an adequate way for children to make endless choices and solve diverse problems.

Every action children make involves careful deliberation. For example, deciding which color to

use, what size to make, or how to construct the lines are samples of such deliberation. Most

adults do not understand the role of art as helping to mold and strengthen a childs brain.
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Exposure to art at a young age may affect other aspects of a childs learning stretch as

well. Reading and writing are sampled throughout the many arts. If children are introduced to art,

their cognitive skills mature, and they increase their likelihood of developing their minds

successfully. Their cognitive skills must mature so both hemispheres of the brain work together.

The left hemisphere consists of math, reading and science, whereas the right hemisphere focuses

on emotional perception and creativity (Purch). Unfortunately, schools neglect to focus on

training the right part of the brain. Without stimulating the right hemisphere, art is unable to

strengthen the connection among math, reading, and science with emotional perception and

creativity. Therefore, the brain will fail to develop properly. In school, art is immensely

underappreciated as a cognitive tool. Only one art credit is required to graduate from high

school, as much of the academic focus is on core courses. The arts impact students incredibly.

Each art class is mind-opening, as it engages individuals to think creatively and show their own

perspectives. Everyone has his or her own distinct imagination, which is beneficial to each

person due to the countless different expressions, which may be found in just one piece of

artwork. Through artistic expression, children can develop endless abstract ideas. With such

potential for self expression, art therapy becomes an inspiring, therapeutic technique to help

patients communicate ideas, feelings, and solutions in a way that may be slightly more helpful

than talking about problems or writing them down.

Psychologists found that art therapy helps and relaxes children with mental health

disorders. Some children use art as a way to de-stress and build their self esteem. Post Traumatic

Stress Disorder, by definition, is a disorder characterized by failure to recover after

experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Art therapy

brings out ones feelings from the past experience that may have caused PTSD. Furthermore, the
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most common diagnosis for needing art therapy is depression. For a therapist to deduce what

bothers the patient, or causes depression, the therapist has the patient look at pictures and

subconsciously describe the image he or she sees, then recreate them. The patient also relieves

anger by drawing freely, and expressing himself or herself rather than harming others, or him or

herself. Additionally, children with learning disorders tend to relax when producing art because

there is no pressure and they work at their own pace. The client enjoys creating their own special

artwork without loads of stress. Colorful and clustered are two adjectives used to describe the

artwork made by children with learning disorders. It appears this way due to the fact that their

mind is unbalanced (Debenham). Art therapy is also an outlet for kids with autism to speak in

other ways. This type of therapy helps the autistic children express their feelings, which often,

they cannot express vocally. Children are often highly visual thinkers, and many report that they

think in pictures (Lacour). Therefore art therapy is extremely effective for all types of

children.

For both children and adults, there are copious benefits to using art as a therapy. This

stress reducing technique not only relaxes the patient, but it also builds confidence, considering

the endless ways to create art. Another use gaining popularity is using art therapy aiding in the

recovery of eating disorders. The ease of communicating deep issues non-verbally allows the

individuals in overcoming these types of disorders through art. In several cases, people use food

restriction as a way to gain control and distract attention from a much deeper problem in their

lives. The issues are most likely difficult to deal with and the utilization of art, pictures, and

movement, may provide needed awareness or relief. This awareness works as the therapist

interprets the creations the patient draws. When interpreting the patient's art work, the therapists

look for numerous aspects. Not only should one look at the symbolism in the drawing or
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painting, but also the objects that people omit from the artwork. The position of each piece of art

will also provide insight. Art therapy allows individuals to play a vital role in recovery and track

their progress. Additionally, this form of treatment helps to build a more aware and healthy

relationship between the individual and his or her body. An individual acts in this way due to a

technique called Body Image Tracing, which is when a patient compares the outline of how they

perceive their body to the actual outline of their body, (Art Therapy). Through body image

tracing, children learn to identify the feelings in their bodies with concrete drawings.

Even if people do not have knowledge, or even a perception of artistic talent on the

subject, art therapy benefits anyone willing to create art. For example, a 2009 study of prison

inmates assembled by David Gussak discovered that art therapy showed moods boosting within

prison inmates. David Gussak is a professor and the Chairperson for The Florida State

University Department of Art Education, and is the Clinical Coordinator for its Graduate Art

Therapy Program (Psychology Today). Convicts experience a loss of control in which they

feel as if they do not manage their own lives. Eventually, a higher instance of depression and

overall poor mood develops. (The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Reducing Depression in

Prison Populations). David Gussak proved art therapy helped inmates shift their loss of control

to feel empowered. This feeling of power led to improvement of moods and the associated

depression within the inmates. Gussak also found that female inmates, rather than male inmates,

experienced better moods after art therapy.

With more validation, art therapy is becoming a more common procedure for helping

people escape their mental health issues. Although people may prefer a distinct artistic mode,

there are innumerable techniques to benefit a wide variety. One method is creating a family

sculpture, typically using clay as a material considering the malleability of clay, which is calming
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(Mason). The figures do not necessarily have to look like the members, but only represent them.

This method is usually used for a person who experienced a traumatic event and they sculpt the

members who were involved to represent safety. Another technique frequently utilized is making

a collage. The elderly in group homes often make collages to help put their minds at ease. Oil

pastel collages create a sensory experience. By using fingers instead of a brush, the feeling of the

oil pastel soothes the patients. People also cut out pictures from magazines to create a collage.

Collecting and arranging pictures relaxes people with obsessive-compulsive disorder because

they may design and place the pictures wherever they want to. Collage making is a significant

activity because it may feel less threatening to clients, like drawing or painting might be. People

may think they are not good enough to paint something because they have little to no

experience, or do not know where to start. Organizing pictures together is a great way for clients

to express what they want to say through similar images (Collage Art Therapy (Part 1)).

Much like collages, another technique people find therapeutic is creating a postcard that

the patient does not intend to send. Whether it is a love note to someone the patient is not ready

to confess feelings to, or an angry rant that is better left unsaid, sometimes specifying all the

details helps deflate the issue at hand. The process of writing the text helps the patient let go

what has been held in. Also, designing and making the visual aspects is relaxing and stress-

reducing, much like most other forms of art. This process also allows the client to activate

different parts of the brain while unwinding, similar to the wonderful feeling when coloring in a

coloring book. Once the postcard or letter is signed and sealed, clients crumble it up and throw it

in the trash (Postcard Activity (Worksheet)). The client will find the message now worthless,

because the pain or emotions they held in dissipated.

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Sometimes, a client may feel self-conscious about their artwork, which is perfectly fine.

The counselor may suggest drawing in the dark for stress relief. Of course, one has the freedom

to draw anything he or she wants. Once the lights turn back on, the creation becomes secondary

to the stress relief of creating the artwork in the first place. Typically, when the therapist turns off

the lights, the therapist begins to tell a story. While the therapist and patient are listening, the

patient will draw what he or she thinks of. When finished, the therapist will ask questions, such

as Do things always turn out the way we plan? What coping skills can we use to overcome the

frustration you may feel when things dont turn out the way we plan? (Recreation Therapy

Ideas). The therapist and client also talk about the frustration of drawing in the dark. While

illustrating in the dark, art does not always turn out the way people plan, and this technique helps

the client learn that.

Furthermore, art therapy can distract a person from his or her problems, while also

exploring his or her subconscious feelings. Additionally, translating their problems in a creative

way can help them to understand their own emotions, learning important lessons about fostering

their self-awareness. Creating artwork improves self observation and social skills. What cannot

be said with words is easily expressed through art. The innovative therapy encourages the

discovery of unknown emotions, helping one overcome their darkest feelings and letting them

creatively express themselves. Art therapy allows one to feel in control of his or her process,

since he or she chose the image he or she created. Counselors having patients draw an image of

how they feel inside, divulges additional information not available to the person cognitively. The

stress from ones problems as well as the problems themselves is relieved through art therapy.

Much like yoga, or even meditation, art helps one overcome issues and flaws. While it is already

immensely enjoyable, art therapy has numerous benefits.

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Works Cited

Art Therapy. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Dec. 2016,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_therapy.

Art Therapy and Learning Disabilities. Art Therapy and Learning Disabilities, Lucy

Debenham, 27 Oct. 2015, www.aboutlearningdisabilities.co.uk/art-therapy-learning-

disabilities.html.

Drug Therapy What Is It? CRC Health Group, 2015, www.crchealth.com/types-of-

therapy/what-is-drug-therapy/.
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Gussak, D. The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Reducing Depression in Prison Populations.

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, vol. 51,

no. 4, Jan. 2007, pp. 444460. doi:10.1177/0306624x06294137.

In-Depth: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Psych Central, 17 July 2016,

psychcentral.com/lib/in-depth-cognitive-behavioral-therapy/.

Mehlomakulu, Carolyn, et al. Collage Art Therapy (Part 1). Creativity in Therapy, 12 Aug.

2016, creativityintherapy.com/2012/07/collage-art-therapy-part-1/.

Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug

Therapy.Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug

Therapy - Wiley Online Library, 2015, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/

(ISSN)1875-9114.

Postcard Art Activity (Worksheet). Therapist Aid, 2012, www.therapistaid.com/therapy-

worksheet/postcard-art-activity.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Anxiety and Depression Association of America,

ADAA, 2016, www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-

ptsd.

Psychodrama: Family Sculpting. Bill Mason, MA, LPCC, Psychodrama. GoodTherapy.org

Therapy Blog, 16 Mar. 2015, www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychodrama-family-

sculpting/.

Psychology Today. David Gussak Ph.D., ATR-BC | Psychology Today,

www.psychologytoday.com/experts/david-gussak-phd-atr-bc.

Recreation Therapy Treatment Ideas and Protocols. Recreation Therapy Treatment Ideas and

Protocols, 2015, www.recreationtherapy.com/tx/txtx.htm.

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The Value of Art Therapy for Those on the Autism Spectrum. The Art of Autism, 20 Dec.

2015, the-art-of-autism.com/the-value-of-art-therapy-for-those-on-the-autism-

spectrum/.

What's the Difference Between the Right Brain and Left Brain? LiveScience, Purch, 2016,

www.livescience.com/32935-whats-the-difference-between-the-right-brain-and-

left-brain.html.