Art Therapy
Written by: Akhila Mohan
Edited by: Ritika Rana
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” ~ Thomas Merton
Art therapy is a method of incorporating creative methods of expression through visual art media. Art therapy as a creative art originated in the field of art and psychotherapy.
There are three main ways in which art therapy can be employed:
Analytic art therapy that includes theories from analytical psychology and psychoanalysis. It is the transfer of ideas from both client and the therapist.
Art psychotherapy that focuses more on the psychotherapist and their analysis of their client verbally.
Art as therapy, they stress on the creation process of the art.
Art therapy generally is used to help improve cognitive and sensory-motor functions, self-esteem, self-awareness and emotional resilience. It also helps resolve conflicts and stress.
The purpose of art therapy is healing, it can be used by people who have physical and emotional problems or any other diseases or disorders. Any type of art medium or visual art can be employed in the therapeutic process, including painting, drawing, sculpting, photography and digital art. It may also include creative exercises like drawing and painting an emotion. It has also been used in schools so that children can invest their time expressing their emotions in the form of art. Art is a form of spiritual connection that we have with ourselves, and expressing them will let us know more about our inner self. Whether it be making Madala in a paper to leaving a blank page, everything has its meaning, as it defines our self. Therefore practising art can help us cope with difficulties and makes us spiritually intact.
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