What is Art Therapy?
''Creative arts therapy is an experiential psychotherapeutic approach utilising arts modalities within a relationship with a trained therapist, attending to emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual well-being'' (ANZACATA, 2019)
The creative arts is a natural aspect of all cultures and human interactions. Art's function in the human experience helps articulate events, stories and personal history through images and other creative practices such as music, dance, theatre, and emerging multimedia experiences.
As children we have all learned to make marks on paper, in the dirt; we were born to be creative! Some of these expressive skills have become advanced in some and in others have been stifled or suppressed over time. Art therapy helps tap into those early emotional, cognitive, physical, psychological and spiritual urges to create! It aligns well with indigenous models of health and well-being and can be done safely within a group context.
Art therapy can be used in a range of different settings and is used for different purposes. Art therapy can be used as a way to elicit visual, physical and emotional artifacts from the memory. These can be traumatic experiences or happy childhood memories; art has the potential to draw to the surface such experiences. With the help of a trained art therapist one can regulate the exposure to these events providing a safe way of looking back without retraumatizing the individual.
Art therapy offers a therapeutic opportunity to use a non-verbal language and other communication modalities. It helps the participant to create a visual vocabulary using signs, symbols, gestures, and mark making. Art therapy offers cognitive and emotional self regulation. It has the potential to explore the subconscious and unconscious mind, and has the ability to reframe overwhelming and traumatizing life experiences without having to verbally express what happened; sometimes the image is enough.
Art therapy can be used as a Skills and Strength Based Therapeutic Approach. Making art objects increases cognitive function, uses fine motor skills, helps organize thoughts, transforms ideas into realities, and builds self-esteem and creativity.
Making art has the potential to engage others from outside one's immediate environment, that is to a broader community i.e participation in art related activities such as art workshops, art exhibitions, festivals etc.
So the Great news is, you don't have to be an artist or be creative to experience and enjoy art therapy!
To find out more about how art can enhance your life contact us!
The creative arts is a natural aspect of all cultures and human interactions. Art's function in the human experience helps articulate events, stories and personal history through images and other creative practices such as music, dance, theatre, and emerging multimedia experiences.
As children we have all learned to make marks on paper, in the dirt; we were born to be creative! Some of these expressive skills have become advanced in some and in others have been stifled or suppressed over time. Art therapy helps tap into those early emotional, cognitive, physical, psychological and spiritual urges to create! It aligns well with indigenous models of health and well-being and can be done safely within a group context.
Art therapy can be used in a range of different settings and is used for different purposes. Art therapy can be used as a way to elicit visual, physical and emotional artifacts from the memory. These can be traumatic experiences or happy childhood memories; art has the potential to draw to the surface such experiences. With the help of a trained art therapist one can regulate the exposure to these events providing a safe way of looking back without retraumatizing the individual.
Art therapy offers a therapeutic opportunity to use a non-verbal language and other communication modalities. It helps the participant to create a visual vocabulary using signs, symbols, gestures, and mark making. Art therapy offers cognitive and emotional self regulation. It has the potential to explore the subconscious and unconscious mind, and has the ability to reframe overwhelming and traumatizing life experiences without having to verbally express what happened; sometimes the image is enough.
Art therapy can be used as a Skills and Strength Based Therapeutic Approach. Making art objects increases cognitive function, uses fine motor skills, helps organize thoughts, transforms ideas into realities, and builds self-esteem and creativity.
Making art has the potential to engage others from outside one's immediate environment, that is to a broader community i.e participation in art related activities such as art workshops, art exhibitions, festivals etc.
So the Great news is, you don't have to be an artist or be creative to experience and enjoy art therapy!
To find out more about how art can enhance your life contact us!
