When the word “therapy” strikes our thought it is directly linked to images of doctors, hospitals and medications; but has it ever crossed our minds that art in some cases is the best kind of therapy? Probably not, but don’t worry it’s not really our fault because the concept of art therapy is a relatively new discipline in the field.
The origins of using art in therapy can best be understood when considered in the context of the arts generally. Art is an indigenous feature of every society-the activity of painting is almost as ancient as man is, and has symbolized both personal and cultural aspects of development. However, when used in a therapeutic setting, art is not equally recognized as so. How can something this passionate with a history of its own, enter such a scientific and complicated domain?
“The process of art therapy is based on the recognition that man’s most fundamental thoughts and feelings, derived from the unconscious, reach expression in images rather than words”
As I mentioned earlier, therapy is directly linked to doctors and medications. Now the doctors part is true since there are specialized art therapists for different cases (physiological, nervous, mental etc.), but medications … that’s where the confusion starts. Art therapy was not founded to take the place of antibiotics and grant there effects, it is a psychological treatment more than a biological one. It serves as an opportunity for people who have forgotten to express their emotions or are stuck at a certain time and place because of an unfortunate event in their lives, and helps them overcome these obstacles through art.
Alright then, if it’s not an “official” form of medication but still considered as therapy, where is it performed? Art therapists work in their own departments, studios or on hospital wards as part of a multi-disciplinary team. They can work in a one-oo-one situation or in different types of groups using various techniques.
Overall, art therapy sessions are divided into two stages. The first involves a period of painting or other creative activities, during which there is a sense of isolation and alienation as the participant begins to think, self-reflect, and withdraw into himself. The second stage however, is a period of discussion, which tends to focus on the actual production of the art form, how it makes the client feel, how it reflects his feeling, and generally, how the process of creating an image relates to the individual’s situation.
Whether working with individuals or groups, art therapists are participants as well as observers in this therapeutic process. By working together and discussing the artwork produced in the sessions, the therapist must help the client make sense of his or her own painting. This does not imply direct analysis or interpretation but mutual suggestion and exploration.
Let's meet Becky!
Art Therapy for Sexually Abused Children
Traumatized children, and adults, get stuck in flight, fright, or chronic shutdown mode. Abused children have their own unique way of understanding, coping, and navigating through their physical and emotional world. In this case, Becky says the “Angry Monster” sometimes appears. She describes a big, tall, and hairy monster that pulls on an invisible rope attached to her chest and yanks out her anger, sadness, and rage. Becky reports having no control over what comes out. Nor does she have awareness of specific situations or events that make the monster appear. During these moments, Becky’s mother describes Becky “raging out” — crying and screaming uncontrollably and physically violent towards mom or grandmother for several hours, until she becomes tired.Most children and teenagers will recover from sexual abuse with a front line of support from family and the assistance of a mental health professional. The challenge of trauma treatment is not only dealing with the past, but enhancing the quality of day-to-day experiences. Regardless of age, if the aftermath of trauma is not worked through, it becomes the shadow, the self-destructive and possessive BFF that follows you into adulthood – never allowing you to truly feel alive.
After the experience of violence, feeling “comfortably” numb and disconnected protects survivors from pain and becomes their legs, helping them walk through the daily routine of life.
For instance, Becky lost the ability to identify even basic positive or negative emotions (e.g., happy, sad, or
angry). Becky is now 6 years old. Working to expand her emotional intelligence and “feelings” vocabulary was essential in the healing process. Understanding and expressing what she feels and how she feels it, has opened a pathway for gaining control and learning ways to cope when the memories of her past rush to the present.
After exactly 2.5 years of constant observation and creative therapy, Becky drew her final artwork with the title “The Angry Monster is on vacation in Miami.”
“Like other tools, art has the power to extend our capacities beyond those that nature has originally endowed us with. Art compensates us for certain inborn weaknesses, in this case of the mind rather than the body, weaknesses that can refer to as psychological frailties.”
(Click on the pictures for sources used)