21 Sep What are the Benefits of Art Therapy ?
Art therapy can be described as a subcategory of psychotherapy in which art-related exercises are used as vehicles of expression. It harnesses the processes of the artistic mind to assist people with their emotional, psychological, and sometimes physical difficulties.
This type of creative art and artistic expression, which takes place under the guidance of an art therapist, is based on the idea that art and creativity contribute to psychological health and facilitate nonverbal communication. What’s art therapy, and how can it help you boost your overall lifestyle? Read on to learn how art therapy can be helpful, including its effect on mental health issues, mood modulation, and health overall.
Understanding Art Therapy
Art therapy can be described as using art materials and image-making for the participant’s physical and psychological benefit. It differs from conventional talk therapy because it offers the subject a physical form of expression, which can be more effective at conveying emotions, thoughts, and experiences than words. Art therapy is a creative activity involving drawing, painting, sculptures, and collage. It is done under the supervision of an art therapist.
Art therapy involves the process of understanding that through art creation, one can transform, learn, and gain strength. Art therapy is beneficial because artistic efforts enable a person to discover facets of their personality or things in their past that they want to evade but could otherwise ignore in everyday life. Art can give people an understanding of their thoughts, actions, and feelings and help them become more aware of themselves and their emotional states.
Art can be constructive for children, patients with developmental disorders, and trauma victims, as the main focus is not on words. More often, it is used to treat several mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and stress. Discussing something using symbols can be easier than talking to another person directly when feeling uncomfortable about the issue.
5 Merits of Practicing Art Therapy
The most important benefits of art therapy are reducing conflict and distress and helping build emotional resistance. Art therapy is precious and has many benefits; here are a few.
Outward displays and vents out emotions
A key advantage of art therapy is that it enables individuals to express their feelings harmlessly and productively. This is often so because many people, including those who have problems with speaking, or have difficulty expressing emotions using words.
Art can be used in many ways to create ideas, continue things, and give people another way to communicate if language is limited. Art has therapeutic values and is widely used because, by engaging in any form of art, people can express feelings they cannot easily express verbally.
Decreases stress and anxiety
Art therapy is utilized for one of its most significant advantages – it helps reduce aggression and is beneficial for those who have high levels of stress or anxiety. Participation in creative activities reduces cortisol levels, the stress hormone in the human body.
Artistic creation also distracts the person’s mind from things that may cause anxiety and redirects it to the present situation, giving temporary relief from such thoughts. In addition, the repetitive motion of some types of artwork, such as coloring, sculpting, or painting, can help quiet the mind and decrease feelings of anxiety.
Increases in self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-concept
Another benefit of art therapy is self-esteem and self-awareness. This is true because people feel proud and valued when they develop something with their hands.
This can be particularly appealing for people who feel helpless or have low self-esteem in other aspects of life. Art as a process can help people regain a certain amount of control over their lives, a sense of purpose, and pride in their skills. Furthermore, the procedure of creating art helps to develop the idea of self-analysis and self-searching. Art can help individuals understand themselves better by identifying patterns of thinking.
Cognitive and psychological recovery from traumatic experiences
Art therapy has become quite popular in the treatment of traumatized individuals due to its effectiveness in working with things that have been spoken into existence. In simple terms, for many, it can be problematic to verbalize the traumatic memories as they may feel too overwhelming or unsafe.
However, art helps address people’s trauma in a way that allows them to go through the process gradually without feeling like they have been put through torment again. Since it is safe to paint in a therapeutic setting, a person can symbolize their traumatic experience without having to relive those experiences.
Mental and motor skills acquisition
Art therapy is also helpful in cognitive and motor areas, especially in children and patients with developmental or neurological disorders.
Fine motor skills are used in art through drawing, painting, and sculpture. Art therapy can benefit people who have experienced a stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or other neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s. It may facilitate the recovery of hand-eye coordination and the muscles in their hands and fingers and increase their fine motor control.
Conclusion
Art therapy has several advantages, including exploring the self, mitigating stressful situations, preventing and treating traumas, and development in children. This is largely because it is an art and does not include spoken language, which may be limited or difficult for some.
For those individuals being treated or receiving art therapy as the only face-to-face therapy, it can be an help bring about rich and positive change in people.
Consider reaching out to Nina Yashin for art therapy. Nina Yashin also offers child therapy, couples and relationship therapy, CBT, trauma and PTSD treatment, etc. They offer affordable therapy in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and PA Mainline.
For more information on Art Therapy:
- https://arttherapy.org/what-is-art-therapy/
- https://www.psychology.org/resources/what-is-art-therapy/
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Last Updated on October 7, 2024 by Marie Benz MD FAAD