As the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT, 2020), states, the use of Art Therapy is a form of, “psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of expression and communication”. Therefore art is used as a medium for a client to express, process and integrate their emotions and feelings within a safe secure environment. It can help psychological, emotional and developmental wellbeing, as well as helping to improve confidence, self esteem, resilience and self awareness (Cohen-Yatziv & Regev, 2019).
It is accessible for any age, gender or ability and can be offered to individuals or as group work. Generally, Art Therapy sessions use a range of art materials, such as clay, paint, papers, card, sand, pencils, cloth materials, natural materials. Art utensils may be used such as paint brushes, but some clients might also use their hands with the art materials to create the artwork.
Art Therapy is facilitated by a qualified Art Therapist who has completed a recognised Masters qualification. They are also registered with the governmental body, Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) which is designed to protect the interests of the public when seeing a health practitioner (HCPC, 2020) and also with the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT, 2020).
Art Therapy Involves a therapeutic relationship rather than a teacher-student relationship and takes place in a confidential safe space rather than in a class setting. The art therapy goal is to use art to express their feelings and emotions, whereas an art class is about learning HOW to. There is no right or wrong way to use the materials in Art Therapy, whereas an art class certain techniques are likely to be recommended. Artwork in art therapy is reflected upon as a method of communication. In an art class, the art is usually evaluated for its formal qualities and based upon the principles and elements of design (Rogers, 2019).
The reasons someone is referred to Art Therapy may vary.
Some of the reasons maybe:
•when parents are going through divorce or separation and there are signs of changes in behaviour/distress
•following the death of a family member or a friend
•when there is knowledge or suspicion of some form of abuse or domestic violence
•when a child or young person is new to the school, area or country and is having difficulty settling in or integrating
•when a person is erratic or shows mood swings or signs of possible depression
•when there are identity issues i.e. gender, cultural
•if there are health or disability issues such as life limiting illnesses for the person or a family member
•when a person refuses to engage with specialist services but is willing to engage with an alternative provision.
Here are some benefits of art therapy:
The process of working with materials such as paint, oil pastels, clay and fabrics – and creating a final product – has amazing healing properties that help our young people:
•explore and share their emotions
•strengthen their sense of self
•manage stress
•work through their problems
•learn better coping skills
•uncover different aspects of their personalities
•boost self-esteem.
A particularly useful aspect of art therapy is the creation of images that represent the issue. Using this technique, individuals are guided to find shapes, colours, and words that describe problems that were unknown to them. Once these shapes are formed, open dialogue and reflecting on these artworks are encouraged so that new insights into the problem or illness can be gained.
For more insight into Art Therapy please watch the recordings below:
Art Therapy with Children & Young People
Please contact me for more information