Expressive Art Therapy
Expressive art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of communication.
As an expressive medium, art can be used to help clients communicate, overcome stress, and explore different aspects of their own personalities. In psychology, the use of artistic methods to treat psychological disorders and enhance mental health is known as art therapy. This integrates psychotherapeutic techniques with the creative process to improve mental health and well-being.
The American Art Therapy Association describes art therapy as "a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight."
Even the oldest of civilisations made carvings and paintings on cave walls. Those depictions already had the implication of art being used for expressing, self-healing, and communicating. The more advanced and defined terminology of 'art therapy' was coined quite recently to meet the explanatory needs for this field of psychology.
Art is therapeutic in everyday life, especially with the growing expansion of the meaning of 'art' to include almost every possible activity. Art can be anything and everything. Having worked in the area for many years has made me understand the meaning of art in everyday life in an Indian setting.
We hear terms like 'art of cooking', 'art of decorating', 'art of playing', etc. But does anyone realise: a woman cutting vegetables in a manner that brings her a sense of achievement is therapeutic? Cutting vegetables thus becomes an art, while also being healing. The work being done is done in such a manner that it brings some kind of psychological benefit to the doer.
There is a growing importance of the principle of positive psychology; focusing not only on the elimination of negative psychological aspects, but also the enhancement of positive ones in a person. Similarly, art therapy not only focuses on the elimination of psychological distress (by using it as therapy for various psychological disorders), but also to cultivate a sense of harmony, self-realisation, and understanding, along with overall enhancement of a person.
As an expressive medium, art can be used to help clients communicate, overcome stress, and explore different aspects of their own personalities. In psychology, the use of artistic methods to treat psychological disorders and enhance mental health is known as art therapy. This integrates psychotherapeutic techniques with the creative process to improve mental health and well-being.
The American Art Therapy Association describes art therapy as "a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight."
Even the oldest of civilisations made carvings and paintings on cave walls. Those depictions already had the implication of art being used for expressing, self-healing, and communicating. The more advanced and defined terminology of 'art therapy' was coined quite recently to meet the explanatory needs for this field of psychology.
Art is therapeutic in everyday life, especially with the growing expansion of the meaning of 'art' to include almost every possible activity. Art can be anything and everything. Having worked in the area for many years has made me understand the meaning of art in everyday life in an Indian setting.
We hear terms like 'art of cooking', 'art of decorating', 'art of playing', etc. But does anyone realise: a woman cutting vegetables in a manner that brings her a sense of achievement is therapeutic? Cutting vegetables thus becomes an art, while also being healing. The work being done is done in such a manner that it brings some kind of psychological benefit to the doer.
There is a growing importance of the principle of positive psychology; focusing not only on the elimination of negative psychological aspects, but also the enhancement of positive ones in a person. Similarly, art therapy not only focuses on the elimination of psychological distress (by using it as therapy for various psychological disorders), but also to cultivate a sense of harmony, self-realisation, and understanding, along with overall enhancement of a person.
