Art-Based Interventions

The consensus regarding art is art is for artists, or it’s merely a hobby. But, what if art could alleviate symptoms of depression, or help those with PTSD? All of us has had to deal with some form of psychological issues in our lives. Whether causation of the problem is stress from work, caring for children or parents, cognitive decline, illness, depression, death, trauma or violent crime, these issues have affected us all. “… art can engage the mind and emotions more effectively than other forms of therapy” (Habib & Ali, 9). Society should implement art therapy in conjunction with traditional treatments in the above mentioned psychological issues and instances of nonverbal or closed-off patients.

a child 's physical and mental well-being. One may still be wondering “what is art therapy?” to answer that

Art as a therapeutic method was my primary focus throughout the psychology program at Ryerson University. I am familiar with much research regarding art therapy for mental disorders such as depression

Lefèvre, Ledoux and Filbet (2015) researched the painting therapy not only importing the mental state such as sadness, anxiety and depression. Also, it can enhance

Fard, Farah Joan. "The expanding reach of art therapy: though it's a relatively new approach to mental health treatment, art therapy is gaining traction and making a difference in people's lives." Art Business News, Winter 2015, p. 34+. Fine Arts and Music Collection, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=PPFA&sw=w&u=hillsbor&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA436797590&it=r&asid=1bc151430b53c85d758e9329f6ecf46a. Accessed 22 Nov. 2017.

There has been a growing number of positive feedback following ART intervention being reported. However , most include a multi-modal treatment approach.

For example children have much better results when they are doing art rather than sitting there and having their brain picked. This gives them something else to think about therefore it is easier for them to talk without compressing all their memories. The methods used in the study fall under cognitive theory technique. Art is a distraction and it helps to distract the patient while talking about the stressful subject. In the case it is part group therapy however this is zoomed into on one subject and when the other children in the group are mentioned they are trying to get away from her messy painting.

Art therapy as an intervention For the purpose of developing a therapeutic intervention we will suppose that a preadolescent child with similar adverse experiences in reffered for art therapy in a school setting due to heightened social anxiety and poor peer relations. Art therapy is appropriate for children who are socially anxious as they often have trouble communicating their emotions verbally. the presence of art between the therapist and client allows for non-verbal communication.

Self-esteem and self-identity. Mary struggles with difficult emotions such as anger, rejection and abandonment. Mary’s anger towards her birth mother have contributed to acting out, engaging in negative behaviours, and seeking out unhealthy friendships. Expressive arts therapy could be helpful in aiding Mary with self-esteem and self-identity issues. A combination of verbal and art based mediums such as writing and painting could help Mary tap into

perception, world view and perception of others, and is hypothesized to reduce emotional numbing and avoidance.

Similarly, we are well known with the fact that art therapy has a remarkable benefits. It also can distract people from pain and illness. According to the article "Art therapy with adolescent", understanding adolescent is a challenge. Tennegers are very sensative so instead of confessing they put themself in a emotional risk. Therefore, science has invented an art therapy to such childrens who are very poor at expressing themself. They join art therapy, draw/paint their thoughts and express their feelings and their problems through their art. The picture shown is drawn by a teenage boy who is mentally disturbed by his alcholoic mother. He had tired to reflect how he sees to faces his mother through the picture. The 2 masks represent the 2

The use of art therapy in the mental health setting has received mixed acclaim due to inconsistencies in the evidence supporting its efficacy

Art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. A goal in art therapy is to improve or restore a client’s functioning and his or her sense of personal well-being.

Expressive arts therapy is the use of art modalities, creative process, and aesthetic experience in a therapeutic context. It is a therapy of the imagination (McNiff, 1992). Effective communication is an essential element in therapeutic relationships and, although verbal language is the most conventional means of conveying information, other forms can convey just as much as words. The arts are an alternative form of communication that has recently received recognition for their value in therapeutic settings. There is a long well-established connection between the arts and psychology. Expressive arts therapy builds on a natural, complimentary relationship between the two disciplines. As a formal therapy, this form is relatively new with its

Almost every theoretical orientation has adapted the use and techniques of expressive arts therapy in some way. Humanistic psychology, for example, emphasizes the importance of play, creativity, and spontaneity. The creative process is intrinsic to self-actualization. Self-actualization makes life more meaningful and enhances abilities,