Creative Art Therapy Analysis

It is easy to dismiss art therapy and to look upon it as a pleasant but unnecessary intervention for older adults because it is not perceived as a cure. Art therapy utilizes visual art making mediums such as painting, drawing, and sculpture (Malchiodi, 2011). The creative process of art making employs the ability of art to express thoughts and feelings in nonverbal communication. Its purpose is to maintain or improve mental and emotional well-being (Malchiodi, 2011). It is worth considering art therapy as a treatment option, aging can cause a significant amount of loss. Deteriorating physical health or decline in cognition, caring for a loved one who is suffering from Alzheimers, dementia or some other form of lost capabilities, loss of independence, social isolation, and grief caused by the death of spouse/partner, or friends are common events that older adults live with. This can affect a person's sense of well being and purpose in life which has been associated with negative effects on their physical health (Pinquart, 2002). Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety can increase in people 65 years old and older. Art therapy is particularly good at addressing mental health issues that affect a person's sense of wellbeing. A review of Outcome Studies (Slayton, D'Archer, & Kaplan, 2010) concluded that there is a pool of quantifiable data to support the claim that variety of symptoms, age groups, and disorders can be effectively treated with art therapy. Loss is

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.

What is art therapy and does it really work? When one thinks of a therapist and an artist you think of two

This research aims to explore how communicating lived experiences through an art-based intervention can affect PTSD symptomatology. This research seeks to better understand and extend previous art-based literature on veterans with PTSD. If occupational therapists are to utilize this intervention in treating veterans with PTSD research needs to be done on how veterans perceive this intervention when facilitated by an occupational therapist. How can OTs help veterans find meaning in their traumatic experiences through an art-based narrative

The video of “art can heal PTSD’s invisible wounds” produced by Melissa Walker informs the reader about PTSD and how people can get over the effects of their TBI through art.In November 2016, the T.E.D talk informed people about the mental and physical effects of PTSD.Melissa Walker had explained to the audience that she has seen many patients with PTSD or TBI and later went on to tell us about her grandfather who had PTSD after his time serving which is why she went to school to study psychology and got a degree for art therapy and a job at Walter Reed Hospital.Melissa had said that some would get over PTSD by painting,collage,sculptures,etc, but the most effective one was mask.They would make mask on how they felt or what they remembered

In addition, ART has an inherent advantage in that it is a short term but intense form of psychotherapy. In a military culture that puts a high value on self-reliance, it is unlikely that veterans would be receptive to long term psychotherapy because they would likely view their participation in a long-term therapy as a sign of weakness. They are much more likely to be receptive to an intense, short-term therapy because they would view it as a quick fix to a simple

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 are very effective treatments to help patients with PTSD such as art therapy provided by the Army’s MWR program. Art can help people express themselves and take their minds off negative energy. It is also a helpful way to relieve someone from depression, stress and anxiety by creating a calm, stress-free for victims of the disorder. There are programs such as the Exceptional Family Member Program, MEDCOM, and the American Art Therapy Program that provide these services.

A meta-analysis estimated that 23% of veterans of recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to the following diagnostic criteria: exposure to a traumatic event, re-experiencing traumatic material, hyperarousal, negative cognitions, and mood. Again, creative art therapies differ from other therapies by their experiential and nonverbal character. The characteristics for art therapy is the methodical use of art by means of drawing, painting, collage, and sculpting to shape and express feelings, thoughts, and memories. Art therapy is distinguished from other forms of treatment by active performing and experiencing with art materials, by the visual and concrete character of the process as well as by the result of art making. In clinical practice, art therapy is mostly applied in combination with trauma-focused psychotherapy such as EMDR, TF-CGT, Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy, and Narrative Exposure Therapy. By using Art therapy for PTSD, it enables the processing of traumatic experiences by accessing and integrating traumatic memories, and by communicating and documenting images of traumatic memories and through states that therapeutic art interventions provide the possibility to distance oneself from their emotion. In the Article The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in the Treatment of Traumatized Adults: A Systematic Review on Art Therapy and Trauma article by Karin Alice Schouten, Gerrit J. de Niet, Jeroen W. Knipscheer, Rolf J. Kleber, Giel J. M. Hutschemaekers was to identify and evaluate research on art therapy with traumatized adults. As a result of the systematic review, six controlled, comparative studies on art therapy for trauma in adult patients were found. In half of the included studies, a significant decrease in psychological trauma

2013). Ultimately, to ensure the provision of art-based therapies in mental health care are informed, evidence-based and embody the principles of clinical governance for safe and quality practice, the literature surrounding this issue must be appraised through a critique and synthesis

Childhood trauma appears to be a critical factor with association to serious disorders in childhood and adulthood. The DSM-V TR primarily categorizes most traumatic experiences under the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Knowledge about, the cause, development, and effects of, traumatic stress aids in the beginning steps of the assessment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the appropriate treatments for recovery. Art Therapy, used within the groundwork of Herman’s Three Stage Model for Recovery, can serve as an effective treatment method to aid the recovery of those who have suffered from PTSD.

In this section of lectures in Introduction to CHHS, Health Care and Rehabilitation were the main topics that were discussed as well as different organizations that worked in this specific section of health and human services. The lectures included: “Psychiatric Nursing”, “Crisis Intervention”, “Medical Yoga Therapy”, “Art Therapy”, “Therapeutic Animals.” Although this may not have been my favorite section overall, this segment did include my new favorite lecture, Art Therapy. A few new terms that were introduced to me during these lectures were: the occupation of an Art therapist, the art spectrum, the domination versus partnership system for collaboration, the BPS pentagon, and the concept that yoga medicine is not the same as a yoga class,

However, art therapy is typically the most in psychiatric wards, either individually or in groups. It is currently emerging is family art therapy, and used a lot in the education system, focusing on children who are learning disabled, mentally challenged, emotionally disturbed, socially disadvantaged. According to the AATA, art therapy is practiced in mental health, rehabilitation, medical, educational, forensic, wellness, private practice and community settings. Within these settings, art therapy can be applied to an extremely diverse client population in individual, couples, family, and group therapy formats. Art therapy is an effective treatment for people experiencing developmental, medical, educational, and social or psychological impairment. Other individuals who benefit from art therapy include those who have survived trauma resulting from combat, abuse, and natural disaster, along with individuals who have adverse physical health conditions such as cancer, traumatic brain injury, and other health disability, and finally individuals with autism, dementia, depression, and other disorders. Art therapy helps people resolve conflicts, improve interpersonal skills, manage maladaptive behaviors, reduce negative stress, and achieve personal insight. (AATA, 2013) No matter how it is used, all good art therapy leads to both education and growth. It can be beneficial

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

Before we can understand what expressive art therapy is, however, an understanding of terms, like imagination and creativity, is necessary. There is a lack of consensus about how imagination and creativity are defined and who is capable of it. In therapeutic contexts, the essence of imagination is the substance of dreams. Dreams, however, are not just images. In dreams, sounds, rhythms, acts, etc. can be perceived in a sensory or experiential way (Levine & Levine, 2004). Creativity springs from imagination and is understood in terms of its qualities and characteristics: spontaneity, playfulness, motivation, originality, self-expression, inventiveness, divergent thinking, and intuition. Creativity pushes limits, breaks down barriers, and