Ptsd And Art Therapy

Revised Thesis Statement: Incorporating therapeutic art-based interventions effectively develops coping skills, self expression, open communication, and begins the healing process for children who have experienced

Session Objective: Address the member’s efforts to overpower thoughts and feelings pertaining to the trauma. As well, address indicator behaviors that include avoiding, conversations about the trauma or related topics, activities, places, or people that bring up trauma memories. The creative arts activity is find what specific symptom is most distressing for the specific group member and to draw out how they have managed when this symptom arises.

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.

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

Art therapy is a Multi-Functional Psychological therapy that helps the mental mind in connecting things that are disconnected like a patient with alzheimer's where the patient's medial temporal lobe that’s the part of the brain that controls memory. The medial temporal lobe is vital in the brain because that is where the brain recollects the memories and stores them. When you get older the lobe gets weaker in which causes it to disconnect thus causing “memory loss” or dementia. In art therapy we like to cause a visual reconnection of that nerve so in which a patient then can remember more but in a visual stance as in some people like to look at photographs to visually which allows memories to reconnect. These programs are put into place to help anyone with mental issues they are put in place just to help.

Art therapy proves that artistic creation facilitates healing for victims of trauma. Literature often covers the subjects of the Holocaust, Holocaust art, and psychological aspects of art creation. Although Holocaust survivors often create art representing their experiences, there is a lack of research and literature on the psychology of Holocaust survivor art. Works by Dorota Glowacka, Alyson Miller, and Joshua Francis Hirsch look at Holocaust memoir and film to trace relationships between the creators, the subject, and the audience. Stephen K. Levine and Ashley Warner look at suffering and self-psychology’s link to art while Ladislav Kesner argues for further of the neurological links between society and art creation. Eugen Koh and George

According to Cathy Malchiodi, an educator in the discipline, “Art therapy, an approach used in the treatment of trauma reactions, is often a primary form of therapy with children who are recovering from abuse, and neglect or are witnesses to family violence” (2). When these patients use art therapy to help them forget, the art that they create has their pain reflected onto it. When children were abused at some point in their life, they look at their abuser as a different person. They think of their abuser as a monster or a demonic-looking creature. When they draw their abuser, they draw a monster with sharp teeth or claws with piercing eyes. This is what the children, or adolescents, picture their attacker

harnessed by the art therapist to allow the client a creative outlet to express intense and changing

The use of art therapy after a disaster is an emerging approach to dealing with trauma. Disaster can result from natural events, manmade events, personal events, or a combination of any of these. Adults, families, and communities go through considerable suffering during disaster and deal with many trauma related symptoms and issues. Children experience trauma in dissimilar ways and are usually helped the least. Adult treatment procedures, in some respects, are similar to those for children. However, they have distinctions. Group therapy has been found beneficial for all survivors. Art therapy for adults,

Like the case example of Bridget in the article, “Art Therapy: A Proposal for Inclusion in School Settings” where she was assessed by the school art therapist, Marie learned to also use art to process her inner physical and emotional pain in an environment where she felt safe. Since the beginning of Marie’s assessment and interaction with the art therapist she began showing baby steps and signs of progress. With that being said, Marie’s trauma was so severe and had been going on for years, therefore it became clear that her need for continued art therapy was necessary and

In trauma therapy, we bear witness to the client’s trauma. Clients will share their story through play, art, narrative, answering questions about their art, and other integrative activities. I am often surprised at what is shared by the client when they do a calming activity such as painting. The client shared rich information. This is another area I am working on.

This technique could be extremely beneficial within the generalist social work practice, especially when helping child clients who are unable to express themselves thoroughly. Moreover, the use of art in order to understand interpersonal feelings can open a large array of new techniques that would help the client express his or her thoughts by using colors, sizes, and other objects. Additionally, this technique could help agencies identify problems within the household, such s abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Furthermore, the use of art could help identify many unrecognized diagnosis. Last but not least, this technique could be applied to both adults and children as a therapeutic way to relieve stress and engage in an active activity that could

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

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.

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