Table of contents:
- In this article, I would like to talk about art therapy. For me, this direction is the most effective and productive in psychology. He has no contraindications and age restrictions. Art therapy techniques are for everyone
- Why do I think so?
- What is the essence of art therapy?
- When is it worth going to art therapy?
- What forms of art therapy are there? How does it go?
- Art therapy tools
Video: 13 Art Therapy Tools. Which One Is Right For You? - Self-development
In this article, I would like to talk about art therapy. For me, this direction is the most effective and productive in psychology. He has no contraindications and age restrictions. Art therapy techniques are for everyone
Why do I think so?
For the first time, the term "art therapy" was proposed by the artist Adrian Hill. In 1938, in describing his work with patients with tuberculosis, he used this word and noted that "art classes have significantly improved the condition of patients."
Art therapy is not art, it is available to absolutely anyone. No special creative, artistic skills required. Art therapy was created for the free self-expression of a person
Its purpose is to help a person express their feelings, emotions, states through creativity, when it is difficult or impossible to do this with words. Therefore, there is no place for value judgments in art therapy. First of all, this is an expressive creative process.
What is the essence of art therapy?
Its essence lies in the creative potential of the person himself. In the process, he becomes liberated, becomes freer than in everyday life. He conveys his feelings at an unconscious level through color, plastic forms, movements, music, sounds, images and symbols.
Plunging into the therapeutic art space, a person can more freely express their feelings, emotions and states. In the process, you can try to engage in different creative directions: photography, theatrical performances, visual arts, literary creativity, dance, music, and so on
At the very beginning, art therapy meant working with drawing, but over time it began to develop, a lot of techniques, techniques and approaches appeared. But, as before, it is based on human creativity.
When is it worth going to art therapy?
Art therapy is suitable for everyone and has no contraindications. With a professional approach, it shows excellent results.
Main indications:
- severe stress;
- age crises;
- existential crisis;
- emotional instability, impulsivity;
- apathy;
- depression;
- increased anxiety;
- psychological trauma;
- panic attacks;
- phobias;
- rejection and denial of one's "I";
- complexes;
- low self-esteem;
- intrapersonal conflict and interpersonal conflicts;
- delay in mental, speech development in children;
- autism;
- hyperactivity;
- violation of communicative qualities;
- dementia.
It is also great for people who want to develop their personal potential through creativity.
What forms of art therapy are there? How does it go?
This method has several basic forms of work: individual, children's, family and group.
Group lessons are conducted in two formats:
- closed (the composition of participants does not change throughout the entire period);
- open (it is always possible to admit new members to the group at any stage of therapy).
Individual therapy - client and therapist work one-on-one.
Children's art therapy is carried out individually (with the permission of the parent) and in groups. It has many different forms: sand, dance and movement, play, spontaneous movement, fairy tale therapy, color therapy.
Family art therapy - therapy with all family members at once or their gradual introduction. It consists of several techniques: collage, modeling, fairy tale therapy, drawing, sand therapy, and so on. Family members learn to hear, listen and understand each other, share feelings and thoughts.
Art therapy tools
1. Phototherapy
It is used in the therapy of personal growth, internal stiffness. The work uses photographs of the client. He (within the framework of individual therapy or in group therapy) can take pictures, make collages from different photographs.
2. Collage
Collage therapy. In this way, you can both influence traumatic situations from the past, and work with anxiety, apathy, and impaired communication skills.
3. Music therapy
You can listen to music, play independently melodies and sounds, reflecting mood, emotions, on various musical instruments. It can be someone else's work, your own or improvisation.
4. Isotherapy
It uses paints and brushes, crayons, pastels, pencils, markers, felt-tip pens or your own fingers. Someone prefers to sketch, copy images, someone creates their own work.
5. Tissue therapy
Creation of a composition using fragments of different fabrics (cotton, silk, linen, satin, corduroy).
6. Mandalotherapy
Mandalas are special geometric shapes that can be colored, drawn from memory, weaved, sprinkled with sand. You can use prepared images or come up with your own.
7. Sand therapy
The therapist uses a special sandbox and sand (you can add different figures to the work). Different subjects, images, mandalas or whole compositions (works of art) are created from sand. In such a "psychological sandbox" you can play and work on different stories.
8. Film therapy
Watching films and videos, discussing what he saw with the therapist. Thus, many values are rethought.
9. Bibliotherapy
Working with texts often helps to look at situations from one's own life from a different angle, to analyze the feelings and emotions of the heroes of popular books.
10. MAC-therapy
Working with metaphorical associative cards.
11. Testoplasty
Manipulation with different plastic masses: plasticine, clay, dough.
12. Fairytale therapy
In her work, an art therapist analyzes fairy tales, epics, legends. You can use other people's works or compose your own.
13. Mask therapy
A person creates a mask and comes up with a name for it. It can be made from absolutely any materials at hand.
