What Makes Art Therapy Unique?

Art therapy is a form of expression for people to express themselves through their creations, especially at times when they don’t wish to speak, or when they feel like words are inadequate for them to express the feelings they have inside. Not many are willing to explicitly describe how they feel inside when they are not in the best moods, neither is it easy for them to adequately express what they feel inside sometimes.

It is as if they are constantly going through the “I don’t want to talk” phase. This sometimes makes traditional talk therapy difficult for both the therapist and patient in moving forward in the patient’s recovery process. Thus, art therapy can be crucial as it is a form of psychotherapy that benefits patients in the best way possible, be it through paintings, drawings, colorings or any other forms of art.

Art therapists are trained to judge based on the works of their patients to dive deeper into what their patients are trying to convey through their art work. From these art works, therapists can consciously draw more information about the patient’s mental state as well as their inner emotions, even without the patient specifically uttering it out through words. This, is the beauty of art therapy. Also, therapists can pick up metaphors and nonverbal symbols in their artworks to further discover how a patient is trying to express what he or she feels inside.

As such, art therapy comes in handy as a useful tool for patients’ recovery process. Not only are they finally able to express themselves comfortably, they also can relax through these art works that they work on and engage in useful activities while exploring more about themselves. Art can be a form of relaxation technique for people with anxiety. With the rising awareness of art and its therapeutic means, art does play a part in reducing stress and calming people down. In distracting patients away from the things that they are constantly or anxious about and instead trying to help them focus on their artwork, art can effectively help the nervous system to regulate. (Tartakovsky, 2015)

Furthermore, art therapy is of much benefit for children, especially young children who lack enough knowledge of vocabulary that can help describe their feelings. Akin to how babies only know how to cry to get attention for what they need, children (who have needs that their parents have to pay attention to, especially for their emotions and feelings) can use art therapy sessions and art therapists to convey the message. It is a great method for mental health professionals to reach out to people of all ages and it isn’t bound by the strict restriction of a common language.

Art therapy isn’t just catered to the people who are artistic and talented in art. It is available and beneficial for anyone. Art therapists can interpret the patient’s art works in many different ways, just like how beauty is subjective, “beauty lies within the eye of the beholder” can apply to art as well. The interpretations of art remain diverse and there can be a wide array of representations of emotions. This not only helps patients to express themselves without restriction, it also allows mental health professionals to get to understand their patients in less restricted ways.

Art is not just something that we do in primary schools for “fun”, instead, it is a subject on its own that involves a large part of the brain, which can have a deep impact on the neurological part of the brain. People often belittle the wonders of art and its therapeutic form, but many have regained confidence or mental stability through art. Art therapy is effective in gaining awareness, reality testing, problem solving, revealing unconscious material, working through conflicts and integration and individuation (Landgarten, 1981).

A special case study would be the renowned Japanese artist who is in a mental hospital, Yayoi Kusama. She often expresses herself through dots to keep herself “sane”.

To conclude, we all can look at art in a different manner. One does not need talent for art therapy to be of use. Psychological illnesses can make use of art therapy to greatly benefit patients; art therapy has its own unique beauty and art form on its own.

REFERENCES:

1. Landgarten, H. B. (1981). Clinical art therapy: a comprehensive guide. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
2. Tartakovsky, M. (2015). 3 Art Therapy Techniques to Deal with Anxiety. Psych Central. Retrieved on March 20, 2017, from https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/10/19/3-art-therapy-techniques-to-deal-with-anxiety/