Top Benefits Of Artistic Therapy

What are the benefits of art therapy?

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Top Benefits Of Art Therapy

What exactly is art therapy? What are its advantages to one’s mental health? Let’s talk about it and how it can be a tool to aid the physical, mental, and emotional healing of all sorts of people of all ages.

Art Therapy Definition And Other Benefits

Art therapy is not just a tool for self-expression. It can also be incorporated into mental health treatment plans by expressing individuality. Its primary goal is improving the person’s overall well-being with the help of art therapy sessions with an art therapist. In fact, achieving mental healing is among the primary beneficials of art therapy.

It is a specialized area of mental health that uses creative materials and creative process to explore emotions, reduce anxiety, increase self-esteem, and resolve psychological conflicts. — Douglas Mitchell, LMFT

The Power Of Art Therapy

The creative and artistic process and expression when making art aid people in freely communicating emotions that are often difficult to verbalize or convey on their own. The benefits of art therapy are just as effective as visiting mental health facilities for treatment, according to the American Art Therapy Association credentials board.

Aside from that, the individual can also resolve their personal issues while managing their feelings, boosting self-esteem, and reducing stress and pressure through self-expression that comes as a result of talk therapy, which is a component of the art therapy session.

Beneficial Treatment Requirements

Art therapy requires one thing – to articulate your deep thoughts and feelings in your art when you feel overwhelmed or just want to express thoughts. You are not required to have a creative or artistic background as long as you can communicate and allow expression to accompany you throughout your healing process – your output is your therapy art.

In addition, you need not worry about the therapy sessions because they are being managed and facilitated by credentialed art therapists who hold a master’s degree, at least, and have proven a lot of times that it works by constantly creating art.

It can also help in promoting physical health and physical well-being – even with cancer patients. Through self-discovery and artistic expression, patients can use painting and drawing as a means to reduce pain and process traumatic events. Moreover, it helps in reducing symptoms associated with depression and addressing substance use disorders.

With the vast array of arts and artistic materials and outlets available, there are many ways to reap the advantages of the aforementioned treatment. At face value, it increases self-awareness and improves social skills, and its techniques even reduce symptoms associated with emotional trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and physical illness.

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Recipients

Art therapy in the time of covid-19 is not for everyone, although it can be good for anyone who tries it. The world is brimming with multitudes of methods to express oneself, and this treatment is just one of them.

Art therapy can profoundly impact people of all ages, and utilizing different forms of artistic expression can enhance its effectiveness. For instance, sculpting and music training are two examples of how people learn to engage their brains in new and unique ways. These activities can have particular advantages for those who have experienced cancer, as they promote relaxation, reduce stress, and boost mood.

The difference in this therapeutic treatment process, though, is that it’s mainly beneficial for those who are unable to openly and positively articulate what’s bottled up inside. It is helpful for those who are primarily incapable of speaking out loud due to certain limiting illnesses. Clients who are just starting out will do much better with a professional guiding them.

The Art Therapist

There are professionals who are trained and experienced in both therapy and art. These credentialed professionals are insightful and well-rounded in disciplines like theories of psychology and healing using artistic, spiritual, and multicultural traditions.

These therapists have developed their own unique artistic self-expression and artistic process so you can guarantee they know what they’re doing.

Beginning treatment is an important step toward recovery for a patient who needs to cope with various challenges. This article highlights its importance for individuals seeking to improve their mental and emotional health. For example, it can help patients develop coping strategies that allow them to manage stress and anxiety. Through

They utilize artwork to assess, treat, research, and supply information to allied medical professionals. In fact, their recommendations help the medical field improve their medical treatment.

We all carry unexpressed emotions in our bodies and we even express them with phrases like “butterflies in my stomach” or “a pain in your neck.” We also use colors when talking about strong feelings: “red with rage,” “green with envy,” or “feeling blue.” — Lucia Capacchione, Ph.D., ATR

Are Art Therapeutic Benefits Worth It?

Art therapy is tagged as the most common treatment modality, especially when dealing with children because they have limited abilities to express their frustrations. They haven’t fully developed their vocabularies yet, so it’s necessary to find other avenues to let them express their feelings.

Adults who also have difficulty in efficiently airing out their grievances or sentiments highly benefit from it. That said, the other benefits of artistic therapy are:

  1. Aside from being a treatment that provides great psychological benefits and opportunities to express feelings and thoughts, art therapy can promote self-confidence, especially with the help of an art therapist.
  2. It contributes to the facilitation of positive perspectives about one’s life and dissolves past trauma left unchecked.
  3. It gives children a chance to explore emotions they have left unsaid due to societal expectations and pressures.
  4. It engages the mind in improving skills in problem-solving and decision-making that can benefit a person’s self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and independence amid the hectic world.
  5. After a stressful experience, it can constructively help individuals facilitate coping techniques in alleviating traumatic memories caused by substance use disorders, relationship issues, and other adverse mental health problems.
  6. Aside from coping mechanisms, it is also capable of scrutinizing and managing traumatic experiences to find relief and other forms of expressing strong emotions.
  7. For children, it is a strategy to develop and promote gross and fine motor skills, speed and dexterity, and hand-eye coordination.

Art psychotherapy engages a person in nonverbal processes such as dreams, movement, sound, video, or mixed media, entering a client’s inner world where meaning was attached to events and where coping strategies have become fixed. — Barbara Mosinski, LCAT, ATR-BC, MA, MFA

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Final Thoughts On Art Therapy’s Benefits

Indeed, art therapy is an excellent form of treatment that can aid in exploring one’s most profound emotions, managing addiction, and improving a person’s self-confidence and self-esteem.

On the other hand, children can fully benefit from creative therapy techniques, especially those who are struggling with developmental impairment, through art creation. It could be in the form of performing arts or visual arts.

Besides, art therapy is not just an artistic expression; it is also a relaxation technique that not only the mind but the soul as well. Check the services in your area. You may find some good programs there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Benefits The Most From This Form Of Treatment?

How Does It Affect The Body?

How Does It Help With Your Mental Health?

Does It Actually Work?

Has It Been Proven Effective?

Is It Good For Mental Illness?

What Are The Cons Of Art Therapy?

Can It Help With Anxiety?

What Is It And How Does It Work?

What Does This Form Of Treatment Entail?