What Can You Expect in an Art Therapy Session?
Art and Therapy? How?
Artistic techniques and creative methods have been known to relieve stress as a hobby. But did you know that the application of these creative practices is also done to treat a variety of mental health issues as well as improve your mental health?
Creative therapy is an umbrella term that involves a cluster of various forms of therapy that are guided by and apply the principles of various creative art forms such as –
- Art (painting, doodling, sketching, colouring, etc).
- Dance and movement therapy
- Drama therapy
- Music therapy
- Creative writing therapy, and so on.
Art Therapy—as the name suggests—is a form of creative therapy that uses artistic and explorative principles of painting, doodling, sketching, etc. to help clients relieve stress. In many cases, it is even advised for patients of depression and emotional trauma. Art therapy can involve various forms of art depending on the client and the problem they are seeking to resolve. A few forms used in art therapy classes include –
- Drawing
- Painting
- Finger painting – especially for children and younger clients
- Clay modeling
- Scrapbooking
- Embroidery
- Sculpting
- Scribbling
- Doodling – using various forms of relaxing art processes such as zentangle, mandala, and so on.
Who can seek Art Therapy Classes?
Art therapy can be accessed by anyone! Yes! However, typically is used as a therapeutic measure to help clients – especially those who cannot express their emotions freely, who have gone through a lot of emotional trauma, and those who have suppressed many emotional turmoils – explore their hidden facets and get in touch with their emotions. Healthy coping can only take place when there is knowledge and transparency of what we have gone through. Laying all the hidden and suppressed emotions helps the client understand themselves better.
Art Therapy classes are NOT the same as Art Classes.
While anyone can seek art therapy and reap the benefits of this beautiful and enriching exploration of the self, art therapy classes do not teach you how to draw or paint. If you’re looking for a place to learn or hone your skills, this may not be the right spot for you.
Art therapy majorly involves inner exploration, relaxation, peace, and coming to terms with suppressed emotions/trauma, particularly for people who find it difficult to express themselves through words or any other form of communication.
Who is Art Therapy meant for?
Art therapy classes are usually opted by people who have emotional turmoil or difficulty in exploring and expressing their emotions. However, it is also prescribed by psychologists for patients of depression and anxiety among many other forms of psychological disorders that help the client overcome the symptoms of those issues.
Art therapy classes can typically help in the treatment of the following issues –
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Emotional suppression
- Emotional trauma
- Trauma recovery
- Stress
- Relationship issues
- Psychosocial difficulties
- Difficulties in children
- Patients (adults or children) with autism, mental retardation symptoms, and so on.
However, art therapy classes can be opted for by healthy individuals as well, who wish to explore their inner self through this relaxing and peaceful technique using colours and forms.
Do I have to be good at Art to take Art Therapy?
No! Absolutely not! Art therapy does not require one to be exceptional or even have any artistic skills. Art therapy classes are more about exploring inner feelings and emotions, rather than making good art.
However, people who are too rational and also those who feel that they are not as competent in art as they should be, might find it difficult to attend such a session where art is the medium. People who are not interested in art forms at all may also find art therapy classes pointless due to their lack of interest.
However, patients with various issues have been advised to go for art therapy classes as a part of their therapeutic programme in order to help them overcome their symptoms and have a clearer picture of themselves.
What would my first session look like?
Art therapy usually begins like any other form of therapy where rapport building takes place between the therapist and the client. This is done so that the therapist can get a better understanding of your problem and curate the techniques used in the therapy as per your needs. There can be an introduction to what is art and the benefits of opting for the session, but nothing much would happen as you imagined it.
Building the foundation is important so that appropriate help can reach you. You would have to answer the questions asked by your therapist to increase familiarity and rapport.
As the sessions move on, art therapy classes would take on a more practical approach and indulge you in the practices directly, helping you delve into yourself – a little deeper, a little better – with every stroke.
Why CoachForMind?
- Experienced Psychologists: We are a team of licensed RCI-registered clinical psychologists. Our team is well-experienced in various forms of therapy such as CBT, DBT, ERP, Narrative Therapy, Art Therapy, and other therapeutic techniques used in the effective treatment of psychological disorders in India. We also have the facility and in-depth experience in conducting online sessions as well.
- Personalized Approach: We are dedicated to treating our clients in the best-suited way, carefully curated as per the client’s needs, and adhering to one-on-one, client-centered therapy. Therapies would be tailored according to the needs of the client.
- Scientific Techniques: Our treatment plans and therapeutic methods are based on highly researched scientific findings such as CBT, DBT, and Narrative Therapy amongst many others used to treat several issues most effectively.
- Quality service: We at CoachForMind ensure quality services in our treatment regime and therapeutic approaches. Our clients hold most value to us, so we ground our techniques in empathy while maintaining professionalism.
For more information, please visit our website or contact us directly at coachformind@gmail.com
