ART THERAPY, FOR WHAT AND FOR WHOM?

The benefits at any age of art used as therapeutic

Art therapy is a psychotherapy where artistic creations are made for the benefit of self-exploration and growth. This practice relies on the creative process to express conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions. Sometimes words are hard to find to describe a complex inner world where conflicting feelings can exist and create psychic tension and imbalances. Through the creation of an object, what is inside oneself is externalized in a metaphorical, symbolic, and sensory way, without needing to add reflection or justification to it.

​What art therapy is
The “art” part of art therapy corresponds to imagination and creativity with the goal of releasing psychic tension and promote deeper self-awareness. The use of color, textures, lines, shapes, space, and materials allow individual expression and unique communication. It can be a creation made as a drawing, painting, collage, or sculpture using materials such as clay, wool, paint, or fabrics. Artistic creations can be used in a complementary way or not, on flat substrate or in 3-dimension form, which can be used for the sake of creation, alteration, or destruction. For example, one can make a portrait of oneself with colors, objects, or collages, by decorating a box on the outside for others to see, while saving the inside of the box for private emotions or for aspects that may be perceived as unacceptable to the self, world of society at large.

The “therapeutic” part of art therapy is responsible for exploring the internal world, which is projected onto an external medium, in a more or less pictorial form. This projection not only makes it possible to visualize and examine this material representation of the internal world from different angles, it also allows to act concretely on it, by modifying it or destroying it according to needs and desires. Thus, the therapeutic value of certain objects made during work sessions can exist in their transformation or destruction.

What art therapy is not
The art created during an art therapy session has no aesthetic value. The finished artistic product does not have the function of being beautiful, decorative, or with the purpose of being displayed. It is above all a process of self-exploration being carried out by images from the well of conscious and unconscious forces using one’s imagination. The creative process allows people to connect with their emotional affective world. For example, a scribble produced with force applied to the pencil, in a belligerent gesture, can testify to a particular strong emotion, such as violence, anger, or conversely overflowing energy. The colors chosen, the location of the scribble on the sheet and what seems to stand out from the scribble serves as information that can be explored during the session with the therapist.

The benefits of art therapy
The benefits of art therapy are numerous. Art-therapy is a practice facilitating exploration, self-understanding, and questioning of the past, present, and future. It helps regulate mood, breathing and increase concentration and relaxation. It allows for exploration of complex aspects of the human experience through the use of symbolization and metaphors by way of one’s imagination. Some of the topics explored can pertain to notions of love, mortality, spirituality, mourning, freedom, dreams, and hopes.

Art therapy is particularly recommended for children who have difficulty verbalizing their thoughts and feelings, for adults who have experienced trauma or who suffer from cognitive impairment, for people with disabilities or addictive disorders, or anyone with a desire to tap into their imagination to better understand themselves.

Art therapy in individual or group sessions
Art therapy can be done in individual sessions, alone, or in cooperation with the therapist. It can be done in a group, with each person working on their personal object, or by all working on a common object which can evolve according to the contribution of each group member.
 
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way - things I had no words for.” Georgia O’Keefe

Josee and Magdalena
​September, 2022

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