by Victoria Faljean, LAC, ATR-BC, LPAT
The mind is known to be the root of most stress related disorders for children, adolescents, and adults within the United States. Art therapy has been found to greatly improve overall mental health and physiological processes like blood pressure and metabolism that are often negatively affected by chronic stress (Malchiodo, 2012). Art therapy is identified as the exploration of one’s unconscious thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It is described as participating in the act of art making in a therapeutic environment with a licensed and fully trained art therapist. It can be utilized by people who experience trauma, every day stressors, or mental illness who seek personal development and wellness through creativity. Art therapists monitor these individuals while using guidelines for the materials used, different methods, and ways to enhance their exploration.
When beginning art therapy exploration, it is important for individuals to work with an art therapist to maintain and explore which art materials the client will benefit from utilizing the most. The Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) was developed to explain the effects as well as understanding of the relationship between client and art materials. When utilizing the ETC, the therapist and client explore the kinesthetic/sensory, the effectiveness, and the cognitive/symbolic levels of all art materials (Malchiodi, 2012). The next step would be to encourage the identification of triggers, events, and any other underlying stressors for the individual. Art therapy directives such as the Jungian Mask or the Birds Nest can assist in this exploration. Through the symbolism of an introspective mask or a birds nest, an individual’s relationship patterns and behaviors, family dynamics, timeline of important life events, achievements, traumatic experiences, and overall life history can be explored. The final step focuses on the process of art making to establish healthy coping skills and mechanisms the suits the needs of the individual client.
If you are interested in learning more about art therapy and the emotional and physical benefits that can be offered, please do not hesitate to reach out to or explore on https://www.atcb.org/.
New Jersey Art Therapy Association (2014). Retrieved November 1, 2014, from
http://njarttx.org
Malchiodi, C., A. (2012). Art therapy materials, media, and methods. In. C. A. Malchiodi (Ed.), The handbook of art therapy (2nd Ed.) (27-411). New York, NY: Guilford Press
Malchiodi, C. A. (2007). The art therapy sourcebook. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
