More than Pretty Pictures

Art Therapy is a therapy that is used in way to express one’s self in a creative way to improve their overall well being, physically and mentally. Art Therapy is “to explore with the patient the things that are preventing them from advancing in his or her life” (qtd. in Art Therapy Credentials Board). Though many Art Therapy Interventions are often mixed with other modalities, studies from the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association show that isolated Art Therapy sessions are beneficial for change and growth in both children and adults; art is more than just making pretty pictures.

Art Therapy theoretically is dated back all the way to the cavemen where they practiced cave art. On the other hand, it wasn’t until the 1940′s that the therapeutic use of art was designated and established into a categorical discipline (qtd. in Art Therapy Credentials Board). Adrian Hill from England was the first person to refer to the therapeutic applications of art as art therapy, he later expanded ideas with Edward Adamson, an artist who began to endeavor at the Netherne psychiatric hospital in Surrey. According to the American Art Therapy Association, Edward Adamson was able to compile over 100,000 pieces of art created by patients by the time he had retired in 1981. However, today only 6,000 works stand and plenty are shown on display at the Wellcome Library (1). Adamson’s main hope was to cherish a stronger grasp and insight of the creativity and contributions of the mentally ill by sharing the fruits of their labor with the public at large (qtd. in Art Therapy Credentials Board).

Adamson also established various programs in accommodations. Art therapy is now practiced all around the world in settings such as wellness centers, forensic institutions, hospitals, and even public schools. The Department of Art Therapy has achieved awareness in healthcare facilities throughout the United States and within the fields of psychiatry, psychology, counseling, education, and the arts (qtd. in American Art Therapy Association). The American Art Therapy Association (AATA), was established in 1969. According to Dr. David O’ Flynn, chair of the Adamson Collection, Asylums were highly regulated places to live. Subjects were repeatedly compelled to “deal with archaic and brutal practices,” but they were also required to experience pioneering treatments (qtd. in Garner).

In many situations, hospitals and treatments were and are stressful for adults, and for children it can be even more strenuous. When you normalize the environment, it feels more like they are at home (qtd. in Shelley). There is not only one treatment of Art Therapy but two. Art Therapy and Expressive Art Therapy. Both approach utilizing a wide variety of therapeutic techniques to provide mental and emotional relief (qtd. in Art Therapy Credentials Board). Art Therapy mainly focuses on a Fine Arts aspect incorporating painting, clay building, and photography. In the other hand, Expressive Art Therapy is expanded with the use of other different art modalities such as dance, music, and even poetry.

For many individuals in the western world, art conjures up the idea of specially skilled artists have an exclusive right to produce artworks (qtd. in Maricle). Many people assume that you have to have some artistic talent in order to participate in Art Therapy. But as a matter of fact, people do not need to be “good” or talented at art to participate in Art Therapy. Therapy such as this can help different people in different ways. It can improve self-esteem, rehabilitation, reduce stress, and create awareness in one’s self. The main goal for the use of Art Therapy is to improve or restore a client’s functioning and his or her sense of personal well-being (qtd. in Maricle). According to Shirley Riley from Phillips Graduate Institute, “Externalization of an internal stress or by the creation of 'non-artistic art' allows both the therapist and the client to better address the problem”(1). The practice positively progresses to grow from there becoming an important tool for assessment, communication, and treatment of children and adults alike (qtd. in Art Therapy Credentials Board). It lets the patient gain some sort of self-reflection as they pursue personal improvement. Art Therapy may help people to determine problems, manage problematic behaviors, and reduce negative stress. Art therapy gives a chance to relish in the life professing bliss of creating artwork. For example, Van Gogh struggled greatly as a lover all through his life, he essentially created art to reduce the stress of the pain of heartbreaks he carried. Despite the fact some believe art advisors have the same obstacles the department have always had in art therapy research—there seems to be positive movement in the field of art therapy (qtd. in Slayton).

Art materials are more than meets the eye. Using art supplies can become a life changing self-expression to communicate feelings depending how they are used. For example, some main materials are intended for specific purposes such as watercolors, colored pencils, clay, and markers. Watercolors allow patients to paint whatever they crave. Watercolors are intended to create a state of being calm and relaxed. Colored pencils are recommended for drawing circles to help develop a sense of being self-assured and centered (qtd. in Webb).

However, with markers, it is intended for the patient to draw pictures of people that they are having specific problems with. It helps to develop a sense of perception and a way to coexist in integration. Clay is used to create a pot to place your anger in and to trap it permanently and to keep unwanted and deeply disturbing emotion under control (qtd. in Webb). Colors as well symbolize and target problems for the patient. We see color as a visible spectrum of colors, all colors (white) and the absence of color (black). “The colored light enters the eye through the pupil, goes through the lens, then reaches the back of the eye called the retina.” “Color perception is subjective, and certain colors have a very universal significance" (qtd. in Color Psychology). As a patient paints, the therapist may observe them using certain colors such a red, which can symbolize lust, aggression, alertness etc. Other colors such as blue can symbolize acceptance, calmness, or despair. The absence of color does not mean the patient is lacking something, rather the colors used express that which the unconscious mind wishes to convey at the time of drawing. Color psychology is not only used for patients today. It was the strategy used by Dali, the artist that makes his artwork bizarre, and amplifies the hyperrealism he intends to create. It is also used in our daily lives. For example, many offices have shades of grey, blue, or brown because these colors tend to increase productivity (qtd. in Color Psychology). Art Therapy is much more than just making pretty pictures.

No average Joe can become an Art Therapist, it takes years of education to gain a P.H.D in this field. People who desire to pursue an Art Therapy degree must have “interpersonal skills, be empathetic and sensitive to the plights of others, be emotionally stable, and have a deep understanding of art" (qtd. in Art Therapy Association). They also must possess state licensing and certificate from the AATA (American Art Therapists Association). The Association is dedicated to the belief that the creative process involved in the making of art is healing and life enhancing. Licensers require at least a minimum of educational, professional, and ethical standards for the profession that are established by an Association, a membership and advocacy organization which serves its members and the general public by contributing specifications of qualified capability, development, and endorsing expertise in and regarding to the field of art therapy (qtd. in Art Therapy Association).

Art therapists help people express difficult thoughts and situations through creative activities.

The sole aspiration of art therapy is to tap into different parts of the brain using inspiration, perception, and metaphor to gain new perspectives and solve problems in new ways. The outcome of Art Therapy can be dramatic or only a slight difference. Nonetheless, there will be change and growth. There is extensive research on journals and tracked research of how Art Therapy can be useful for the ill, disturbed, and even slightly troubled. A recent study found that women with cancer had been recommended to try multiple visual art exercises and techniques. According to certified Art Therapists, studies show women who had gone through various illness-related challenges such as loss of confidence, loss of sleep, and altered social relationships, “reported an increased focus on positive life experiences, increased self-worth and an increased ability to express their feelings in a symbolic manner” after the study had been completed (qtd. in Arts Therapies). Other various faculties have reported that Art Therapy is strongly beneficial therapeutically. Individuals undergoing Art Therapy treatment reported reduced depression, and subjects negatively affected by trauma have reported lower levels of stress, less compassion fatigue, and an increased sense of purpose (qtd. in Art Therapies).

Art Therapy is more than making just pretty pictures. This specific treatment benefits in various ways to help relieve the ill or trouble. Through sessions of Art Therapy, it creates more self awareness to the patient and allows them to explore values about themselves to improve upon in relationships and society. Art Therapy is no longer an accessory to psychotherapy but is becoming important in allowing those living with various kinds of problems to obtain creativity.

Works Cited

• Art Therapy Credentials Board . Art Therapy Journals. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. <http://www.arttherapyjournal.org/>.
• "Art Therapy." Good Therapy. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.
• "Education." American Art Therapy Association. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.
• Maricle, Amy Johnson, Tamara G. Suttle, M.Ed., LPC Says, Amy Johnson Maricle Says, Mary Says, Courtney Says, Lauren Rubenstein Says, and Kathleen Bragas Says. "What is an Art Therapy Session Like?" Mindful Art Studio.03 Nov. 2015. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
• NIHR Journals Library. Systematic review and economic modelling of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of art therapy among people with non-psychotic mental health disorders. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.
• Riley, Shirley. "Art therapy with adolescents." Western Journal of Medicine. Copyright 2001 BMJ Publishing Group, July 2001. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.
• Slayton, Sarah C., Jeanne D'Archer, and Frances Kaplan. Outcome Studies on the Efficacy of Art Therapy: A Review of Findings . Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 07 Nov. 2011. PDF
• "The Center for Health & Healing." The Center for Health & Healing. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
• "The Ultimate Guide to Color Meanings." Color Psychology. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <https://www.colorpsychology.org/>.
• Webb, Jaci. "ELibrary." ELibrary. The Billing Gazette, 30 Sept. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.