July 2021 - CREATIVITY

Healing Through Arts Therapy And Talking With A Counselor

Engaging in therapy and exploring artistic activities like painting can indeed be powerful tools for healing and self-expression. Therapists often use various techniques to help individuals navigate their emotions, thoughts, and experiences in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. Talking with a therapist provides an opportunity to express your feelings, gain insights into your challenges, and develop coping strategies. It can help you explore the underlying causes of your distress, work through past traumas, or develop skills for managing stress, anxiety, or other mental health issues. Therapists are trained professionals who can guide you through the healing process, offer perspective, and provide support as you navigate your personal journey. The act of art painting itself can be healing, as it allows you to focus your attention on the present moment, promotes mindfulness, and offers a therapy outlet for self-expression. Whether you choose to paint abstractly or representational forms, the process of creating art can be deeply personal and meaningful.

Understanding art therapy. — Source: istockphoto.com

Have You Heard About How Painting Helps People Recover From A Mental Disorder?

Are you familiar with art therapy? Who could conduct art counseling according to the Art Therapy Credentials Board? What are the creative process and art therapy credentials of this type of counseling? How could art therapy methods help? What’s the quality of the treatment and the creative process with an art therapist?

Unlike many, I grew up knowing about mental health problems and art therapy. You see, my big sister, Vanessa, was born with Down Syndrome. My parents welcomed the mental health diagnosis with open arms, and Vanessa had been going to various treatments and therapeutic services, like art therapy program, art therapy and traditional talk therapy, almost all her life.

The first time I learned about my sister’s condition was when my mother brought me with her before dropping off Vanessa at a special education school. I did not know anything about relatives looking alike, but I was aware of my sister’s face. So, when I looked outside and saw that many kids resembled Vanessa, I wanted to go out and play with our cousins. At least, that’s what I could assume those kids were.

Smiling gently, my mother said, “No, they are not your cousins, honey. They are your sister’s friends at school.”

“How can that be, momma? Everyone looks like,” I could only utter, confused.

“Honey, Vanessa has Down Syndrome. It is a form of neurological condition that practically makes her extra special. Her friends are dealing with the same thing, so they go to school together.”

Counseling through art. — Source: istockphoto.com

Understanding Disorders The Hard Way

Of course, Mom’s explanation at the time did not make a lot of sense to my seven-year-old self. It was a bit complicated, and all I could remember was that Vanessa was special to our family. However, when our parents left us in the local park to play, that’s where my concerns began. Some kids came by and started pulling faces and putting their tongues out, making fun of my sister.

Although she was already 11 years old at the time, my big sister could still barely get three-syllable sentences out of her. It was not for lack of effort she’s giving – she had been seeing a speech-credentialed art therapist for as long as I could recall. I saw Vanessa try to tell off the bullies in that instant, but they could only laugh more at her slurred words.

We were lucky that Mom returned and could chase the bullies away. I could not have done anything to those big kids; they could have thrown me like a rag if I tried. Still, the incident made me want to help my sister more and other groups, networks, or community organizations of people with disorders like her.

Becoming An Art Counselor

Vanessa was the driving force behind my decision to pursue this type of counseling. She had improved through this counseling training so much ever since that bullying incident. Her confidence level grew; she could talk to almost anyone now. More importantly, she had a job of her own. It was a massive indication that therapy private practice, particularly arts counseling with a clinical therapist, was helpful for everyone as it also involved creative expression.

How I Started Art Therapy

As I neared the end of my Ph.D. program, though, I had to think of what kind of therapy expert I should become. I mean, would I be better off as a child pediatric, rehabilitation, schools, arts counseling, or even grief counselor with professional credentials? I needed and had to have a specialization and focus on that only, for example, on art treatment for mental health.

That’s when I remembered my sister again. Speech therapy worked for Vanessa later in life, but it did not honestly do much for her before her teenage years. It was ideal for my sister to express herself in art treatment through drawings and paintings during art therapy back then.

Then, it hit me: art treatment through art making. I am going to be an art treatment expert and professional counselor. The following are the benefits of engaging in creative therapy with art therapists to heal yourself.

According to the American Art Therapy Association, the primary benefit of offering the treatment is that this treatment never pushes the client to speak up and provide information about their trauma, for example, when they are still not comfortable and ready. More often than not, other art treatment experts from the American Art Therapy Association claim not to be pushy, but the only way most types of counseling will work is by ensuring that people talk about their past and current human experience and insight.

They believe that art therapy, particularly imagery rehearsal therapy, works only when one lets go of their troubles to gain self-awareness and self-esteem.

Effective mental health campaigns and research suggests that through art therapy, spoken words are not necessary at all for the treatment to move forward. Before my clients arrive and meet them, I lay out all the art treatment and art-making media I can find on the table for art treatment therapy. Then, I merely ask them to take a seat, get a sketchpad, and use whatever medium they feel like using in the practice.

Creativity Is A Great Stress Alleviator

I am not breaking the confidentiality code by admitting that some of my clients began their sessions with nothing but abstract knowledge. The messiness on the paper during the treatment reflected the chaos in their hearts and minds. But the more they express themselves during the sessions when we’re in contact, the more their artworks show more defined art lines.

Furthermore, creativity in this treatment is a great stress alleviator. Whether my clients have neurological or mental disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder or problems with self-expression, the reality is that they cannot get better due to the amount of stress they’re holding on to.

But when they do creative stuff or creative thinking in writing in art therapy, they get to be in a world of their own for at least an hour. Having the luxury to do these settings once a week can do wonders for diverse populations’ mental health conditions.

I can never fathom what my sister has gone through all her life. I cannot act like I understand everything that she may still be going through at this point. While she is as independent as she can be, the fact remains that some narrow-minded people will come up to her and question her credibility.

Besides looking after my sister, I believe that the most significant help I can offer is ensuring that other individuals like her have a unique way of showing their true feelings through the treatment. Try the workshops now and learn why most artistic people are interested in it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is counseling as an art?

Can painting be used as a therapy?

Is art therapy the same as psychotherapy?

What are the 4 types of art therapy services?

Can an art therapists diagnose?

What are 3 uses of art therapy?

Is art therapy a good career?

What happens in an art therapy session?

What are the cons of art therapy?

How can I do art therapy at home?

Learn How Art Affects People’s Feelings & Emotions

Creative individuals possess a unique and remarkable ability to think outside the box, generate novel ideas, and bring forth innovative solutions to various challenges. They have a natural inclination towards exploration, imagination, and self-expression and often find fulfillment and joy in the creative process itself. One defining benefits of creative thoughts of individuals is their openness to new and real artistic experiences. They actively seek out diverse stimuli and perspectives, allowing them to make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas or concepts. This ability to combine different elements or viewpoints often leads to the generation of fresh, real and unconventional ideas.

What are artistic and creative people? They are individuals who use their feelings, creativity, and imagination. How are they different from most people, from the rest of the individuals, and even from some children out there in this world?

people and art — source: istockphoto.com

My parents, who are artistic individuals, tend to tell me that optimism is the key to success for artistic people. Mom said, “Look at my beaded jewelry business. Many creative people told me that I should keep my talent as a hobby- that I should not try to sell my project, my creative side, and make money out of it because I would merely get brokenhearted. If I allowed their pessimism to consume me, I would achieve the impossible and not be independent and successful now.”

Dad often added, “And look at my hydroponics business profession. My friends laughed at me because I was planting crops in water instead of soil, but I remained positive that it would work. Who’s laughing now?”

Individuals Who Are Artistic Are Creative

My parents, who were creative people, were right – they received many negative ideas or comments from people when they decided to research and start their artistic career businesses.

The primary reason was that their products were a bit unconventional, especially in the early 90s. Moms in the suburbs only took care of their kids and were not expected to work, while dads had 9-to-5 jobs in corporate offices. My parents refused to conform to the norms, so they were criticized for having an artistic personality that focused on self-expression.

Did you know that people have creative talents? My family influenced me to express my emotions through painting and crafts. If you sensed that I had hippies for parents, you were 100% correct. My schoolmates usually poked fun at me because of their impulsive fashion sense and lifestyle. Some people in our neighborhood even called us “American Gypsies” behind our backs. It creates an unwanted feeling. However, there was never a time that I felt ashamed of my mom and dad. I was too sensitive, and if anything,

These people inspired me to abide by my own rules and hone my ability and artistic side.

There’s no need for me to undergo a test for Holland Codes. As I was growing up and getting inspired by legends, I developed a passion for painting and crafts, specifically painting. I was not highly selective in my medium; I would use anything that I found in my surroundings that seemed interesting and significant at the moment. It could be crayons, pencils, oil pastels, watercolors, acrylic paints, etc. One time, I even felt like using dissolving condiments and using them to paint. Guess I have a creative personality as a person, after all.

Are artistic people often creative or imaginative? — source: istockphoto.com

Of course, many people called me, my act, and other creators eccentric and silly because of my creative type.

We lived in the suburbs where everything was plain and boring – no one believed and expected that creative people could make it out there. Lucky for me, though, I had supportive parents who allowed me to venture to New York on my own after high school and try to sell my paintings there.

Since I was the most decent painter in my suburban neighborhood, I carried the belief that it would be easy peasy for me to find people who show interest in my paintings which I spend most of my time. The plan was for me to stay in New York for two weeks,

Sell my artwork, and go back home to paint some more.

Do you want to know the struggles of creative people? It was technically a flawless plan in my mind. I even imagined how I should react once the neighbors and my former schoolmates learned that I was a hit in New York. However, I overlooked that many creative people were trying to make it big in the concrete jungle like me. I met some people with creative careers who were more creative than I could ever be, but their artworks were collecting dust in their tiny apartments as they tried to get by through other occupations like waitressing or doing street patterns and performances. I met a writer creative thinking in writing who works tirelessly but gets no recognition. A sculptor who is great at designing new things and working influential beauty from scratch. Such creative people with different characteristics and are full of hope, but such artistic individuals tend to do other things in order to sustain their passion and artistic type.

That was necessarily traumatizing for me. I suddenly felt small and decided to go back home with all my paintings. My mom was even surprised when she saw me outside the door a week later. I told her immediately about what I learned. Crying, I said, “Perhaps I am not meant to become a painter. I should probably enroll in a college and prefer to become an accountant or something.”

My mother hugged me tightly. “What did I tell you before? Optimism is the key to success. If you let fear and negativity take over your life, then you really can’t get anywhere.”

Optimism Is The Key To Success, Never Let Fear Take Over Your Life

One of the perks of having creative individiuals as parents were that they were more open to mental health treatments than anyone. From what I understood, mom and dad had been staying in touch with a marriage counselor for more than a decade now. They hardly ever disagreed on anything, but they said that it never hurt to assess their free thoughts and emotions regularly. That made me feel better about getting counseling at 18 years old. It feels like I’m creating a new phase for myself.

Creative parents are more open to mental health treatments than anyone.

When I met one right outside of town, I rehashed my worries and observations of my personality traits to the counselor. I also said that my biggest fear was growing old and relying on my parents because my big business dreams would never come to fruition. But then, the counselor encouraged me to think outside the box, explore, and create ideas even if it’s from my imagination or not because being imaginative is not a curse but a gift that can provide some inspiration to others.

“Selling your paintings in one place is not the only way to realize your dreams,” the counselor said.

“We have the internet now; you can use it to make your creative side known to the public. Since your mom and dad are very supportive, they will perhaps help you hold an art exhibition in the city. Your choices are endless when you open yourself up to possibilities.”

Creative Endeavor Of Someone With Talent In Painting & Crafts – Final Thoughts

After my art counseling sessions, I felt convinced that I could do it this time as an artistic person. I started small by exhibiting my paintings in a local museum. Then, a new art gallery director in another state invited me to showcase the creative side there, too. I eventually struck gold and signed a ten-year deal with various galleries that believed in me, especially in my art, drama, and creativity. See how counseling will work for you as an artistic personality type of person, too.