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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.

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.”

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?

Patients suffering from mental illnesses and disabilities require a specific set of treatment methods that are uniquely suited for them. Some tried and tested methods that therapists use to treat patients are individual therapy, group therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and creative therapy.

source: deviantart.com

The most common treatment method for depression, anxiety, and most mental illnesses is speech therapy. However, talking about your trauma out loud and discussing your internal problems don’t always work for everybody. For some who have suffered through severe cases of traumatic events that impacted their mental health, talking about the pain and suffering they went through aggravates the problem. What, then, are methods that they could try without verbally expressing their emotions?

Researchers, scientists, and psychologists have found the answer.  Patients can work through their emotions and feelings nonverbally with creative expression. The artistic expression occurs through innovative therapies that licensed therapists or art counseling experts guide their patients through. The observations and outcome of each creative therapy session can be used to interpret the patient’s current mental state, emotions, and feelings and also access their subconscious thoughts.

Creative Expression And Creative Therapy

The creative expression occurs through expressing one’s self creatively—usually in nonverbal terms. Creative therapy is the use of these creative outlets and expressions as a means to get a diagnosis and treatment of an individual suffering from mental illnesses.

“Creativity changes the individual and contributes to their well-being,” says Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, Ph.D.

Therapists generally encourage the use of the arts as a creative avenue for communicating their thoughts and emotions. Not only are creative therapies helpful in conveying unsaid feelings and emotions, but benefits of creative thoughts and its avenues are also mentally and emotionally freeing. Patients that engage in creative expression usually see an improvement in their moods and mental health in general.

“…it transcends and circumvents verbal language, providing both client and therapist with additional ways to help individuals of all ages express themselves through brain-wise, mind-body resonant approaches,” says Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., LPCC.

The creative process holds significant meaning to the individual as they can create something out of scratch on their own. It builds confidence and at the same time contributes to positive thinking. Little successes such as producing artwork, singing, and dancing all add up and help instill confidence. Debilitating thoughts decrease, and there are lesser risks of remission after treatment.

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On the other hand, patients might voluntarily choose to engage in creative expression instead of talk therapy. Creatives who are used to artistic means of expression might want to express themselves in nonverbal ways. Therapists will encourage this, as the effectivity of treatment always depends on how well the patient responds.

“The wonderful thing about this form of therapy is you don’t have to have skill or “talent,”” says Fran Harwood, M.A.

There are many types of creative therapies. The most common of these are art therapy, sand play, creative thinking in writing, clay, movement therapy, psychodrama, music therapy, and role play.

Typical results of those who engage in creative therapies include an increased awareness of their sense of self, release of suppressed emotions, and resolution of internal conflict. In general, creative therapies help patients come into terms with feelings and traumas they keep buried deep down. Through nonverbal ways, patients receive closure, which positively impacts their mental health.

 

How Creative Therapies Work

In case the patient hasn’t picked out a creative method on his own, his therapist can suggest one of the many types of therapies available. It has to be in line with the patient’s interest, and he can decline the suggestions, as long as he remains cooperative with his other tasks. Once the patient has chosen a therapy method, the real work on creative expression begins.

Unlike most art classes, creative therapies focus specifically on the patient and his inner self. They encourage the expression of emotional experiences; these include your feelings, imagination, and perception. Of course, creative therapies are still an avenue for creative expression. The patient can even learn new skill sets they previously don’t have. However, the focus remains on the introspection it allows. The emphasis is on developing and expressing images that come from inside the person.

Your therapist then evaluates your creative output. Art therapies are believed to be linked with mental well-being and a reflection of the inner self. Usually, troubled individuals produce darker, more dramatic types of art. Self-portraits of depressed individuals often appear as distorted versions of themselves.

source: pixabay.com

A patient could also express the trauma they experienced and how the event affected them emotionally and mentally. Sometimes, scenes are drawn out in explicit detail; some hint at what happened. As a whole, the creative expression takes time. Though a patient might prefer to partake in creative therapies instead of the usual therapy methods, it can still take months for them to open up and for the therapist to observe results.

Regardless of how long it takes, creative therapies positively impact those who try it. There is more freedom in creative expression. It brings in them a sense of satisfaction after they’ve finished a piece, and it’s an effective medium for communicating their inner thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

If you want to try therapy, but is hesitant for face-to-face sessions, you can try doing online treatment first, like BetterHelp. Licensed therapists can help you get the best benefits out of every course.