Art Therapy





Art Therapy is defined by the American Art Therapy Association as an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

When facilitated by a professional art therapist, Art Therapy effectively supports personal and relational treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art Therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensory-motor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.



Featured projects (AND PROCESS)



MEL'S TREE



playing nicely



response to giving tree



safe place



life-sized



beneath it all



MY HANDS



art therapy provides tools to access, understand and share memories/life events that might otherwise linger and feel unresolved.



MY VERSION OF THE STORY



Even young children can express how feelings and situations impact them and then be able to plan how to manage them



Tornadoes and Rainbows



adolescents and many adults need to find/create their own peaceful place. creating images of peaceful or safe places evokes that feeling at the moment and can inspire making changes in their home/environment to create a peaceful escape



CHILL



Art Therapy interventions are an avenue for furthering psychological development as one experiences the self in new ways



LIFE-WORK BALANCE



Creative arts interventions help one to set goals



INTENTIONS



EXPRESSIVE ART-MAKING HELPS ONE TO RECOGNIZE FEELINGS BEING EXPERIENCED AND BETTER UNDERSTAND RELATED THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS



WAVES



Art Therapy interventions help one become aware of conflicts, make conscious choices/decisions to implement change



CONFLICTING KARMA



Creative arts interventions engage one in purposeful activity as they search for deeper meaning in life which increases opportunities for change and growth



MY SPECIAL FRIEND



Symbolic expression in therapeutic art-making provides opportunities for externalization of things that are beyond one's awareness or otherwise uncomfortable



ALTERED BOOK



In addition to increased acceptance and understanding of one self, creative arts interventions enhance socialization skills through verbal and visual communication often relating to a persons' family and peers --> development of empathy



VIOLET



Creative arts interventions ACTIVELY ENGAGE THE PARTICIPANT
in A purposeful activity... as they search for deeper meaning, IT increases opportunities for change and growth



THE EXPERIMENT



Since children's focus and abilities do not allow for adequate verbal self expression when dealing with complex issues, the expressive arts serve as a fun and more effective mode of communication



MASKS



FOR CHILDREN At A critical time of growth, creative arts interventions are an avenue for furthering social, emotional and intellectual development as one experiences the self in new ways



ME



Creative arts interventions stimulate creativity to be used in daily problem solving



6 IN 6 OUT



ART THERAPY EMPOWERS THE CREATOR



BREAKING CHAINS



Using art materials to express one self can be challenging-- it evokes: courage, cognition/problem solving, patience and persistence. Through the course of treatment, many gain a sense of mastery which supports a developing sense of self.



RAINBOW FISH IN GREAT WIDE OCEAN



provides access to unconscious material and a safe way to focus on areas of concern that could not otherwise be identified or addressed



HATE ANGER



Creative arts interventions help one to relax
AND EXPAND COPING SKILLS



SUNSETS



ART THERAPY PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO RELEASE PENT UP EMOTIONS AND THEN BE ABLE TOFACE TOUGH SITUATIONS/PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS CONSTRUCTIVELY



THE PROCESS- THINGS NOT SAID



Art Therapy interventions provide an emotional outlet --> destructive energy/impulses are channeled into safe and constructive outlets, thereby transformed



PAINTING FROM THE SOURCE



Creative arts interventions help in the acquisition of new skills



LIGHTBULB 2016





make sure
the walls
you build
to protect yourself
do not become a prison
Yung pueblo



sometimes
we feel like exploding--
not because of anything
or to hurt anyone

but simply
because we are growing,
releasing,
letting the old parts die,
so that new habits,
new ways of being,
have space to live
yung pueblo



"...when a piece of art is successful, a viewer might be able to vicariously get to that transcendent, indescribable, healing place that the artist experienced in its creation." K. Gibbons



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