Art therapy: expressive therapy that improves emotional well-being

Expressive arts therapy as a therapeutic means have been developed since the last half of the 20th century, and currently continues to grow in scope and definition.

What characterizes expressive arts therapy is work, individual or group, with one or more artistic modalities: art, music, dance / movement, drama, and poetry / writing to promote awareness, stimulate emotional growth, and improve relationships with the rest.

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Can art be used as therapy to improve emotional well-being?

The essential premise is that expressive experiences (visual art, music, dance and theater) allow the participant to explore unfamiliar facets of oneself, communicate non-verbally, and gain greater understanding.

One of the most accepted theories of expressive arts therapy is the proposal of Natalie Rogers, daughter of psychologist Carl Rogers, and her intermodal and integrative work "centered on the person".

His theory postulates that one art form naturally stimulates another

; for example, creative movement can affect what is expressed through drawing, and drawing can activate what is felt or thought.

Beyond the aesthetic experience

From the perspective of Gestalt therapy, expressive therapies are used with the multimodal approach by combining art, movement and other modalities (Rhyne, 1973/1995). For transpersonal therapists the combination occurs in the form of images, music, movement and creative writing in their work with clients (Farelly, 2001).

Art therapy is often interpreted as the interrelation of the arts with theories of creativity and imagination, rather than integration with psychological principles.

It is true that each person has a different expressive style. For example, one person may be more verbal, another more visual, and a third more kinesthetic or tactile. Beyond the visual arts, therapy facilitates expression in the most appropriate way for the clinically focused participant.

What is an expressive therapy session like?

A typical session may begin with a warm-up activity, such as spontaneous movement, recognition of space and materials, a meditation, for example.

While there are people who may be naturally drawn to one art form over another and start expressing themselves without any suggestion, the art therapist makes it easy to find the expressive form that is most comfortable and non-threatening to the participant.

The art therapist may suggest a transition to another expressive modality, in order to facilitate the spontaneity, stimulate creativity and enhance the feelings of the experience, allowing a more understanding deep.

In the final part of the session, the individual can reflect on the created images, words, sounds or movements and discuss the creation process with the art therapist.

The art therapy approach offers creative modalities through which participants express their thoughts and feelings, communicate non-verbally, reach understanding and experience the healing potential of the process creative.

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What are the benefits of art therapy?

Among the benefits of art therapy, the ones that stand out the most are these:

• Express beyond words. Art therapy allows you to address problems or express them in a way that transcends spoken or written language.
• Explore the ability to create and imagine. You acquire more confidence and improve your image of yourself and your creative capacity, adopting more security, better self-esteem and self-esteem.
• Outside of the 'traditional' therapeutic setting it can liberate the participant, and help to identify and address problems that he had difficulty externalizing in the course of psychotherapy conventional.

Is it necessary to be creative and have artistic talent?

In art therapy it is not necessary to have plastic talent, or be an artist. Although it may seem different and unnatural at first, it is usually because you are not getting used to communicating through art.

However, the creative process is the most rewarding aspect in addition to feeling more comfortable with this new form of expression. The goal in art therapy is not aesthetic but self-knowledge through the creative process.