Hi! I’m Robert MacDonald an artist who strives to make people’s lives better thru art! Whether it is thru the enjoyment of my own art or helping people express themselves through art techniques. And you don’t tell yourself that you are not an artist so it’s not for me. Art is for everyone!
Medical Art Therapy is dedicated to explaining art therapy practices and giving tips to those looking to express themselves and heal through art both physically and mentally.
As our understanding of the human mind has grown over time, so too has our ability to recognise that different people respond to different types of therapy, an example of said types being art therapy – but what is art therapy?
As the name suggests, art therapy is a method of treating people who suffer from an array of psychological ailments, such as anxiety and depressive disorders, using techniques that permit practitioners to express their emotions in a creative manner. This type of approach is radically different to more traditional methods of treatment such as ‘talking therapy’ in the sense that patients are encouraged to work towards making positive changes within their lives using visual rather than verbal strategies.
Art therapy allows mental health professionals to treat a wide variety of different patients with a range of therapeutic needs in a way that does not fundamentally require an exchange of words, thereby providing people who may struggle to express themselves verbally to take a different approach with regards to communicating their problems to a therapist. People who most frequently benefit from such a strategy are those with various injuries and mental health disorders, including autism and forms of brain damage, although this is not to say that art therapy is not a viable option for patients who do not suffer from a particular illness and are simply looking for something other than traditional treatment. On the contrary, many people who seek out the help of an art therapist have nothing medically wrong with them but may be feeling the strain of a particularly busy lifestyle or recovering from some form of psychological trauma, such as the death of a friend or relative.
The activities carried out within art therapy sessions differ from one professional to another but the overall goal is to allow patients to freely express themselves using a number of artistic materials. The resulting pieces of work allow the relevant therapist to assess the psychological condition of the people they are treating, as well as offering patients an insight into their own emotions and behaviours.
As is the case with many leisure activities, the creation of art such as paintings and sketches can provide people with a positive, constructive outlet through which they can express negative emotions and subsequently work towards long-term coping strategies. Furthermore, while many art therapists work on a one-to-one basis with their clients, it is not uncommon for art therapy sessions to take place in a group setting, thus allowing patients to gain the basic therapeutic benefits of the treatment while also being able to relate to those around them and potentially offer support to those who may be suffering from similar problems.
Art therapy is not for everyone but it has proven to be an effective method of treatment for people looking for a way to deal with difficult emotions in a creative way. Even some of the most confident people in the world can find it hard to really express themselves using words alone and it is for this reason that if the idea of traditional therapy does not sound like a good fit for you, you bear in mind that there are certainly alternative options available to you.