ART THERAPY Presented by Group 2:

• Jennifer Nimmo, Lisa Elsberry, Sherri Weissman, Jenna Klareich, Chelsea Seidman, Trista Perez, April Majoy, and Camilla Aparicio

Types of Art Therapy• Sculpting and Ceramics• Painting and Drawing• Photography• Arts and Crafts

• These are the four types of art that we are going to discuss today.

Definition

• Art Therapy is a human service profession which offers an opportunity to explore personal problems and potentials through verbal and nonverbal expression

• Another goal is to develop physical, emotional and/or learning skills through therapeutic art experiences.

• used to help people with physical and emotional problems by using creative activities to express emotions.

• provides a way for people to come to terms with:

~ emotional conflicts ~ increase self-awareness ~ express unspoken and often unconscious concerns about their illness

and their lives.

How Does it Help??

Benefits• Self-discovery • Personal fulfillment• Empowerment • Relaxation and stress relief

* Chronic stress can be harmful to both mind

and body. * Stress can weaken and damage the immune system, can cause insomnia and depression, and can trigger circulatory problems• Symptom relief and physical rehabilitation.

It is a two part process:

• 1. creation of art 2. discovery of its meaning

• Patients are encouraged to visualize, and then create, the thoughts and emotions that they cannot talk about.

Who Can Benefit??• It’s for everybody.• Art therapists work with people of all ages: individuals,

couples, families groups and communities. • Managers and staff under pressure• People who are generally stressed and overworked• People with mental health problems• People with severe learning difficulties• Children and young people who have problems

conforming in school and with personal problems at home

• People who feel they are problem free but would likethe opportunity to explore issues within themselves

Building Self EsteemThrough Art Therapy

• “With clay in her hands, S. can explore and process her thoughts and fears,” explains Mireille Gronner, ceramicist and art therapist.

• Concentration and creativity are stressed with the feel of clay under one’s fingertips

Clay

• tactile immediacy and ability to touch feelings and emotions

• The story of what one woman did with a piece of clay…..

Our “Art Therapy” Experience

• Finger Painting– Helped us “grasp” the idea of art as therapy– Proved to be relaxing and extremely

entertaining– It seemed as though we lost

ourselves in the project and forgot about life’s turmoil

Painting and Drawing

• Topics:– Art Appreciation– Painting/Drawing as a healing device– Painting/Drawing to express emotions

Art Appreciation

• A study has found that going to an art gallery can cut stress by more than half.

• City workers’ stress levels dropped by 45% after viewing paintings for 40 minutes– Also, the cortisol in their saliva

dropped by 32% (normally takes 5 hours)

“Sunday in the Park”By Georges Seurat

“Café Terrece”By Vincent Van Gogh

“Water Lily Pond”By Claude Monet

Museums continued…

• How to lower stress in an art museum:– The next time that you go to an art

museum in order to relax try this… • Clear your mind• Try to forget about everything else

that is stressing you out• Loose yourself in the painting

– Try to figure out what the artist was feeling when they created this painting

– Put yourself in the picture and imagine the world of the picture around you

Painting/Drawing to Heal

• Over a period of four months, a study proved that art therapy helped alleviate 8 of the 9 symptoms in cancer patients– Including pain, depression, poor appetite, and

fatigue

Psychiatric Patients• The creative process of

painting causes psychiatric patient’s “inner pictures” to become visible

• The pictures represent their disorders, as well as their development through the therapeutic process

Bulimic Patients• Painting is used in “Integrative Painting Therapy”

– Initial phase of the approach is helping patients learn to control, and ultimately normalize, their eating habits

– The Acting Out (or Conflict Awareness) phase, they try to cope with their disorder on a pictorial level

– Self Esteem is eventually stabilized• By improving one’s image of themselves through painting,

they can then learn to appreciate their body

Finally… Painting to Express Emotions

• The creative process is used to induce relaxation and give expression to a person’s deepest emotions

• Art is used as a less intimidating way, compared to receiving counseling, to express fears and emotions

Movie Clip

• 50 First Dates–starring Adam Sandler and Drew

Barrymore

Expression cont…

• Often abused children have no words to describe their experience, so painting is a way for therapists to help them heal

• Painting is also great for adults with quick defenses becauseit allows therapists to gain insights on their feelings without coming across as intrusive

Expression cont…

• Painting is a great way patients to talk about painful situations– This is because they can discuss the painting

as opposed to talking about themselves– It helps to distance them from the harsh

emotions they are dealing with

Express Yourself• Just to get you started…

– Find a place that you can relax• Your room, a balcony, at the pool, etc.

– Close your eyes and get in touch with how you are feeling

– Think of a way to express that feeling• A picture, a collage, an abstract object

– Put your feelings onto the canvas

Photo Therapy“a picture is worth a thousand

words”

“There are always two people in every

picture:  the photographer and the

viewer”“The camera can

photograph thought”

What is Photo Therapy?• A type of art therapy

• Is an interrelated system of photo-based counseling techniques

• Used by trained mental health professionals as part of their therapeutic practice

• Helps clients consciously view their own insights in order to better understand and improve their life

• Can be used by any kind of trained counselor or therapist

Who uses Photo Therapy?• Helpful in multicultural, disabled,

minority-gender, special-needs, and other similarly-complex populations

• Beneficial in diversity training, conflict resolution, divorce mediation, and other related fields

• Anyone can use photo therapy

How does Photo Therapy work?• Serves as natural bridges for accessing, exploring,

and communicating about feelings and memories

• Gives "in-sight" in ways that words alone cannot convey

• During Photo Therapy sessions, photos are used and interacted with to illustrate thoughts and feelings between the therapist and client

• Relieves stress, anxiety, and everyday worries

Types of Photo Therapy• Digital pictures

• Family albums

• Optical illusions

Pictures

Optical Illusions

                              

http://puzzles.about.com/library/weekly/blopil02.htm

The Missing Princess

• http://puzzles.about.com/library/weekly/blopil33.htm

ARTS & CRAFTS!

Have you ever thought about taking up a craft? • In fact, doing a craft is a prescription for good health.  And more importantly you do not need to be good at the craft to benefit! 

•A craft can be any type of hand made project that you get satisfaction in doing

For example: •bead work/ wood work • knitting/ needle work• making jewelry •scrap booking•candle making or•any kind of decoration.

Arts & Crafts is described as an ideal way to:

• Reconcile emotional conflicts• Foster self-awareness• Develop social skills• Manage behavior• Solve problems• Reduce anxiety• Increase self-esteem

Crafts are an intellectual activity which helps to keep your brain healthy!!

“Medicine is technical so when I bead I can be creative and do whatever I want. Beading relieves stress and it's also very fun. I can bead and watch television at the same time without a problem. Medicine is a lot more serious and stressful. Someone's life is depending on you. “

-Dr. Nadia Christensen

•Medical studies have shown that there are physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits from having an active interest in crafting.

•One study of 30 female heart patients reported in the American Journal Medical Association showed a significant decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, and

perspiration rate while the subjects completed a simple craft project.

•Arts & crafts provide a distraction from the pressures and stresses of everyday life.  When you're engaged in your craft project your mind is concentrating on the project,

this stops you thinking about everyday problems. 

•There is a tremendous feeling of satisfaction when you have completed a craft project.  The final piece is all your own work.  It is good to have something tangible,

something that you can hold and admire.

•Another major benefit is that it keeps your brain active - learning is important for keeping your brain "in shape".  The size and structure of the neurons in your brain

and the connections between them actually change as you learn. 

ReferencesReferences Integrative Painting TherapyIntegrative Painting Therapy

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10444807&dopt=Abstracthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10444807&dopt=Abstract Eating DisordersEating Disorders

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11082796&dopt=Abstracthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11082796&dopt=Abstract Painting What We See WithinPainting What We See Within

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f03/web3/l1updegrove.html#1http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f03/web3/l1updegrove.html#1 Art as TherapyArt as Therapy

http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/22/421aa81f6267fhttp://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/22/421aa81f6267f Art Therapy can reduce pain, anxiety, fatigue in cancer patientsArt Therapy can reduce pain, anxiety, fatigue in cancer patients

Canadian Press Newswire on January 1, 2006Canadian Press Newswire on January 1, 2006 Written by: Sheryl UbelackerWritten by: Sheryl Ubelacker

Art Therapy helps Children CommunicateArt Therapy helps Children Communicate Star News on November 16, 2005Star News on November 16, 2005 Written by: MJ EngelWritten by: MJ Engel

Gazing at Fine Art, Reduces Stress LevelsGazing at Fine Art, Reduces Stress Levels The Vancouver Province on January 17, 2006The Vancouver Province on January 17, 2006 Written by: Tom SpearsWritten by: Tom Spears

ClayClay http://www.vickyb.demon.co.uk/clay.htmlhttp://www.vickyb.demon.co.uk/clay.html Art TherapyArt Therapy http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Art_Therapy.asp?sitearea=ETO http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Art_Therapy.asp?sitearea=ETO PhototherapyPhototherapy http://www.phototherapy-centre.com/home.htmhttp://www.phototherapy-centre.com/home.htm The Missing PrincessThe Missing Princess http://puzzles.about.com/library/weekly/blopil33.htmhttp://puzzles.about.com/library/weekly/blopil33.htm