Art Therapy For…

I previously talked about music therapy and now I want to talk about art therapy in general, which includes use of music, drawing, play acting etc..

What types of art therapy are used to navigate and move through situations constructively? For communications of emotions, which some people for any number of reasons might have a hard type conveying therapists might ask you to draw your emotions. A child who can’t fully express what they feel, an introvert, might be asked to use color and images to convey how they feel. Sad might be a frown face, a cloud that is not blue. They might be asked to create a wheel of emotion where for each person involved in the situation they convey how they feel, or design a postcard they will never actually send, to get the words out. There are therapeutic coloring books that can also be used. Images and words through these venues can be a safe way to express one’s self.

What if you are feeling down, anxious and need to raise your happy factor? One thing to do is write a quote that is inspiring a few times and then say it out loud. Repetition can be a good way to shift what the brain is focusing on. Draw things you love, could be nature, anything, doesn’t have to be perfect. I personally love doing Christian puzzles, playing a home decor game online. Again the visual can really help in shifting things internally.

Do you need to relax, there are ways to do that also. Color a mandala while listening to meditation, soft music. In choosing colors, choose colors that are very relaxing, soft, light colors, soft nature colors. Sit outside and draw something as you enjoy being outdoors, maybe connecting to nature. The outdoors with a quiet setting can really help to create internal relaxation. What if you have trauma and need to bring healing? All of these can be used as tools for healing trauma, as can dance movement, acting things out as if doing a play, in a way that is healthy.

For the dance, play acting and that kind of thing, it is best to work with a professional art therapist. Where do you find one? In the U.S. you can contact the American Art Therapy Association, Europe the Art Therapy Federation, for other parts of the world you can contact the Art Therapy Alliance. Art can be for pure entertainment or a natural way of dealing with various issues etc… in life.