Art therapy is an up-and-coming alternative form of psychotherapy that tries to touch the soul through contact with works of art or their creation.
Art therapy
We have mentioned the healing power of art in the past, through museum and gallery visits, watching a play or film, etc.
Not only are they the only ones.
Art treatment has gained ground in recent years, something much wider and more complex than a few visits.
Known in the Western world as Art Therapy or Art Psychotherapy, Visual Psychotherapy is a useful approach to problems that do not necessarily require prescription chemistry (drugs).
Stress, anxiety, inferiority complex or mild depression, or the need for further self-awareness can be addressed through this approach and it is typical that in countries like Britain, large organizations have incorporated it into their practices.
A key part of Art Therapy methodology is to encourage people to express their feelings through a work of art that they have either created themselves or seen in a museum and identified with.
In addition, it is an alternative way of bringing to the surface the repressed, the guilt, and the negative emotions that are in the bowels of existence.
Although it is only heard in Greece in recent years, it has its roots in the ’60s and ’70s.
In relation to the classical forms of psychotherapy, it differs in that the words give way to works of art, which function as a “mirror” of the inner world of the individual and in this way manifest conscious and unconscious aspects of him.
After all, research has shown that people “see” themselves in various museum exhibits.
For example, an object can evoke strong emotions or symbolize an aspect of the patient’s current or past experience, which will provide important data about his or her mental state.
On the other hand, the creation of a work of art by the individual at the end of a cycle of sessions is also a method that can work therapeutically.
The benefits to our mental health from art
We must often feed ourselves with actions and activities that make us feel better.
It is important to often feed ourselves with behaviors and activities that make us
feel better, whether we are at the beginning of recovering from a mental difficulty.
It can really have a very positive impact on our lives to be involved and engaged in art.
The power of art is due to the fact that because there is an innate “healing” element in the process, it gives us the opportunity to feel psychological and spiritual integrity.
One of the reasons why art is so essential to our lives is that it provides us with the experience of devoting ourselves to something non-material.
Through art, the very expression of our individuality allows us to connect with actions and habits that have been developed before us by others and to rediscover the connection with the society in which we live.
Research has also shown that the involvement of art in our mental health has clear advantages.
In self-esteem, self-confidence, social skills and thus in better mood and stress reduction, dance, music, painting, theater have proven advantages.
The most fundamental aspect is that participation in activities that include art is usually carried out at the level of a group.
Even if one suffers from a mental health issue, art can become the mechanism through which, as an active part of society, one can connect, explore and participate.
Art is a way to reconnect with a healthy part of a person whose mental problem disrupts his relationship with others and himself and can help him become more resilient to illness and hardship.
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