Preview

Art Therapy Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
686 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Art Therapy Essay Example
Art Therapy

How does Art Therapy help in maintaining a person's health or helping them get well from a sickness?

Before finding the answer to this question it is necessary to understand the background, history, and importance of what Art Therapy is. First of all Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy. In psychotherapy there is an exploration of feelings and concerns in nonverbal and verbal exercises that use simple visual art materials. Art therapy focuses on the creative process for a person instead of what they are able to produce. Confusing and difficult feelings are able to be expressed through using Art Therapy because it is presented in a non-threatening manner. Art Therapy is used to encourage insight, self-awareness, and independence of the patient. People whom use Art Therapy feel they are able to communicate and gain understanding through it. Art Therapy is said to help in a creative process that a person goes through in which they can find "inner guidance" and find "self-healing" at a conscious level. Art Therapy can be expressed through storytelling, poetry, music, dance, visual arts, painting, sculpture, and any other type of creativity activity. Many Art Therapists believe that there is growing a stronger connection between art and healing and believe that Art Therapy is significant to a person's health.

Art Therapy was originally a part of the term "Expressive Therapy" and therefore categorized in a broad spectrum. During the age of Expressionism, which VanGough and other artists like him were a part of, expressive therapy began to develop. This took place in Europe when there was a need for emotional self-expression. In order to express this idea art work was portrayed with distortion of colors, shapes, and surfaces. This started to lead to the idea of abstraction. At this time, William Reich, who was a psychiatrist, started bringing psychiatry and expressionism together. He thought that this expressive therapy would be

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Many people use art as a way to express themselves. Art comes in many different forms, whether it be dancing, making music, or actual art. In order for them to really express themselves in their art, artists need to incorporate their knowledge and empathy into it.…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Autistic children may not be capable to express themselves, however, through art therapy this child is learning more about…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Art Essay 101

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Citations: Sayre, Henry M. A World Of Art. 6th Edition. Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2010. 1, 3, 35, 42. Print.…

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Art Therapy acts as a release of emotions for individuals. Creating art reflects daily lives, if practiced everyday and displays various events or other aspects of life that left an emotional…

    • 1282 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The researcher noted that future research should record age and the onset of treatment (Epp, 2008). Additionally, a larger sample size and greater socioeconomic and ethnic variety of the sample would increase applicability and reliability of results (Epp, 2008). Lastly, group and technique variation could differentiate the effectiveness of group and art therapy over other interventions (Epp,…

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Art 101 Essay

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Leonardo da Vinci. The Last Supper (after restoration).Leonardo’s “Last Supper” is a priceless piece of art with much hidden meaning and obvious talents bestowed upon a wall. Leonardo was able to use his skills in creating a very detailed and a very naturalistic piece of work that would be remembered for hundreds of years. He was also able to create characters with amazing individuality. Not only was his portrayal of the characters magnificent, but the symbolism he used which emphasized the story being told in the “Last Supper”.…

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Art Funding Benefits

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The art funding is a good use of a taxpayer’s money, because art therapy is very beneficial. According to the article called “Art Therapy Is More Than Just Making Nice Pictures" by Priscilla Frank, art…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Family Therapy Essay

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Solution-focused brief therapy respect cultures background, understanding the client with his or her culture or worldview, it encouraged the client to explore their reality from the culture structure. There might be communication barrier, because SFBT approaches directly and it might be odd for some culture that value indirect approach to a problem. (Ivey, D’Andrea, Ivey & Morgan, 2002). Lee (cited in Sharf, 2012) states that SFBT can be seen as an approach that will be approved by several cultures because it provides support and advice rather than analysis and labelling.…

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Expressive Dance Therapy

    • 1875 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Expressive art therapy can also aid a child in achieving better self-awareness, relief from stress or anxiety, learning disorders, autism, and other traumatic experiences. Through art therapy, children receive treatment that is based on their existing strengths, weaknesses, interests, and concerns. It can help children of all ages and races.…

    • 1875 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Art Therapy Research Paper

    • 1444 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Art therapy uses imagery-specific techniques that are among the most effective in reducing PTSD symptomology (“Calm through creativity”, n.d.). The art materials serve as a medium towards exploration. The art making process, with the guidance of the therapist “helps the [client] to learn from the experience as well as the product” (Rubin, 1999) and reflecting on the emotional or behavioral outcomes can help create awareness of a trauma. Some people who experience the trauma find it difficult to verbally express the experience due to the emotionally overwhelming associations. The nonverbal methods of art therapy provide a comfortable means to address the trauma. Art therapists use the Media Dimension Variables (MDV) alongside the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) models to “think about media and activities according to specific objectives for people” (Rubin, 1999) and intentionally plan sessions according to where they stand in terms of expressive interaction with the…

    • 1444 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Experiencing the Arts

    • 623 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The definition of art, according to the Oxford dictionary is described as “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.” (Oxford, 2014) Now at a time before I would have to agree with the current definition of art given by Oxford, however I began to experience something quite different at the tender age of eight years old. At this age I was thrust into a world I did not want any parts of, I wanted to stay in my little bubble I called my world and deal with my feelings the way I wanted to. However my mother and therapist thought of another way I could express my feelings and emotions, they thought I should try creative writing and dance.…

    • 623 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Art Essay

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages

    When involved with life’s daily routines it seems as if time on earth will go on without end. Priorities become distorted, but vanitas paintings remind us that life’s journey has an end, and the things we concern ourselves with aren’t all that important when looking at the big picture of life and death. Although the mortality theme is in each vanitas, the artists express their meaning individually with use of color, iconography, and other artistic techniques. Two vanitas that are worth comparing are the Wheel of Fortune that was painted in 1977 by Audrey Flack and Vanitas, painted by Juan de Valdes in 1660.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    References: Taylor, C. S. (2007). Life review and art therapy in late adulthood. (Order No. 1442109, Ursuline College). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 180. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304713126?accountid=35812. (304713126).…

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Occupational Therapy Essay

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Occupational therapy (OT) helps people function in environments, such as home, work, school, or within his or her community, by addressing the physical, psychological, and cognitive needs of his or her well-being through engagement in everyday activities. In short, occupational therapy helps those live life to its fullest no matter their health or disabilities. Occupational therapists typically provide interventions to clients in the settings where they will likely engage in daily activities the most. Services are provided to all different age groups, including children with disabilities to help them participate fully in school or social situations, those recovering from injury to regain skills, or providing support for older adults who are…

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Physical Therapy Essay

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Physicians like Hippocrates and later Galenus are believed to be the first practitioners of physical therapy, advocating massage, manual therapy and hydrotherapy techniques in treating there patients back in 460 B.C. In the eighteenth century machines like gymnasticon were developed to treat gout and other diseases by way of systemic exercise of the joints, similar to later occurrences of physical therapy practices. The earliest documented origins of actual physical therapy as a professional group dates back to Per Henrik Ling, "Father of Swedish Gymnastics,". In 1887, PTs were given official registration by Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare, other countries soon followed.…

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays