The Benefits of Art Therapy and Counseling

By Bryan Jennings


You may be asking what is art therapy and counseling. The answer is simple. It is counseling which uses art in an effort to enhance the mental and physical health of the patient. It is believed that art in any form can help people work through conflicts and problems by relaxing the patient and allowing them a thing called self-expression. The only real requirement is the ability to let go of your mind and allow yourself to draw whatever you feel inside. Around the mid-twentieth century, English speaking and European regions began to consider art as a form of therapy when combined with counseling. They discovered that it is a useful tool for adults and children who have behavioral issues, mental or learning disabilities, as well as brain injuries or other neurological issues. It can be used to help patients who have had a traumatic experience heal their minds and help people who have life threatening ailments to cope.

Art therapy and counseling combined, keeps the hands and the mind busy while releasing creative energy that relaxes the patient. That allows them to become uninhibited and lets them build up defenses against whatever illness is holding them back. By freeing the mind and drawing whatever a person feels like drawing a counselor can then see how the patient feels. They can determine whether he is depressed, happy, or sad about whatever situation is portrayed in the artwork.

Art therapy and counseling can be especially useful in the treatment of autistic children who have trouble showing emotion. It allows the counselor the ability to help tailor the treatment to the child as opposed to subjecting the child to the treatment which has been proven to be counterproductive in the past. Art therapy and counseling doesn't mean that you have to have a creative flair. It doesn't require you to be an excellent artist. You simply draw, build sculptures or any other kind of creative act that you feel is relaxing and allows you to free your mind enough to look inside.

The art treatment counselors have to have a good amount of background in psychology along with art and they are required to earn masters. It takes about three years education to discover all the different means of translating the artwork of their customers. They work closely with individuals of all age groups. They can deal with specific individuals or work with people in a group depending on the patient's specific demands. Art specialists are found in many different settings consisting of however not limited to schools, nursing homes, recovery centers and medical facilities.

Anyone can use art therapy and counseling. You don't necessarily have to have a specific problem with behavior or other mental issues. It can be done from the comfort of your home whenever you want to gain perspective on your thoughts or if you simply need to take a break and relax for a little while. Anytime you focus on something other than the problems at hand you will find yourself feeling free of the stresses of everyday life. That in itself is a kind of therapy.




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