Art therapy combines traditional psychotherapeutic theories with creative exploration through paint, chalk, crayons and sometimes sculpture. Techniques might also include drama and puppetry or movement. In sand-play, for example, clients choose toys to represent miniature people, animals and buildings and arrange them in the controlled space of a 'theatre of the sandbox'. The art therapist is trained to have a comprehensive psychological understanding of the creative process and the affective attributes of different art materials. In this instance, art is seen as an outer expression of the inner emotional landscape of an individual's world; for example in a painting, the inter-relationship of size, shape, line, space, texture, shade, tone, colour and distance all reveal elements of the client's/patient's perceived reality.
Within the mental health sector, art therapy is a valuable tool for patients who have difficulties verbally expressing themselves. In non-clinical settings, such as art studios and workshops, the focus on creative development can be useful particularly when working with children and adolescents, as well as adults, couples, families, groups, and communities.
Related UKCP modality section:
Humanistic and integrative psychotherapies (HIPS) |
