Art Therapy

What Art Therapy is Not:

 

Art therapy is not about making pretty pictures.
It is not an art or craft class.
It is not counselling.

 

Art therapy is a gentle, non verbal form of therapy and healing.

 

Art therapy is a gentle, non-verbal form of therapy that allows you to reveal yourself, in your own pace and personal space, and to recognise and restore parts of yourself through creative expression. Art therapy is a therapeutic practice. It combines art and (transpersonal) psychology.

 

It uses the creative process, artistic techniques and external artwork to support individuals to develop self-awareness, explore emotions and address unresolved conflict or trauma.

 

The art therapist will choose and facilitate art activities that are helpful to you, help you to find meaning in the creative process, facilitate your sharing of the experience of image making, and for you to make sense out, gain insight into, and come to a resolve around your area of concern.

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In general, art therapy is less threatening, less confrontational than traditional talk therapy. You can express your emotions easily and safely; only you know what you express in the artwork. It allows you to feel your emotions at a deeper level in the kinesthetic experience of art making; it allows you to express and communicate what is felt inside out.

 

After having made the artwork, the art therapist asks you questions about the artwork in which you have expressed your issue. The questions are not directed at you, so you can more objectively and safely look at your issue, together with the art therapist. The artwork remains the object of conversation and you talk about the product you have created.

 

In the process, you get the recognitions and you raise your self-awareness. The art therapist also encourages you to see the artwork from different angles, which allows you to see your story from different sides. Both 2-dimensional (e.g. painting, drawing) and 3-dimensional mediums (e.g. sandtray, sculptures) are used in the process.

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All individuals have the capacity to express themselves creatively. You do not need to be artistically inclined or interested. In art therapy, the product is not important. There is no need to make pretty or accurately looking images. Art therapy aims to help individuals overcome emotional or psychological challenges to achieve a greater sense of personal well being.'

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How do you know if Art Therapy is right for you?

 

Art is a great way to express and communicate ourselves.

Art–Making can also help us to share our emotions through things like drawing, painting, sculpture and lots more.

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It can help you to:

 

• Improve creativity

• Improve self-esteem

• Increase sense of having power of choice

• Increase sense of self and self-ownership

• Reduce stress and anxiety

• Reduce depression and fatigue

• Improve interpersonal skills

• Enhance mind-body-spirit connection

• Increase sense of meaning and life-purpose.

 

If all sounds good to you, welcome to My-Art Therapy.

 

Contact Dr José van den Akker by calling 0429 547 515.