Art therapy is a creative process that can heal the body, mind, and spirit. It is an expressive treatment method for mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction. The creative process employed by art therapists helps clients explore their feelings to find solutions to emotional problems.
Reduces Symptoms Of PTSD
Creative therapy has been shown to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It has also been shown to reduce anger and anxiety in prisoners. The creative process of art therapy involves creating imagery or shaping one’s environment — both coping strategies that allow people suffering from PTSD a chance to regulate their emotions.
Art Therapy For Teen Girls With Eating Disorders
A recent study showed the positive effects of using creative arts therapies for teenage girls with eating disorders. Art therapy sessions included creative activities such as drawing self-portraits, writing poetry and short stories, painting mandalas, and making collages. All these activities helped participants reflect on feelings about food and body image issues. According to the study, creative arts therapies helped participants express and cope with difficult emotions in a way that did not involve food. The researchers stated that innovative art therapy should be considered an alternative therapeutic modality for teenage girls suffering from eating disorders. This is because it can help improve self-esteem, reduce anxiety, increase assertiveness skills, promote healthy coping strategies (i.e., engaging in positive activities outside of eating), and provide opportunities for developing realistic body images.
Art Therapy For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A recent study explored how creative art therapy could benefit children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or ADHD. Previous research showed the beneficial effects of using creative arts therapies on adults who had suffered from these conditions, but this was the first study to look at creative arts therapies as a possible treatment for children. The results showed that innovative art therapy has potential benefits on young people’s social and emotional health with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, including promoting self-awareness. This can help them interact more successfully with others by developing their interpersonal skills such as empathy, perspective-taking, and fine motor coordination (i.e., using small muscle movements/skills). The process of creating artwork is believed to be particularly beneficial because it allows individuals to express themselves in ways they may not normally do or cannot verbally communicate about issues important to them.
To conclude, creative therapy is an innovative and collaborative approach to working with people.
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