Arts and Mental Health
Art Therapy is described as a form of expressive group therapy that helps people express themselves in ways beyond words. It teaches service users the basics of artistic expression and allows them to use new mediums to explore their inner emotions.
Common types of art used in art therapy we offer are:
- Drawing
- Sculpting
- Painting
- Tie & Dye
- Batik
Cathy Malchiodi, author and art therapist, states that “art therapy asks you to explore your inner experience—your feelings, perceptions and imagination. While art therapy may involve learning skills or art techniques, the emphasis is generally first on developing and expressing images that come from inside the person, rather than those he or she sees in the outside world.” Based on this understanding, TOP offers one of the arts therapies.
Art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. A goal in art therapy is to improve or restore a client’s functioning and his or her sense of personal well-being. Art therapy practice requires knowledge of visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms) and the creative process, as well as of human development, psychological, and counseling theories and techniques.
