Art Therapy Research Paper

Words: 818
Pages: 4
Open Document
Depression is a mental illness that consumes the whole body. It causes the person that has it to feel tired, unmotivated, and hopeless. The person may also start to shut themselves off from family members and other loved ones. To the person suffering from depression, it may seem that there is no end in sight – that nothing in the world can help them feel better. However, art therapy may be an excellent option. Art therapy is the use of art in psychotherapy where the client is allowed to use different art media (such as clay, paint, oil pastels, or chalk) to express themselves. The use of free-expression can help the client bring to light issues that they are facing and can help them work through them. Art therapy can especially help teens who …show more content…
Adolescents may also become aggressive and start abusing drugs and alcohol as a way to relieve depressive pain. Because teens that suffer from depression tend to act out their depression, active therapies can help. Art can be used therapeutically and the end product can be used in various ways. For one, the artwork created can help the therapist understand a bit more about what is going on with the teen. The artwork can also help the teen communicate, putting into art what they can’t put into words. The therapist can also keep the artwork to see how much it changes throughout the therapy sessions, keeping track of how much the client has progressed. Activity is an antidepressant, so art will stimulate the adolescent and help them find a solution to their …show more content…
They would rather put themselves at risk emotionally than admit they need help. When it comes to a teen with depression, “the greatest difficulty for an adult seeking to establish a relationship with an adolescent is the teen’s resistance to authority and lack of trust in the adult world” (Riley, 2001). Because of this, teens are resistant to talk to adults, especially ones they do not know. However, adolescents are attracted to making symbols and drawing, so using art as language instead of actually speaking words is an easy way to communicate. Drawings introduce representational language and personalized communication. In many cases, teens are unable to express their deep feelings through words, and sometimes the images they put in their artwork comes before the understanding of the visualization. The art created can help the therapist gain some idea of the client’s worries and life circumstances when the client does not want to share through words. Also, art-based therapies were reported to be “effective for patients who had difficulty with more traditional forms of talk-oriented therapies” (Frisch, Franko, and Herzog,
Show More

Related Documents: Art Therapy Research Paper

Art Therapy Research Paper

How Art Therapy Helps Those with Anxiety, Stress, PTSD, and Depression In accordance with art therapy’s role in helping those with Alzheimer’s and Autism, it can also be very useful in the treatment of anxiety, stress, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. Traci Pedersen (2015) explains how art therapy can help veterans and soldiers with their PTSD who have returned from war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Cheryl Miller helped conduct this research on the soldiers. The therapy was…

Words 1265 - Pages 6

Art Therapy Research Paper

satisfaction that comes along with art therapy. It is a relatively new and evolving therapeutic process. Art therapy as well as the countless number of other types of therapeutic processes fall under the category of psychotherapies. Meeting one on one with a counselor and discussing problems in your everyday life is the most known process. That most certainly does not make it the most productive method for working through problems. Using your own creativity and strategy to create art while releasing your stress…

Words 1198 - Pages 5

Art Therapy Research Paper

way where we need a break once in awhile and often times, art and expression can give us that break we need. Lucky for us, this concept of using creativity and personal interest as a remedy for health, is known as art therapy. Art therapy is a gateway to expressionism, an increase of social abilities, and it can overall fix or aid many of our mental health issues. Unfortunately, society is unaware and unwilling to promote the use of art therapy, yet countless cases have been noted regarding the improvement…

Words 1136 - Pages 5

Adlerian Art Therapy

of Adlerian Art Therapy Groups are the ideal situation when implementing Adlerian art therapy because it “develops an optimal sense of belonging” (Dreikurs, p. 70). Not only does it teach cooperation with others, interaction between group members allows the therapist a better understanding of each particular individual. In Adlerian family art therapy; the therapist is able to analysis the roles and environment the family has created for themselves while they participate in an art making activity…

Words 1383 - Pages 6

Occupational Therapy Personal Statement

When I first heard about occupational therapy, I would have never envisioned squeezing paper towels as something beneficial. “Juan”, a Head Start student in occupational therapy (OT), sneaked over to the faucet to pour a cup of water. When I nudged Joe, the OT, to Juan's attention, Joe snatched a handful of paper towels. “Juan, I have a game for you.” The occupational therapist sat him down and squashed the paper into the cup. Fortunately, there was a rubber bowl at the table. Joe wrung the towel…

Words 870 - Pages 4

Occupational Therapy (OT)

When I first heard about occupational therapy, I would have never envisioned squeezing paper towels as a beneficial activity. “Juan”, a Head Start student in occupational therapy (OT), sneaked over to the faucet to pour a cup of water. When I nudged Joe, the OT, to Juan's attention, Joe snatched a handful of paper towels. “Juan, I have a game for you.” The occupational therapist sat him down and squashed the paper into the cup. Fortunately, there was a rubber bowl at the table. Joe wrung the towel…

Words 922 - Pages 4

Essay on Person Centered Therory

Person-Centered Therapy Kimberly Meeks Liberty University Abstract The aim of this paper is to introduce the Person-Centered therapy approach to the counseling procedure. The concept of Person-Centered therapy was founded by Carl Rogers in the mid-1940s. The approach is based on the concept that the person is the focus of the counseling sessions and not the problem. The emphasis is placed on the positive aspect of the person and his or her unique situation. Since no two people are…

Words 2050 - Pages 9

Personal Narrative: A Sense Of Anxiety

shelter where to find relief. Initially, my research was focused on the outside, looking for someone or something that would soothe the pain that was becoming every day more and more unbearable. After years of fruitless searching, one day I met a yoga teacher who has lit a path up until then unknown to me. I finally found an art that would be my greatest ally in the frantic struggle to free myself from the ghosts of a past of fear and despair: the art of meditation. Driven by an insatiable curiosity…

Words 1295 - Pages 6

Summary Of Krantz And Mcclannahan's Baseline Study

autism by one or more outside agencies. All four participants had a history of impaired imitation skills, severe communication deficits, minimal or absent academic, and social and home-living skills. The setting for the study was a classroom and research center for autism for training, and generalization took place in large conference room. Before the study, participants had learned to independently follow a photographic activity schedule and written activity schedule. The dependent variable was…

Words 493 - Pages 2

Theoretical Framework And Analysis

clinician will use the interventions and techniques correctly. This takes practice and research on these theories. Not one theory works with all clients, for this reason it is good for clinicians to be knowledgeable in different theories. When clinicians choose a theory it needs to fit the client and the interventions need to be tailored to the client, not tailored to the clinicians wants and needs. For this paper this author will be exploring person-centered and applying that theory to a case to…

Words 1474 - Pages 6