Art therapy or art therapy, provides a very interesting when dealing physical or emotional illnesses alternative viewpoint.
What is art therapy?
Art therapy or art therapy is based on the use of art as a creative process that as we approach something new, it helps in the healing process.
Art has the ability to make visible universal values: the contrast of light and dark, color, composition, harmony, beauty. With these elements, the artist creates new worlds, not based on utility or only material standard of life.
In fact, it unites the material world with mental or psychic world. With the encouragement of creativity changes are stimulated, the person is discovered, he is surprised to see who has done something different. It has become something material into something alive that speaks of himself.
At some point in his biography, the patient has lost balance and with art therapy or art therapy can restore harmony disturbed and reach a state of health in all its aspects.
Mainly in art therapy Pathogenesis Anthropocentric concept is present; this approach driven by Aaron Antonovsky gives us the belief in the self-healing powers of the human organism. So, as the knowledge that the disease is a condition in which there is an imbalance between the body, soul and spirit.
Art therapy or art therapy, which takes account of this integral vision of man, it helps return to a “normal state”. No to a state in which we have no disturbances, pain and ailments, but we can achieve a dynamic balance between being good or not.
What art therapy is based?
Art therapy or art therapy is based on helping the affected of some pathology to some kind of transformation or change person. To achieve this it has to collect the patient where it is, whether it is a chronic disease as if it is not. In a protected environment and through artistic practice the person can review, monitor and change those patterns that have led to not be healthy.
And by observing creation, both therapist and patient are reflected the inner world and establish where the imbalance is. The artistic elements are within a secure framework, where to start making changes then transferred to everyday life.
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Art is therapeutic when it gets stimulated by the therapist who conducts the meetings and the patient is actively involved in his healing changes. Since the therapy is based on the relationship between a person who is going through a critical, physically or psychically stage, a patient who has lost health for different reasons and a therapist that is, from the current situation, to accompany him on the restoring health.
It is a therapy in which the patient has to involve and contribute to their healing process. Another difference is that art itself in artistic therapies is not important or ability or plastic knowledge of the person, nor the work itself. But despite this, the work is always beautiful because it is born of the authenticity of the creator.
What can help us art therapy?
Currently this therapy has been expanding its use setting. Many therapists use art therapy or art therapy in sectors where a non-verbal therapy as it is convenient. For example, in nursing homes adults, groups with integration issues in relation to mental disabilities, psychiatric patients, etc. Also as in the treatment of fibromyalgia now extended as anorexia and diseases. Many therapists have driven art therapy in prisons.
And to counteract school failure and the various problems that many students currently have. Such as lack of concentration and attention, and disorientation that many teenagers have. It is also interesting art implantation in any pedagogical method and have seen great results. In fact, it has a large presence in Waldorf education.
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Although, not only can be used in all kinds of diseases and chronic illnesses, also in the processes of self-knowledge is desirable. Anyone who is going through a crisis, a time when want to promote a change, you can get much help from these artistic therapies.
Origin and history of art therapy or art therapy
The origin of art therapy is in the approaches of Freud about the unconscious and especially the contributions of Jung who used art for both their own knowledge and their patients. It is very interesting in this regard, the use made of mandalas as therapy.
Also art therapy practice has its beginnings in the interest of some European psychiatrists, as Hans Prinzhorn that the late nineteenth felt that all creation housed a healing potential.
The story continues when the middle of S. XX different societies and institutions were founded artistic therapies.
In art therapy there are different theories and approaches: for example based on Jungian psychology, behavioral, humanistic, in the psychoanalytic approach, gestalt therapy and art Anthropocentric.
