Do you know what art therapy is? art therapy It is a type of therapy that involves using art itself as a therapeutic medium. It has been proven that art is a good vehicle for healing psychological disorders, treating personal blockages and fears, etc.
Although art therapy began as a therapy solely for therapeutic purposes, today many people also use it as a technique for personal development, emotional expression, and even self-discovery. Want to know everything you didn't know about art therapy? Keep reading!
History of art therapy
Since even before verbal language appeared, human beings have expressed themselves in one way or another through art. If you think about it carefully, cavemen in prehistoric times already portrayed their way of life, which has helped us understand their customs many years later. Art helps us explore ourselves, showing how we see life, what worries us, what makes us happy, what interests us... And, despite what many believe, we can all use this tool, not just artists or those who are "good" at it.
It was in Classical Antiquity that the therapeutic properties and benefits of art were first discovered. Thus, they realized that art helped them achieve the necessary balance in their daily lives and keep body and mind in harmony. Curious, isn't it?
However, it wasn't until the 19th century that a group of European psychiatrists became interested in the visual arts created by patients diagnosed with some type of mental disorder. They analyzed them and discovered that they were indeed a communication tool as effective as verbal language. At that time, the Viennese psychiatrist Hans Prinzhorn stated that, in his opinion, all artistic creation had the potential for self-healing.
In the 20th century, art therapy finally established itself as a profession and, to this end, it was based on two main schools of thought: psychoanalysis and the artistic education . Furthermore, the Gestalt school also gains special relevance.
How does art therapy work?
Art therapists combine psychology and the arts in their profession to assist their patients. Psychology provides them, on the one hand, with a deep understanding of the human mind, behavior, and human processes and development. On the other hand, knowledge of different artistic disciplines is important, as they use different techniques and types of art to work with their patients. Sculpture, of course, is one of these techniques that professionals use.
Goals of art therapy
Art therapy uses art as a form of communication. In this way, people can express themselves or communicate their feelings through the creation of visual works. The main objectives of art therapy are threefold:
- Communicate the most difficult feelings to express.
- Increase confidence and self-esteem.
- Make verbal expression more accessible.
These three objectives trigger a series of benefits, which we'll discuss below. Want to know what they are?
The benefits of art therapy
But what benefits does art therapy really offer? In addition to expressing ourselves and helping us better understand ourselves, art can also help in the following ways:
- It helps people who do not communicate easily to communicate.
- It promotes emotional self-knowledge and helps regulate behavior.
- Improves the quality of life.
- It is useful in the areas of rehabilitation and emotional education.
- It is very effective for people who have problems relating correctly to their environment.
- It has proven to be very beneficial for children and adolescents with learning difficulties.
- Helps improve symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
- Strengthens self-esteem.
The greatest benefit of using art as therapy is that it's highly stimulating and develops the creative side and lateral thinking of these individuals. Furthermore, art serves as a way to express feelings that often generate frustration.
Art therapy and sculpture
As you know, sculpture is one of the seven arts and, as such, serves to achieve all the benefits mentioned above. Modeling figures, shaping them, immersing oneself in creative work, taking care of even the smallest details...
Various scientific studies have shown that art therapy strategies involving sculpture significantly improve the quality of life of people affected by diseases as serious as Alzheimer's or senile dementia and help slow the process of cognitive decline.
However, as we've previously mentioned, you don't need to suffer from an illness or have a communication disorder to enjoy its benefits. Art, and therefore art therapy, can help us achieve greater personal satisfaction, improve our self-esteem, help us focus our attention, and become more self-confident people.
Did you know all these facts about art therapy? They're very interesting! Let us know what you think about this technique, and if you're inspired to model your own figures, we'll be happy to send you all the tools you need!
