What comes to mind when you first hear the words – art therapy? You might wonder how exactly drawing or painting something might actually become a form of therapy for others… Fun fact: across many studies with different populations, art therapy has been shown to be effective and brings about mental wellness. How? Let’s find out!
Art therapy is a therapeutic approach that uses the creative process of making art to improve mental health and emotional well-being. It enables people to express and discover themselves whilst gaining personal insights (Cherry, 2023). According to Farokhi (2011), art embodies a reflection of real world emotions, behaviours, and thoughts experienced by an individual. Not only are the symbols and products produced, but the art making process is also considered as carriers of the perception and feelings owned by the individual. Past research suggests that the process of making art and the product made are two distinct approaches adopted in art therapy (Farokhi, 2011).
Art therapy is believed to fall under two categories
The inherent power of the creative process in art making
>> This view embraces the idea that the process of making art is therapeutic, referring to it as ‘Art as Therapy’.
The artwork produced during art therapy
>> This view asserts that art is a means of symbolic communication. The products – drawings, paintings, clay, and other forms of art expressions encapsulates the issues, conflicts, and emotions experienced by its creator. The art becomes significant in communicating and enhancing verbal exchanges between the creator and the art therapist. This allows both parties to achieve insight, resolve conflicts, and formulate new perspectives, that in turn, sparks positive changes, growth, and healing. This is referred to as ‘Art Psychotherapy’.
Generally, these approaches are applied together in varying degrees since art therapists believe that both the idea of art making and the artwork explores the perplexed thoughts and feelings through the use of art materials, thereby facilitating healing (Farokhi, 2011). Especially since it can be challenging to verbalise one’s exact emotions, the way that the client expresses him/herself on the paper, including the types of colours used, the speed of expression, and the way he/she draws, paints, or nudges the clay will reach towards the therapist. This is the unique factor of art therapy – it can mitigate and allow people to process complex perception and emotions beyond words.
Despite its niche nature, art therapy is suggested to be effective and crucial in facilitating difficult conversations and experiences amongst both local and global studies. Local studies focusing on communities such as healthcare workers (Ho et al., 2021), elderly with mild neurocognitive disorder and cognitive impairment (Mahendran et al., 2018), elderly with subsyndromal depression and anxiety (Rawtear et al., 2015) found art therapy to be beneficial in relieving mental exhaustion, improving memory and attention, reducing negative emotions and anxiety. Similar to global meta-analyses targeting women with cancer, prison inmates, and children dealing with trauma symptoms, grief or being at risk for long-term behavioural issues, art therapy has been found to significantly reduce depression scores, diminish behavioural problems, and improve self-esteem (Regev & Cohen-Yatziv, 2018; Kaimal et al., 2019; Slayton et al., 2010). It helps individuals to develop a sense of self, experience positive emotions, process trauma, and reduce feelings of loss, guilt, and grief.
In summary, art therapy is a powerful tool that harnesses the creative process to facilitate emotional expression and healing. By enabling individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings through artistic mediums, it transcends traditional verbal communication and provides a unique avenue for personal growth. The transformative effects of art therapy are well-documented across diverse populations. Whether it is for processing trauma, managing anxiety, or enhancing self-esteem, art therapy can bring about a meaningful path to wellness – allowing individuals to make meaningful changes in their lives.
Written by:
Jamie Ang Hui Hsien
Singapore Institute of Management – University at Buffalo, State University of New York
References:
Cherry, K. (2023, November 9). What is art therapy? Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-art-therapy-2795755
Farokhi, M. (2011). Art therapy in Humanistic Psychiatry. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 30, 2088 – 2092. DOI: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.406
Ho, H. Y. A., Tan-Ho, G., Ngo, T. A., Ong, G., Chong, P. H., Dignadice, D., & Potash, J. (2021). A novel mindful-compassion art-based therapy for reducing burnout and promoting resilience among healthcare workers: Findings from a waitlist randomized control trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 21(12), 1 – 15. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.744443
Kaimal, G., Jones, J. P., Dieterich-Hartwell, R., Acharya, B., & Wang, X. (2019). Evaluation of long and short-term art therapy interventions in an integrative care setting for military service members with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 62, 28 – 36. DOI: 10.1016/j.aip.2018.10.003
Mahendran, R., Gandhi, M., Moorakonda, R. B., Wong, J., Kanchi, M. M., Fam, J., Rawtear, I., Kumar, A. P., Feng, L., & Kua, E. H. (2018). Art therapy is associated with sustained improvement in cognitive function in the elderly with mild neurocognitive disorder: Findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial for art therapy and music reminiscence activity versus usual care. Trials, 19(1), 1 – 10. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-2988-6
Rawtear, I., Mahendran, R., Yu, J., Fam, J., Feng, L., & Kua, H. E. (2015). Psychosocial interventions with art, music, Tai Chi and mindfulness for subsyndromal depression and anxiety in older adults: A naturalistic study in Singapore. Asia-Pacific Psychiatry, 7(3), 240 – 250. DOI: 10.1111/appy.12201
Regev, D., & Cohen-Yatziv, L. (2018). Effectiveness of art therapy with adult clients in 2018 – What progress has been made? Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1531 – 1550. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01531
Slayton, S. C., D’Archer, J., & Kaplan, F. (2010). Outcome studies on the efficacy of art therapy: A review of findings. Art Therapy, 27(3), 108 – 118. DOI: 10.1080/07421656.2010.10129660
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