Art as a form of Therapy

      Art tells stories. Artists use it to show what they're thinking, how their feeling, their views on life. Art expresses the inner emotions. We all do it. Doodle, draw, paint, but what people don't really know, is that art is a form of therapy.
      Art therapy first started to originate in the 20th-century. As an expressive medium, art can be used to help people communicate, overcome stress and explore different aspects of their own personality. In psychology, the use of art to treat psychological disorders and enhance mental health is known as art therapy.
      Some situations in which art therapy might be utilised include:

• Children with learning disabilities
• Adults experiencing severe stress
• Children suffering from behavioural or social problems at school or at home
• People experiencing mental health problems
• Individuals suffering from a brain injury
• Children or adults who have experienced a traumatic event

      You might also wonder how an art therapy session differs from the average art class. "In most art therapy sessions, the focus is on 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," explains Cathy Maldiochi in The Art Therapy Sourcebook.