Art Therapy

[vixy]

Hi everyone. My therapist has mentioned to me that I should try art therapy. There was a group who did it but they're waiting to find out if they're still getting the funding this year or not. Because of this, my therapist suggested that I could do it with her during my sessions until the group has a final answer. For the past two weeks I've been trying to find different activities that we could do but I haven't found any that are 'jumping out at me' so to speak. I was wondering if anyone on here has tried art therapy and if so, what did you do and how did it help? I have a session tomorrow so I'm hoping to get some ideas by the end of today so I know what sort of things to take with me or to at least talk to her about for the next session. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 38242]

Acyrlic painting, and ceramics have been great for me. I can do acyrlics at home, but I just enrolled for a ceramics class at city college because it is cheaper than going to a clay studio.
I just started myself, but really like it. Painting is theraputic. I use youtube lessons, and have fun making things that are ok so far, but I just started so Im not to hard on myself.
I hooe it works out for you.

 

[Justmehere]

What are the goals of doing art therapy? I have done a bunch, and it's been a helpful tool. It's helped me connect to what I'm feeling and express it in a way that feels very controlled. It's helped me work through a few complicated issues that I couldn't get words around. Some of it was simply a distraction, or like meditation - it was soothing, or it just plain made me feel better.

I wouldn't get too stuck on what you do, but just that you do something... Some of my most therapeutic art therapy sessions were not something that jumped out at me, or even something I was at all delighted to do before I started. I just went with it. Art therapy actually works better if one doesn't overthink it too much.

One activity that I wasn't really interested in doing but did anyhow was this: Link Removed

It turned out to help me connect to some really dark feelings I was trying to ignore. Those feelings became a lot less scary. The end result was not anything I would hang on the wall, but it helped. In art therapy, it's less about producing art, and more about feeling and expression.

Taking art classes has also been very helpful for me as a relaxing and centering hobby that had it's own therapeutic value.

 

[Crow]

My T sporadically asks me to draw or color. I think she plans it but it always seems in the moment to me. And always it relates to the thing we're working on at that moment so the drawing could be freestyle - anything that comes to mind while we're talking - or it could be draw three specific things. I've learned a lot through these exercises about stuff I was feeling deep down. This insight probably wouldn't be possible if I were leading the effort and in my thinking mind instead of just going with whatever T said to do.

I agree with @Justmehere that art classes have been incredibly helpful. My first drawing class I had a panic attack every class and my first watercolor class I actually didn't finish out the weeks. But that's my issues surrounding creating and groups. The actual mechanics of the class were incredibly helpful therapeutically.

 

[vixy]

Thank you '@MyDogsLoveMe'. I'll definitely look into it :) That could help as it'll keep my hands busy

 

[vixy]

Hi @Justmehere, My therapist isn't trained in art therapy but is willing to do more training to try and help me and more of her clients who are interested. I'd say my goals for art therapy would be to help with relaxation and to try and get a clearer mind by releasing my thoughts in ways that can't find words for. I agree with the therapy sessions. I find it so hard to put things into words and sometimes can't bring myself to admit certain things. Especially when I'm having a breakdown and all she does is sit there and watch me. It makes me feel so awkward. I hate having full attention on me. My problem is that I do overthink what I'm doing. I just can't help it and it stops me from just drawing or painting etc. I put too much pressure on myself with it and can't seem to release my thoughts to put them into art. It's like there's a wall up in my head blocking anything creative from happening

 

[Justmehere]

I overthink a ton! I used to be a very meticulous artist and when I would get out things to make art, I would start thinking an analyzing and getting stuck.

And that would happen in therapy too.

One of the first things my art theorists had me do was to fill up 5 pieces of paper using my non-dominant hand. (This can be done with the dominant hand too.) She told me to draw anything that reminded me of fun.

She then did it herself and drew a stick figure of a beach ball that was so messy I could barely tell what it was.

But it worked. It got me out of my head and expressing something.

Try doing art for the pure fun of it. Art you plan to throw away, even in your own. It might help to let go of thinking.

By expression, it doesn't always have to be of thoughts and feelings that are most present. Sometimes it can be about a goal, or a feeling you want to have.

Another thing I did when I was stuck in therapy was bring a very simple game to play with my therapist. We talked while playing the game. It was easier to talk. With art, it can be as simple as doing something like coloring (there are tons of adult coloring books out there) while talking - maybe that would be just enough to help you feel a little less stuck in the therapy sessions.

And if none of this is helpful, feel free to totally disregard. I hope you find the path that is right for you.

 

[Nevermore]

@vixy I see an art therapist. It was much more helpful to me than talking as I don't really like talking about the past. Art therapy is very different from talk therapy and different from making art also.
You don't have to know what you'll do. The very opposite! It's spontaneous, more about expressing than explaining - and I have had some pretty amazing realisations and new awareness as a result.
It's not logical. It's about getting out of your head and into the more primal part of yourself.
It's getting in contact with you. Something we all did as children, just expressed ourselves.
I have gained so much freedom from doing it. But don't think of it as art. It's s very different process.
I love it and am studying it now. Endlessly fascinating and it goes deeper for me than talking.
I think you'll love it!
There are some great exercises to do - making visual forms of the masks you wear in your life and letting the talk to you, open studio - just moving to music and painting without thought of what you're creating, letting your hands mould clay how they want, creating your world in a sandbox with figurines... I could go on.
These things give you messages that help you see yourself and become more aware.
I think it's amazing (:

 

[Joan]

Art therapy has been a life saver for me. I agree with all that has been said about not overthinking. It needs to come from an intuitive place, you are not going for the next Picasso or Monet. You have to set aside perfectionism, what you think it "should" look like. I started with simple 20 second check-ins when I first entered....often did not have words to describe what I felt but through color and lines and scribbles I could show. Try a variety of materials....often for me something that gets my hands in the material is useful...like chalk pastels that you can smooth, blend or paint using your fingers...try to feel it in your body not your head. For me there is not one thing that always works, I like to experiment with lots of different things. It has really been helpful. I was first exposed during an inpatient stay. I remember bringing back the very crude creations and taking to my therapist here and seeing her face light up..."oh, now I understand better what you were trying to say"....I still work with an art therapist and have discovered that I have a talent I never knew I had and have actually shown in galleries. There are things I do that are crude and more for therapy purposes and other more artistic, but still have an incredible therapeutic value for me. Best wishes...let your inner creative self shine....tap into that little child free to explore.

 

[corvidae]

i realized that art...or rather craft...could be therapeutic for me after taking a continuing ed weaving course offered at a local university. after that, i began bringing knitting (which i also learned) and some finishing work to talk therapy sessions: immensely helpful. my current therapist is trauma and art trained, so we're beginning to explore these two areas.

 

[Deleted member 34328]

This is a great thread! May not have been the intent @vixy but I've been doing a lot of drawing over the last couple of years, and I findingthe responses very helpful.

I work with a trauma therapist doing mostly talk therapy. He isn't an art therapist and I've never been to one. I guess for the most part, it just started spontaneously without any real thought or plan. I'm naturally creative so maybe it comes from that as well.

My drawing is most often used as @Justmehere said. It puts "words" or emotions on a page that I can't identify or verbalize. It is mostly used as homework, but always at my pace. If nothing gets done between one session and the next then that's ok. I often email what I added to a developing "frame" as I call them, and that leads in the next session.

I draw out one scene of my trauma...bit by bit. Adding in 1 item at a time. It usually spikes a huge response since the drawing seems to come alive. I use only pencils. No colors yet.

I've also used drawing in a soothing comforting way. In a session, I was describing how cold I had been during 1 part of the trauma. My Therapist suggested I draw out a pic of all the comfy things I associate with warmth. I ended up drawing a collage of items or memories of things that I find soothing and warm. Simple things. ex a mug with steaming liquid. My old dog sitting in front of the fireplace we used to have growing up. I drew one of my chairs in my living room with a blanket that I often wrap myself in after an anxiety attack or something like that. My therapist just made the suggestion. My creativity took over.

I never know what a picture is going to look like when I start something.

I too often overthink think things when I feel pressure to do something. It has to be spontaneous or it doesn't have the same effect.

I don't know what you've been encouraged to do but the spontaneous part is important. There's also no shame in just going with nothing. Perhaps some suggestions may be offered that will start the ball roling. It doesn't seem helpful to say don't pressure yourself or force something. Sometimes 1 line on a blank page is all you'll need to get going.

 

[SophiaWisdom]

ok mine is a different perspective - I actually took Expressive Arts Therapy as my final class in grad school before leaving the MFT program I was in due to lots of not ok issues with the school.

EAT was my FAV class there! Even more than somatic therapy, which I also looooooove as a dancer.

Do you like expressive or fine arts in general? It helps if you have a predisposition towards it, but not necessary! I find it's great for the childlike/creative side. i know you mentioned overthinking - Do you already draw like this or is art just generally not your "thing"?

Even the overthinking is grist for the mill :)

You can also try drum circles (lots of therapeutic ones/workshops) as an entry in, or sandtray, which was trendy for a while and I loved it too.