How Does Art Therapy Work?

[Cool Cat]

I saw an interesting thread in the anonymous forum about art therapy

https://www.myptsd.com/threads/im-starting-art-therapy-what-to-expect.52732/#post-841636

There wasn't really many answers and I'm just wondering if anyone here has been to art therapy? I'm thinking of doing it myself, people have said it to me before because a lot of my trauma is kinda in very early years. Does it just involve being handed a few felt tip pens? Or how is the layout?

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Usually my therapist would give me guidance in the current project and the direction it was going in. It was much more than being given markers and told to draw.

 

[PTSDbegone]

Art therapy is something I did a bit of last year along with my regular therapy sessions. You do not have to have experience, or be artistic at all to do art therapy. Often especially in the beginning you are guided by your therapist. My trauma was early childhood as well, pre-verbal is most cases. My therapist would ask me to draw and colour a picture of me playing with a certain friend, or relative, or even pet. I remember having to draw a picture of a house I lived in once. I also remember drawing pictures of myself, and how I may have felt when something happened, or how I feel now when I think of someone. It varied to be honest. I have dissociative identity disorder so sometimes she would ask another part of me to draw something (which never worked). As always take your time in finding the right therapist for you.

 

[holdenmonty]

I have never tried it but sounds like it would be interesting.

 

[Tinyflame]

I remember my mom doing it spontaneously with doodles when she was ill with cancer (she was really good, could have been a cartoonist :) ). It was really good for all of us, we would all laugh but she was 'saying' a lot she couldn't say, & the emotions & realities that went with it (like a little stick guy on the bed with throbbing feet & sweat flying off his head!) Meant a lot though, because she wouldn't 'complain' (none of us would have considered it complaining).

 

[sun seeker]

I'm just wondering if anyone here has been to art therapy?

I have. I worked with an art therapist for about a year and a half, though we didn't do art at every session, and with another for seven months, again not at every session. It didn't help me very much, but that's just me.

There are specific exercises you can do, or otherwise it's about expressing yourself through art with the therapist as a compassionate witness. I know it does help some people.

 

[moonbeam]

I have done it with my trauma T a few times. Its not super helpful for me but I think she uses it to get information from me.

Its usually guided. Either drawing a specific time, or a feeling around a memory. Sometimes its clay and I can mood it into emotions and then smash it. This was out attempt at getting me angry but it didn't really work.

The only benefit I ever had from art therapy for me was identifying a trigger of a specific set of blinds or a specific type of alarm clock that was present during some of the trauma. Otherwise I think my T used it to get a sense of emotions or to try and see how I saw things as I usually got asked to draw it as if I was my younger self.

 

[Hopeful85]

I do art therapy all the time. I also keep an art journal. It's been a HUGE help to my healing. Sometimes we color, paint. Sometimes she gives a certain directive, sometimes she just gives me the freedom to do whatever. I have trouble verbalizing how im feeling a lot or I shut down, art helps give me words, without actually speaking them. It helps her also, to know where I'm at

 

[Hopeful85]

Oh and I can't draw to save my life ;)

 

[sun seeker]

Oh and I can't draw to save my life

That part isn't important, it's about process not product. If the process works for you, then go with it. Also experiment with other kinds of art besides drawing. How about clay?

Edited to add: Oh. You weren't complaining, just saying it helps whether you can draw or not. Sorry. My brain doesn't work very fast these days.