Several years ago, I had an art class with two young women. We talk about the concept of random acts of kindness. As soon as the teenagers came in, I read their charts and noticed that one of the girls was really disappointed at the beginning of the week, she was having a hard time controlling her emotions. When he came in, I could see he wasn’t in a big hole.
On that day, he first looked at me with disinterest and ignored my questions and did not participate in the group’s coordination section. Then we started making art. He was still really quiet and didn’t speak for most of the session, but I could feel his body relaxing.
His expression became more pleasant and he smiled. He devoted himself to the work of art. He talked about seeing kindness in others and acknowledging that even though he had been very sad the previous day, he knew there were people out there serving him.
His demeanor changed completely from the time he arrived to the time he left.
Not long after, another worker told me that this girl said how good she felt after she had done the art. Working through art can put people in different places and make them think about different things. These are the kinds of feelings I see in the patients I work with every day.
What is Art Therapy?
Here at Cincinnati Children’s, we value art therapy as part of mental health treatment. Self-expression comes in many forms, and what works for one person may not work for another. That’s why our patients receive a wide range of therapy services, including music therapy, recreational therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and art therapy.
In art education for children and teenagers, I use art and my patients to make their feelings come out – whatever the difficult things are that can be difficult to talk about words – because children, they often do not have the words, but they are able to put pictures or colors or shapes. That gives us a place to start.
As an art therapist, I work with children and teenagers individually or in groups to progress in a variety of ways. Art therapy can help patients:
- Respect yourself
- Help with emotional recovery
- Works on communication and interpersonal relationships
- Reduce tension, stress or anxiety
- Analyze and express feelings
- Develop self-awareness
A good space for self-expression
Art therapy engages my patient and me in an artistic process to enhance the patient’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Art therapy sessions offer great opportunities for patients to:
- Express challenging emotions such as anxiety, fear and sadness?
- Art experience as a vehicle to express what words can’t, or feel that the patient can’t?
- Process the emotions that occur before, during and after the performance?
- Receive encouragement and hope
In addition to having a background in the visual arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture and other forms of art, as an art therapist, I also have training in human development, in psychology and counseling and methods. When I work with children and teenagers, I think about their individual needs and try to meet them where they are and help them get where they want to go. I listen and open those doors with skill.
Using art in therapy sessions is not about the art itself. It’s about giving people a different way to express themselves and learn about it. It’s a powerful tool in how we treat mental health, and just one of the many forms of therapy we offer to our patients.
Learn more about the types of creative art therapy we use to help patients and families at Cincinnati Children’s.
