Art therapy can be a powerful form of treatment for any emotional or psychological challenge through helping individuals connect with their innermost feelings, engage in honest self-reflection, and tap into their abilities to create. “Clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.”(American Art Therapy Association, 2015).
One example of how art therapy is used is through processing trauma. During traumatic events, the brain’s normal processing is disrupted and experiences do not get translated into long term memory. This suspends individuals in a state of continual suffering, as if the trauma were still present. Thus, a critical aspect of healing involves processing memories correctly. Art therapy provides a safe place for processing, and reaches beyond the verbal blocks and cognitive barriers that so often prevent individuals from healing.
At Connections CS we are excited to now offer Art Therapy!