Art therapy has been proven to be an incredibly healing practice. It can be described as using the creative process of art to express yourself, heal, find comfort and process emotions.
An art therapist can help you see things about yourself that you may not have recognized otherwise. It’s a very gentle yet effective form of therapy. Sessions can help you deal with emotions and feelings that you are struggling with, so you can really begin healing. Art therapy is something that’s becoming more common and accessible, and the therapist will use the modality of creative art in many forms such as painting, drawing, sculpting and coloring to guide you through the process of creative expression. They can also offer you insights without judgement on what your creations show about various aspects of yourself.
Art therapy is really about self-exploration. It can help you realize things about yourself that you might have been burying or overlooking. One of the best effects of art therapy is a sense of relief and release.
Anyone can benefit from art therapy so if you are curious, don’t worry about having to be good at art or that you have to be an ‘artist’ for it to benefit you. It’s not about judgement or the end result, it’s about healing and expression. So it’s easily something you can do on your own to just relieve stress, discover yourself in new ways and heal. It’s also something you can do with other people.
Here are a few ideas on some art therapy techniques you can use at home:
Draw or paint your emotions and what you’re feeling. This can be really useful if you struggle to articulate out loud or in your own mind what emotions you’re experiencing. Just go with the feeling and open up a blank page to see what comes out.
Turn up the music and draw or paint whatever you feel inspired by. This can be a great art therapy technique used to relax you. Immerse yourself in the music and moment and just draw or create whatever you feel called to.
Finger paint. This can be a really fun one and a way to unleash your inner child again. Therapists recommend getting your fingers really messy and to have fun with colors and patterns. This can be a wonderful technique for releasing pent up emotions and relieving tension and stress.
Coloring. Over recent years, adult coloring books have become incredibly popular, and for good reason! The simple act of coloring can be a great way to wind down and relax. There are many books out there ranging from patterns to mandalas to images so go with what you feel most drawn to.
Take photos of things you love. Even if you don’t consider yourself a photographer, try taking photographs of anything you think is beautiful. It can even just be on your phone, don’t feel you need any fancy equipment. Then you can either just have them to refer to or you can print them to be reminded of those things daily. This is a great one to create a feeling of gratitude and love.
