Bare Health

Wednesday 14 February 2018

Art Psychotherapy at Bare Health





Art Psychotherapy at Bare Health

By Elle Hopkins

I believe it is important that everyone lives a creative life. What creativity means, or how to live a creative life - will be different for every person. Some characteristics of creativity involve  the capacity to see things from a new perspective, adaptability, to experiment and find solutions to problems or to create things or ideas. Another aspect of creativity, as in the arts, is to do with self-expression and self-discovery, and with communicating and connecting with the unconscious self.

It is my experience that giving expression to our need for creativity gives human beings a deeper sense of fulfilment; it requires the transformation of patterns that may be blocking us, and the courage to move forwards and finding meaning amid life’s uncertainties.  

The use of art in psychotherapy can add another dimension to the way issues are explored in the therapy room. An image, such as a drawing, painting, collage or a clay figure can richly express what is being communicated in the therapy. The art psychotherapist, in witnessing the client’s exploration, can support the process of art making and encourage thinking and reflecting linked to the image and to the client’s insights.

Art psychotherapy is not about artistic skills; whether a client is good or bad at art, or about the psychotherapist interpreting the work for the client. It is about being curious and playful in exploring meaning with the client. In art psychotherapy, the process of art making and how the client experiences this is also fundamental.

Talking, although a fundamental human way of expression, is by no means the only way that we can give expression to our experience. Taking place at the client’s pace, art psychotherapy can be a powerful tool to bring about change and transformation and help to work towards the unique process of developing a creative approach to life, whatever that may mean for the client. As in other forms of psychological therapies art psychotherapy also utilises the safe and boundaried relationship between the client and therapist as an agent for change.

Who can benefit from art psychotherapy?



The versatility of art psychotherapy makes it accessible to a range of different people. It can be particularly beneficial to those who have tried other forms of talking therapy and found it difficult to express themselves. Art psychotherapy tends to look at issues in a different way and can help participants to tap into emotions that have previously been buried or ignored. Anyone who finds it difficult to talk about their feelings or feels distanced from their emotions. Art psychotherapy can help with depression, anxiety, trauma related issues, grief and loss. Art psychotherapy can help to improve communication skills and offers an easy way for participants to express themselves and deal with their feelings in a healthy way. Tapping into the creative part of the brain helps to lower stress levels and restore a sense of personal identity. This type of therapy can help clients regain a sense of control, freedom and self-expression.

Being creative in this type of safe, therapeutic environment can be revitalising and often lifts mood. The sense of freedom and lack of judgement that is felt within art psychotherapy can be cathartic and unique when compared to other more traditional forms of psychotherapy.

What happens in an art therapy session?


 


During your art therapy sessions, your therapist may ask you to engage in creative activities. These are designed to help you explore your emotions and feelings in a new, creative way. Sometimes the therapist may ask you to make images of your choosing without giving you any particular direction.

What qualifications does an art therapist need?


 


Art therapists and art psychotherapists are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This means that their title is legally protected, and only individuals that are registered with the HCPC can call themselves an "art therapist".

If you feel this is something that you would find helpful to support your emotional and psychological wellbeing please contact

Elle Hopkins BA Hons, MA.  HCPC Registered (AS13975) /BAAT Registered Art Psychotherapist

Via Bare Health, Congleton


You can also send me a direct message on Facebook via my page @ellehopkinsart

Or Instagram via elle_hopkins_art

for an informal discussion and further information.

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