art therapy

Has my first art therapy session with my new t. It made it so much easier to tell her things (I wasn't so aware of her attention on me). I was able to say things I would not have otherwise said. The session flew by. I did not finish the piece, and we will be continuing it on Friday.
It also sparked creativity outside the session... think I like the home piece better Because I had more time, and my materials of choice. She wants to see my other work (gulp) from back when I was good at drawing...
Hoping this helps as much as I want it to. I've found there are some things I can't even express through art when someone else is in the room. I think some of that will come out in stuff I do at home. Them I will show her while I'm busy drawing or something so I don't see her immediate reaction to it. Is all much easier to communicate with a slight distraction...
Sorry. Just needed to share that.

that's great it worked out for you

A Group Therapist that I went to wanted to do Art Therapy (since the other person there was really into it) but I really wan't into doing it and it felt forced so I left after a few months.

Art therapy actually is fascinating to me. I have over 200 drawings done during therapy and my journals are filled with them.
I'm an artist and I draw alot as it is so...

Hi fellow Art-therapy person! I am going in for my 3rd art therapy session today.Nice to meet someone else doing art therapy

Thanks for sharing!
I am going for my second art session today

I've done some art therapy with my T and it's always been helpful, especially fingerpainting one time. I felt so free to talk while my fingers were moving all over the paper! It was fun, too. I've sketched things in front of her that I couldn't say, and wrote captions for her to read. I dabble in art so I love it!

Would love to compare notes with others who are doing art therapy, there is so little on the internet about what goes on in sessions from a clients' perspective.

Rainbow it's interesting that you felt free to talk while drawing, because i find it hard to talk and draw at the same time, i feel like i'm being rude not looking at the therapist while she is speaking. I'm sure i'll get used to it, since drawing is the whole point of being there.

I'd like to come notes too, especially as I get more into it. Feel free to hijack this thread, or start a new one.
I don't have much input beyond what I wrote already, as its only been my first time.

I don't want to seem stupid but what is art therapy exactly? It sounds interesting as I love to draw and have had trouble getting anywhere in talk therapy.

What is Art Therapy?

Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of communication.

Clients who are referred to an art therapist need not have previous experience or skill in art, the art therapist is not primarily concerned with making an aesthetic or diagnostic assessment of the client's image. The overall aim of its practitioners is to enable a client to effect change and growth on a personal level through the use of art materials in a safe and facilitating environment.

The relationship between the therapist and the client is of central importance, but art therapy differs from other psychological therapies in that it is a three way process between the client, the therapist and the image or artefact. Thus it offers the opportunity for expression and communication and can be particularly helpful to people who find it hard to express their thoughts and feelings verbally.

Art therapists have a considerable understanding of art processes underpinned by a sound knowledge of therapeutic practice, and work with both individuals and groups in a variety of residential and community based settings, for example: adult mental health, learning disabilities, child and family centres, palliative care and the prison service.

I've posted above an excerpt from the British Art Therapist Association website and explanation but there is also American Art Therapy Association if you wanted to find a qualified art therapist.

If you love to draw and express yourself in that way then i think it wold be great for you. It's kind of talking and creating art, if you go in one and want to talk and nothing else that's fine too.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to look into that. I think it would be more helpful to me.

yeah it's too early to tell yet but i think it's going to be good for me because i find it difficult to say how i really feel at times. At least with art i can express it and not have to use words, and actually images are far more powerful than words.

I've done art therapy and I found it immensely helpful... especially for some "inner child" kind of stuff... and also things that are hard to express in words, that lead me to SI sometimes. I have also done art at home and brought it in to my regular therapist to show her how I was feeling and that helped too.

Can I hijack this thread here...

I don't paint or draw or anything...i'm not an artist at all, but last week I was invited to a creativity day with friends and they said, bring a canvas and a nice picture and try it. So I did and it looks pretty cool! I like it. Now my T is a real arty farty (also does art therapy) and I feel that I want to give her the painting. But I want it to mean something and i'm afraid it would mean as much to her as to my dustbin. I feel that I want to give it to her....what do you think?

Yes! i've found it helpful when i've been feeling like SI'ing to draw/paint/scribble it out. Sometimes i just use red and black pens and angrily scribble all over a page or write in big bold letters certain words.. helps get the pent up anger out.

I think artwork is a useful tool for therapy as it is a catalyst for discussion ie what were you feeling when you drew it, what does it mean to you, why those colours, why those images,words etc. I think with a qualified art psychotherapist tho, they are trained to see more in the images and are trained in art therapy specifically.

Are there some things you are still unable to express to someone else even in art? I'm finding there are a few things that I can't add to this piece knowing that I will be showing it to my t. It's the same thing that I can't really speak about. Does that get easier?

@tigerthc, you can give it to get and tell her why you want her to have it...?

I always express emotions like pain and love with art. I think it should work well for me.

I'm excited to find a little art therapy team!

Mdngtrain- I don't know if there's things i can't draw yet because i've only had 3 sessions so far, but i think the good thing about art therapy is that you can use symbolism to express the unexpressible it doesn't have to be literal representations of what has happened, you can express the feeling surrounding the experience you don't want to draw or talk about and that can be just as cathartic.

Only thing is I have problems drawing while people watch me. I have to be alone to draw.

the therapist will sit where you are most comfortable, they don't really watch you drawing, mine kind of sits to the side of the desk. It is a bit nerve-wracking at first and even my therapist said it would be but that i'd soon get into it and not care that she was there. And already i don't really mind her being there, in fact i quite like it because she's closer to me physically than any other therapist has been and that's comforting for me.

Do you get to bring your own materials? If not, what kind of materials do they give you?

When I did it they had the materials there.

What kind? crayons? markers? paint??