[NP_Complete]

Has anyone done art therapy? Can you describe what a typical session is like? Did you find it useful?

[TheGal]

I have taken an art class given by 2 women who were trained as art therapists... they had us do a montage (using cut-outs of pics, words, items, that we found in magazines). And the topic was how women are viewed in society.

I would go to YouTube and type in "art therapy", as a lot comes up including art therapy for trauma, also a TED talk, etc etc.

[LadyShadow]

I have done art therapy in many of the programs I have been in. I have always enjoyed it. We would basically just create vision boards, based on affirmations or what you would want in your future which I thought was pretty fun. Or we had sessions where we just colored to relax our minds.

[WarmFuzzySocks]

My "new" t does art therapy. A typical session looks like her getting out paper, art materials, sand tray and offering me a prompt. After I feel finished she will make observations or I will talk about what I experienced or processed. That part looks more like a typical therapy session with the art as a springboard to the topic.


Sometimes I come in with stuff and it looks more like a typical talk therapy session.

I do find it useful. I sometimes struggle with the limitations of my artistic abilities, but creating something "artistic" isn't really the point. But I sometimes find myself understanding in a new way after I look at something I've created, so it can help me access something

[Nammu]

I’ve done a lot of art therapy. Usually there’s a bit of talking first. I’ve done both group art therapy and with groups there’s usually a check in process. Then the therapist explains the art. For instance once it was to create a CD of your life. ( obviously back when CDs were a thing) and there was multiple supplies to choose from. And I wrote multiple sad sack titles because at that time I was depressed. Once asked to create a book I created a scroll. Usually the object is to get in touch with your feelings and represent them in a physical form. Being good at art isn’t the point. I’ve done vision boards too as well as masks and using a cast of my hand.