Monday, April 21, 2014

Art Forms That Can Be Used As Expressive Therapies

By Essie Osborn


Most people see art as only a source of entertainment and something that pleases the senses but what most people do not know is that it can be used as a type of therapy as well. Expressive therapies would utilize different art forms in order to bring out the a certain part of the mind that a person may be suppressing. There are a lot of therapists who would make use of this especially on teenagers and children.

The puppet is probably one of the most common of all of these art forms as it is actually the most interactive of all of them. Now this is usually used if a child or if a teen is a closed person and does not want to communicate with anyone at all. Now the reason why the puppet works is because it gives participants an avenue to let out their emotions without them actually doing it themselves.

In order to make one, the therapist would usually provide the participants with some materials like fabric, coloring materials, or paper bags. Now the way the puppet is made will all depend on how the participant would want to customize it. It can be a very simple creation or it can be a very beautiful one depending on the artistic capabilities of the participant.

Another one which is not as commonly used as the first one would be the paper bag art therapy. Now this one is usually used when the participant has identity issues or if he does not know what exactly to do with his life. This activity will help him be able to assess himself and how he would want to approach life as his very own person without considering outside factors.

The very first step here would be to get a paper bag and draw a self portrait on one side of the bag. The second step would be to draw a gravestone on the other side and write down all the fears that one would possess. The last step would be to put some items inside of the paper bag that would represent his own personality and his own characteristics.

Now drama or theater art is another very good way for one to be able to express himself. By assuming the role of another character, one will be able to escape into a different world that is unlike this one. This is an avenue wherein one would know how to step into the shoes of others and also experience what others may be experiencing.

Of course there is the self portrait wherein the therapist would ask the participant to simply draw himself. This is actually used as an assessment of the characteristics of the person. The therapist will be able to see here what is inside the mind of the person.

Now for those who are interested in this field of therapy, here are some ideas that may fill in some questions. Now do take note that there are many more art forms that can be used. This would solely depend on the therapist.




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