How to carry out art therapy. Basic art therapy techniques. Characteristic features and prerequisites for the formation of art therapy

What art therapy for adults is capable of. The main methods of treatment with art. The most effective art therapy techniques and exercises.

The content of the article:

Art therapy literally means art therapy. This method of psychotherapy is actively used in the treatment of psychological and somatic problems. Initially, the visual arts were used as a healing tool. Today, this method has been supplemented with other types of creativity: music, photography, modeling, literary creativity, dancing, acting, etc.

Tasks and functions of art therapy for adults

The main task of art therapy is to teach self-knowledge and self-expression in order to achieve a harmonious state of personality. The main method is sublimation, that is, the transfer of internal conflicts, tensions into a form more acceptable to society. In our case - to creativity.

Modern art therapy is capable of performing several functions at once:

self-expression;
stress relief;
increased self-esteem;
harmonization of the inner world;
personal development;
normalization of relations in society;
awareness of psychological problems.

This method of psychotherapy helps to see and release negative emotions, inner experiences in a civilized manner, without prejudice to the people and things around. It allows you to survive and change them, thereby removing the burden of a difficult life situation and making life easier. In other words, creativity in tandem with psychological tricks bypasses the "censorship" of the left brain, which controls our words. And all fears, complexes and clamps come to the surface - on a sheet of paper, in dance movements, in the form of a sculpture, etc.

Using seemingly simple techniques, art therapy, imperceptibly for the patient, conducts diagnostics of his mental and physical condition, treats identified problems and simply brings a lot of pleasure. It is based on the effect of spontaneity, like any kind of creativity. But it does not require special talents or abilities.

Art therapy can be called one of the safest, most versatile and enjoyable methods of psychotherapy, successfully applied to patients of all ages.

Basic techniques of art therapy for adults

As already mentioned, the main "feature" of art therapy for adults is spontaneity and the absence of requirements for the presence of abilities or talents. It is in this case, when the patient does not focus on how beautifully and professionally he creates (draws, composes a poem or a fairy tale, dances or sculpts), he is able to reflect his true inner "I" in the created image.

Modern art therapy treatment includes two main methods:

Using a person's creative and creative abilities to identify, recreate and resolve a traumatic situation;
Converting the negative impact of affect into a positive one, based on the nature of the aesthetic reaction.

Psychocorrection using creativity can be done in several ways. For example, work with a patient according to a certain scheme. In this case, a person is given a specific task - to create a drawing (hand-made article) according to a certain template on a given topic. The focus here is on combination and brightness color design, forms and nuances in the execution of details.

Another way to conduct art therapy is to communicate “on free topics”. It assumes a free choice of topic, material, plot and tools for self-expression. At the end of such a lesson, it is the criteria for choosing the patient and the manner of performing the task that are to be evaluated.

It is noteworthy that it is possible to correct your inner state through creativity without the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist. Moreover, there is a clear position that art therapy is an "insight-oriented technique." That is, a technique through which a person must find his own problem. Therefore, if you decide to heal your soul in the art style yourself, remember a few truths:

Do not hesitate or try to paint (sculpt, dance, compose) beautifully. The process itself is important - to draw, dance, mold your stress, fear or discomfort.
It’s okay if you don’t deal with your creation right away - understanding the problem does not always come immediately. Therefore, it is better to preserve the results of your medical creativity and periodically revise - from different angles and in different moods. According to the dogmas of art therapy, sooner or later you will surely see both the problem itself and its roots.
Art therapy is effective even when you do not fully understand its essence and mechanism of action. It heals "in fact", already in the process of how you create.

Varieties of art therapy for adults

Today, there are the following types of art therapy: isotherapy (drawing treatment), game therapy, music therapy, dansotherapy (dance therapy), fairy tale therapy, sand therapy, phototherapy, color therapy, video therapy, mult-therapy, mask therapy, drama therapy (theater art therapy), bibliotherapy (treatment with books). In addition, creative treatment can be active (through self-creation of creations) and passively (using works already created by someone). It can be done independently, individually or in a group.

Isotherapy

Isotherapy involves the correction of the psychosomatic state using the visual arts. Most often - drawing. This is the most common method of art therapy, which is based on the dependence of the color design of the creation on the emotional state of its creator. So, the predominance of bright juicy colors in the drawing is interpreted as a positive creative self-expression, pastel colors- as a sign of a subtle and sensitive mental organization.

There are some tips for the success of isotherapy:

In a state of aggression, anger, irritability, give preference to modeling - it copes better with strong negative emotions.
Composing collages is also used as an art therapy technique, but it is better to use it already at the final stage of classes. Leave all the "black" work to the drawings.
Provide yourself with a wide range of colors.
The choice of the tool for creation is up to you. These can be felt-tip pens, pencils, pens, but it is better to give preference to paints. It is believed that working with a plastic brush gives more freedom and liberation. Such effects are especially important at the beginning of therapy.
Leave the desire to draw beautifully and correctly - do not use rulers, compasses, etc. for this. Everything should be drawn by hand.
As an object of creation, you can choose both already existing program drawings (archetypes), and create your own individual projects.

Music therapy

The effect of the active influence of music on the human body was noticed back in the 19th century. The conductor of this effect was precisely the emotions caused by listening to a particular piece of music.

The impact of music occurs through several mechanisms:

Sound vibrations stimulate metabolic processes and can change some physiological parameters (motor function, respiratory, cardiovascular).
Associative connections caused by the perception or performance of music affect the mental state of a person.

There are several types of music therapy: passive (listening to music) and active (singing, performing music, dancing).

The main stages of music therapy:

Adjustment... At this stage, a melody (song) is selected that matches the mood.
Maintaining... The next piece of music should gently and imperceptibly neutralize the feelings revealed by the first melody. That is, to inspire hope, to comfort.
Anchoring... The third melody is a consolidator of a positive effect - to give confidence in one's abilities, to instill firmness of mind.

Recently, karaoke is gaining popularity, which is very actively used in Japan as a way to relieve stress. There are even special centers equipped with many of the most comfortable individual cabins made of noise-absorbing material and “stuffed” with appropriate equipment.

However, the primacy in terms of the effectiveness of the impact on the human psyche still belongs to classical music. Only she is capable of not giving the effect of satiety.

So, in case of depression, it is recommended to listen to Mozart's Requiem, the Introduction to Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony or Grieg's Death. For anxiety - Strauss waltzes, preludes and Chopin's mazurkas. To remove aggressiveness - Tchaikovsky's Sentimental Waltz, Schumann's Impulse or Bach's Italian Concerto. For cheerfulness - "Adelita" Purcell or "Chardash" Monti, for relaxation - "The Seasons" by Tchaikovsky ("June. Barcarolle"), "Old Song" or "Pastoral" by Meringue.

Of course, you yourself can compose your own individual list of musical compositions for any mood. And not necessarily the classics - the main thing is for you to feel that it has a positive impact.

Important! Music itself is magic that can heal the soul. However, from the point of view of psychology, the greatest effect can be achieved not so much from listening to it as from performing it.

Phototherapy

Correction of a person's mental state with the help of photography is one of the modern methods of psychotherapy that can solve many psychological problems, develop and harmonize the personality. For this, both ready-made pictures and specially created photos can be used.

The method is based on the work of the psychologist with the patient in the context of his perception of the photograph: emotional background, attachment to details, the time when it was taken. This can be a photo of the patient himself or clippings prepared in advance by a specialist, magazines, collages.

The first help to identify the problem in relationships within the family, the role in it and hidden grievances, unspoken emotions. They can also reveal internal complexes in relation to their appearance or position in life. This is especially important if the person has few or no photographs. The opposite fact can also alert the specialist - the presence of a large number of photos where the person is alone or is in the center of the plot.

Photos that have nothing to do with the patient often help to reveal secrets from his personal life, attitudes towards the opposite sex.

Phototherapy involves working in different angles: creating, human perception of photographic images, discussing them and adding (if necessary) a creative component. As the latter, visual techniques, the composition of parables, stories, fairy tales can be used. Such art therapy classes may include drawing, photo collages, making and playing with figures from photographs, artistic descriptions, and the like.

Human nature is multifaceted and changeable, and the person himself is individual. Therefore, the specific palette of art therapeutic techniques is constantly being replenished with new methods of self-expression and self-knowledge.

The most effective art therapy techniques for adults

There are a lot of exercises and methods of treatment with creativity. They can be practiced on their own or with the help of a qualified professional. Both the exercises themselves and their interpretation can be easily found in special publications or on the Internet.

We have made a selection of the most simple art therapy exercises for independent use:

"Working with creative waste"... Conduct an audit of your boxes and take out everything that is not needed for a long time, but it is a pity to throw it away (paper clips, candy wrappers, calendars, felt-tip pens, pens, etc.). Select from these "treasures" only those that you associate with something negative - resentment, fear, failure. Make a composition out of this building material, analyze it, thank each "brick" for the experience and life lesson, and dispose of it.
"The Tale of the Hero"... Take a piece of paper and a pen, create a pleasant atmosphere (light, music, comfortable chair or armchair), relax and write a story. Before starting to create a creation, decide on the Hero (Heroine), their character and lifestyle, place and time of action. Adhere to the standard scheme: the beginning, obstacles, overcoming them and a happy ending, where the Hero receives not only the desired reward, but also invaluable experience and knowledge that change his life for the better. Re-read the tale, find your resemblance to the Hero and determine where you are in the tale now and what you need to do to reach a happy ending.
"My mood"... Draw your real mood on the sheet. To do this, you can use any method (landscape, abstract art, weather) and any tools (paints, pencils, markers). Take a close look at the drawing and try to determine what emotions it expresses - sadness, joy, memories, expectations. Consider if these emotions match your desires. If not, feel free to tackle the transformation of the picture to transform it into the desired mood. To do this, it can be drawn, painted over, removed lines or even parts of the sheet, cut off or supplemented with new elements.
"We sculpt a monster"... In order to get rid of internal "monsters" (conflicts, complexes, fears and aggression), you can materialize and destroy them physically. For example, sculpt from a material chosen by yourself. Think about your biggest problem, visualize it and transfer it to the material. When the figurine is ready, tell her "in her face" everything that has boiled inside. After such a "soulful" conversation, neutralize it by remaking it into something more positive.
"Cactus"... A very simple test in which you need to draw a cactus on a piece of paper using a simple pencil. The drawing is assessed according to the following parameters. Position on the sheet: in the center - adequate self-esteem, focus on the present; below - low self-esteem; at the top - overestimated self-esteem; on the left - focus on the past, on the right - on the future. Size: less than 1/3 of a sheet - underestimated self-esteem, 2/3 and more - overestimated. Lines: clarity - confidence, shading - a sign of anxiety, discontinuity - impulsivity, strong pressure - tension, weak - passivity, despondency. Needles: the more there are, the greater the level of aggressiveness.

Interesting! Such seemingly mundane things as manicure and pedicure, makeup and any handicraft are also considered methods of art therapy for adults. This also includes keeping a diary or blog.

What is art therapy - watch the video:

Art therapy is a great way to solve your psychological problems through creativity. It is simple, accessible and capable of developing self-knowledge, teaching self-expression and increasing self-esteem.

Purpose and priority goals:

Revealing the emotional background, actualized emotions, feelings, experiences; in a situation of acute stress - prompt assistance, response to traumatic experiences, emotional release;

"Working out" emotions and feelings, including suppressed ones;

Psychoprophylaxis of negative emotional experiences and their manifestations; emotional switching;

Promoting the development of spontaneity, reflection, the manifestation of true feelings;

Harmonization of the emotional state as a potential for overcoming destructive personality changes and personal growth;

Development of creativity.

Materials (edit): sheets of white paper of different sizes, pencils, brushes, watercolors, bowls with water.

Mood stage

Participants are invited to write down on a piece of paper the name of emotions, feelings, experiences, states that they managed to remember. Further, from this list, it is proposed to choose the most powerful feeling, an experience that evokes an emotional response at the moment.

When offering guidance, it is important to list a variety of terms that are used to describe a wide range of emotional experiences so that participants do not have intellectual difficulty in distinguishing between concepts when compiling the list.

Stage of individual work (theme development)

Instructions

Using a simple pencil on a sheet of A3 or A4 paper, draw a contour drawing of the emotion (feeling, experience, state) selected for "working through".

Perform the following manipulations with the paper (while paying attention to the thoughts and feelings that arise in the process of work): fold a sheet of paper with the outline of the drawing, then lower it for a while in water, straighten it, lay it on the table and only then color the drawing simple pencil image.

Come up with a title and story for your painting to tell. Try to build dialogues between the depicted objects or parts of the drawing.

Discussion and reflective analysis stage

Participants place their work in the office space, sit in a circle for discussion, verbalization of emotions and feelings that they experienced in the process of artistic creation. Everyone, at will, shows their drawing, tells its name, tells a story.

Often, participants change the original name, as in the process of work there is a transformation the image being created, and consequently, the idea changes, there is an awareness of hidden meanings. In the process of discussion, one can correctly use “hint questions” to facilitate awareness and transformation of traumatic experiences into resource ones. It is especially important to create a safe atmosphere of trust, openness, empathy so that the provided Feedback did not cause traumatic feelings, and was adequately perceived by a person. This can be a rewarding experience for building constructive communication strategies and new emotional contacts.

The art therapy session ends with the modification of the created art product according to the author's wishes.

In general, the expected practical result of art therapy work is the transfer of the experience gained into the everyday interpersonal behavior of the subject outside the therapeutic group.

Note. It is important for the depiction of emotions and feelings to encourage participants to create spontaneous images, avoiding, if possible, plot and stereotypical pictures. Unstructured drawing: lines, contours, spots help to level the cognitive pattern, promote creativity and free self-expression, stimulate the processes of self-knowledge.

A huge positive potential lies in the possibility of multiple transformations in the process of working on the image: a slightly noticeable contour is refracted with a simple pencil, changes the outlines of the depicted object when the paper is crumpled, and then dipped into water and smoothed again. Further, with the help of watercolors, the drawing is given color, as if "showing", colorizing the conceived image.

Working with watercolors on crumpled, damp paper has a deep psychological meaning and a noticeable therapeutic effect, since it allows you to achieve greater expressiveness and, at the same time, emotional release. One of the psychological mechanisms of emotional response is the peculiarity of watercolors as a visual material. According to the famous artist A.V. Kokorin, he fell in love with watercolor for its freshness, transparency, sonority and ... cheerfulness. Watercolor by its nature is transparent and lays down in the thinnest layer on paper, the white color of which, shining through the layers of paints, takes an active part in the artistic process and gives the work lightness and freshness. “Paints run on damp paper, forming unexpected combinations, beautiful streaks, and you involuntarily begin to admire them, and it becomes a pity to part with this accidental beauty,” writes A.V. Kokorin.

This observation, in essence, illustrates the well-known thesis of L.S. Vygotsky on the nature of the aesthetic reaction, which makes it possible to change the effect of affect “from painful to bringing pleasure” (Psychology of Art, 1968). Consequently, encouraging a person to freely express emotions, feelings, experiences in a symbolic form, the psychologist contributes to the development of the adaptive resources of the personality, its psychological resistance to psychotrauma and resistance in difficult life situations. After all, feelings highlight phenomena that have stable motivational significance.

Example

At the educational art therapy session, it was proposed to work with actual emotional states. From a list I have compiled, I have chosen a negative feeling. This is anxiety. I pictured her as a fountain. It was very easy to draw the image with a pencil on paper. Then it was necessary to crumple the sheet. At the same time, I wanted to crush, squeeze it so that it became as small as possible. It is very pleasant to do this, while feeling superiority over anxiety.

After I wet the sheet and spread it on the table, I liked that the fountain took on a barely noticeable shape. When I started to paint it, I completely forgot about the contour drawn in pencil, I was carried away by the "game" of watercolors, which spread over the wet paper, as if leveling, weakening my anxiety. Suddenly my heart was overflowing with joy, even some childish feeling of delight, pinching expectation of a good outcome of the situation. And then came the realization of the boundaries of my personal problem. I realized that the fountain is overflowing and can no longer hold, conceal anxiety, that this feeling should flow over the "side" of the fountain.

Now I am ready to talk about my anxiety and its cause with someone close to me. At the end of the lesson, with unexpected ease I decided to tell “The Story of the Fountain”, and then I transformed the drawing: I added a light orange background.

A year after this incident, the student wrote:"To this day, I am grateful to the teacher and the group for the tacit but sincere co-presence."

A comment. Such sessions can serve the purpose of building a therapeutic alliance based on the subject's acceptance of psychological help and support. As you know, awareness is a tipping point on the path to psychological "healing." The mechanism is that, referring to the symbolic or metaphorical meanings contained in their own works, you can get an intuitive revelation, insight ( Natalie Rogers, 1997).

Thus, one gradually gains valuable experience, the courage to explore and analyze one's own emotions, dominant feelings. Help in understanding them is a psychotherapeutic resource of art therapy techniques.

LINES OF CONFLICT

Materials: sheets of A4 white paper, felt-tip pens (or colored pencils, pastel crayons), scotch tape, colored plasticine, white clay and foil.

Art therapy space includes a circle of chairs and personal workstations (table and chair) for individual creativity.

Stage of individual work

Instructions

Draw a conflict situation that is subjectively meaningful to you as a "conversation of two lines." To do this, first take a sheet of A4 paper, put the number 1 on it, attach it to the table with tape so that the sheet does not slip during work. Select two markers (pencil or crayon) different colors, conventionally denoting you and your opponent (opponent, rival). In your working hand, take a felt-tip pen of the color that will draw your line of behavior in the conflict. Into your inoperative hand - a marker of a different color to indicate the behavior of your conventional opponent. Draw the dynamics of a conflict situation using lines without lifting the markers from the paper. When finished, turn the sheet over and set it aside.

On the second sheet, depict the same conflict situation, swapping the felt-tip pens in the left and right hand. Thus, in the second figure, the working hand depicts the lines of the opponent's behavior in the conflict, and the non-working hand - the lines of your own behavior (in the same color). In a word, the originally selected color of the markers is saved on the second sheet of paper.

Reflect on what you see in the pictures and try to tell the story from the perspective of each line. What does the resulting drawing tell you? Which symbolic meaning does he carry? What new did the lines tell you about the conflict situation and how to resolve it?

Using various materials(colored plasticine, clay, foil), depict the outcome of the situation: create metaphorical images of yourself and your opponent as a result of a conflict confrontation.

It is also helpful to build dialogues between lines and simulated imagery to help clarify some of the essential nuances of the conflict.

Note. Each of the listed art materials has its own properties, characteristics and, therefore, its own capabilities. Plasticine is a soft, plastic material, so sculpting does not require too much effort. In addition, it is colored, which makes it possible to continue working on the volumetric image in the same colors that were chosen for the "lines of conflict". As a result, awareness and response to traumatic emotions and feelings increases.

Clay, on the other hand, is a denser, more resilient natural material that requires considerable effort and energy to work with. Another advantage of clay is colorlessness, which provokes free associations. The image made of white clay also becomes a specific area for the projection of the deep (repressed, hidden) feelings of the author of the work. As a result, subjective experience becomes available for perception and analysis.

It is known that the projection of feelings onto external objects is the path to symbolization and recognition of these feelings. Fantasies, depicted on paper or made in clay, often speed up and facilitate the verbalization of experiences. In the process of working on images from plasticine or clay, the protection that usually exists with verbal, habitual contact is reduced.

Let me note that sometimes, as a way to release from internal tension, one can observe the destruction of an already made figure. This happens especially often if foil is used in art therapy work with conflicts. This is an unusual material that not only molds well and holds its shape, but at the same time tears easily, requires extreme care. Participants sometimes attribute the properties of "resistance and disobedience" to the foil. In addition, the foil is brilliant, festive and “resourceful” in the sense that it evokes early childhood memories, brings back positive experiences to childhood.

Upon completion of the work, each participant is invited to answer the question in one or two words: "What kind of material is foil for you?" The answer, with a high degree of probability, can be interpreted as an actualized characteristic-metaphor of self-perception (self-attitude).

The greatest therapeutic effect is achieved if, after drawing conflicts, the participants first create images of themselves and their opponents in plasticine, maintaining the color in accordance with the original choice in the drawing, and then repeat the same images in white clay. This arrangement makes it easier to clarify and transform the traumatic situation.

Verbalization stage

If this exercise is performed under the guidance of a psychologist (art therapist) in a group, then the participants sit in a circle, show their drawings and simulated images if they wish, talk not so much about the content and causes of conflict how much about the emotional side and behavior in a conflict situation. The rest of the participants can ask questions, for example:

How did you feel about drawing the conflict trajectory and modeling the characters?

How do you feel now?

Have you clarified for yourself how the conflict developed and was it resolved?

Has the understanding of the causes and consequences of a conflict situation changed?

How do you now see your own role and the role of the opponent in initiating the conflict?

What experience did you manage to gain in the process of graphic work?

Of course, the purpose of such questions is not to hear the "protocol" of real events. Rather, they are hint questions to facilitate awareness and transformation of traumatic experiences into resource ones.

At this stage, the client is invited to take an active position, take responsibility, trying to understand the "pattern" of behavior in the conflict, the nature of their inner experiences, their role in their own life and in relationships with other people.

It is important to create a safe atmosphere of trust, openness, empathy so that the feedback provided does not cause traumatic feelings and is adequately perceived by the person. This can be a rewarding experience for building constructive communication strategies and new emotional contacts.

The final stage

The specialist invites the participants of the session to make the desired changes in their work, transform visual images or do with their drawings as they would like.

Often there is a need to symbolically "deal" with the conflict: to tear, crush, destroy the drawing. This behavior may indicate severe mental pain, suffering, or anger. Sometimes - about the symbolic recognition of the author to himself, the awareness of his own role of "initiator of the conflict", which was previously consciously or unconsciously repressed, replaced by some form of psychological defense. Acceptance of such revelations is a resource start for personal growth.

A comment. According to the famous American art therapist M. Bethensky, line is one of the main elements of symbolic expression in art, along with form and color. With its help, a person can display their experiences and inner world.

When people draw lines, they don't think about their properties. In essence, they create not so much an image or picture as express their emotions and feelings. The unconscious plays an important role in this process. And only at the stage of verbalization does the awareness of the significance of the lines occur.

The line can symbolize the life path as a whole or its specific stage.

The art-therapy technique "Lines of Conflict" is also resourceful in the context of operational diagnostics of an emotional state for identifying, working out and responding to emotions and feelings, including suppressed ones.

In the Lines of Conflict exercise, participants are asked to draw the same situation twice. The reason for this is as follows. Many psychologists and psychotherapists agree that the non-working hand is associated with the unconscious. Therefore, when a person draws with a non-working (usually left) hand, the drawing is less susceptible to control from the side of consciousness, which means that it is more impulsive, emotional, “truthful”.

According to R. Amman (2000), the left hand represents the inner world, and the right hand represents the outer world, reality and human life goals. In a word, the right hand is associated with consciousness. Therefore, changing the position of the markers in the first and second drawings, we have the opportunity to compare the real (unconscious) with the desired (consciousness).

In fact, each line on paper is a "path", an indirect imprint, a "trace" of the role of each participant in the conflict in the history of the event.

Drawing for the opponent and for himself, the author reflects his own, subjective vision of what is happening (or what happened). Further, moving away from the drawing, observing the lines left by the movement of the right and left hands at the same time, the author can get more truthful information, compare what he sees with how he thinks about himself and his opponent in a conflict situation. After controlling the line of his behavior while drawing with his working hand, a person unwittingly weakens control over the image of his projection onto the conflict line from the “opponent's face”.

When interpreting the drawings, it is important to pay attention to the nature of the lines and their location relative to each other, places of contact, collision and divergence, which is an indicator of the interaction, activity and passivity of the participants in the conflict.

For example, twisting, repeatedly intersecting lines indicate the confusion of the situation, numerous attempts to resolve the conflict. Such lines are especially common in drawings of intra-family conflicts ("in the same territory").

Lines forming a "tangle" are characteristic of people who have an intrapersonal conflict, and can be associated with confusion, lack of order, chaos of thoughts and feelings. It can also indicate latent hostility and lack of open confrontation. Perhaps the author is confused, worried, the harmony of his personality is violated.

Broken lines with a lot of sharp corners can be an indicator of anxiety, excitement, tension. If the lines intersect and form corners at the points of intersection, this can be regarded as an indicator of sharp open collisions.

Non-intersecting symmetrical and mirroring lines with a high degree of probability mean that the person was unable to actualize or reflect on the conflict situation, or that the phase of acute stress has passed and emotional manifestations have somewhat weakened.

In addition to the drawing in the form of colored lines, one should pay attention to the sculptures-metaphors of the image of "I" and the image of the "opponent (opponent)". As a rule, they are the most informative, often more realistic than words, reflecting the history of confrontation.

As the frustrating experiences react, the images from plasticine are transformed and reflect the author's already changed view of the problem and the situation of the conflict.

In essence, this is the moment of conscious or spontaneous transformation that distinguishes art therapy work from artistic creation. In the first case, a therapeutic effect is achieved, in the second, the aesthetic effect is most pronounced.

Obviously, in situations of acute stress disorder, the position of the helping specialist is of particular importance. The symbolism of the drawing language gives the client a sense of security, the co-presence of the art therapist helps to create a psychologically safe space, within which it is possible to respond to various feelings in spontaneous artistic images, to overcome traumatic experiences.

For example, Natalie Rogers (1997) writes: “It is extremely important that I was with people who let me be in my grief and tears, and did not pat me on the back and say that everything will be fine. Healing occurs when the client feels accepted and understood. Feeling accepted and understood is a rare experience, especially when you feel fear, anger, grief, or jealousy. Yet it is these moments of acceptance and understanding that heal.

As friends or therapists, we often feel that we must have a ready-made answer or advice in these cases. At the same time, however, we ignore an extremely important truth: we provide the greatest help to a person when we sincerely “listen” to the depth of his emotional pain and show respect for a person's ability to find his own answer. ”

GIFT IN MY LIFE

Equipment and materials: for work, each participant will need one or two album sheets of A3 format, gouache, watercolor, brushes, a glass of water, a box of colored plasticine.

Instructions

Draw the brightest "gift" in your life. When the work is completed, create an image of this plasticine gift. Come up with a name for the song, tell the story of this gift.

You can offer the participants in the art therapy session to close their eyes and, under the sounds of a quietly sounding lyric melody, recall the gifts they received and gave, as well as the emotional coloring of the situations accompanying this. Choose the brightest from the kaleidoscope of memories and depict it on a sheet of paper using any visual materials and means. Instead of a recognizable image of objects, you can paint a mood. In art therapy classes, there are no restrictions associated with the ways of self-expression, the aesthetic value of the product of creativity is not taken into account. The main thing is the open and spontaneous expression of your emotions, feelings, experiences.

The famous philosopher and psychologist M.K. Mamardashvili spoke of works of art as the "organs of birth" of new spiritual states: "... they are works of art in our souls, works of skillful work ... The art of vision should be born in us, for this is the only way that beauty, honor, love, courage, courage are born" ...

After the work is completed, everyone is invited to sit on chairs standing in a circle and arrange their compositions (a painting and an image of a plasticine gift) inside the circle.

PHOTO Getty Images

It is difficult to imagine something more classical in cosmetology than a manicure. Only nail treatment techniques, care and extension preparations were being improved. When it came to coating, the choice of clients was unchanged: pink-beige colors for everyday life and scarlet varnish for the exit. In the mid-90s, stylists made an attempt to introduce black lacquer into fashion. But she was supported only by desperate fashionistas and grunge supporters. And even then not for long. In the early 2000s, we became more relaxed, allowing ourselves to plum brown and purple tones. But all the same, the color gamut in one form or another revolved around the red part of the spectrum. The bravest ones allowed their masters to paint a couple of nails with flowers or apply graphic designs on them. Nail art then existed only as a parallel art and had almost no applied value.

Colorful coup

But a couple of years ago, nails turned blue, green, bronze, yellow, or even multicolored. A real revolution! Then sequins, reliefs, drawings and stencils came into fashion. Manicure has become an art. There is even a fashionable English neologism nailista - "nail freak". But why is it now that our fingertips have become the center of attention? They began to appear more often: on a computer keyboard, the screen of tablets or smartphones. “Any improvements to our body are designed to create a new identity for us in the eyes of others,” explains sociologist Jean-Claude Caufmann. “Clothes, gestures, and, of course, well-groomed hands are involved in this image - especially since in infancy we find them in ourselves much earlier than other parts of the body.”

Giorgio Armani 303 Dazzling; Orly Hot Tropics; By Terry Terrybly 700 Glitter Glow Top Coat; Maybelline New York Colorama 286; Essie 860 Resort Fling; Givenchy 16 Rose Addiction; Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure 575 Red Handed; Christina Fitzgerald Yes; Mavala 104 Arty Pink; Essie 859 Under The Twilight.

An unusual manicure can speak of a momentary mood, about who we want to be at the moment: a non-trivial romantic fashionista with cornflower and mint-colored nails, a rocker with a black and red manicure or a frivolous teenager with yellow varnish in sequins. Hearts, stars, letters and even skulls pasted on top are also a way to communicate something about yourself. And this message is always associated with our femininity. Now, when men began to vigorously care for their skin, hair, face, figure and even do epilation, bright nail polish remains one of the last bastions of a real woman. And we intend to defend him to the last.

Back to childhood

To paint her nails with varnish is the first cosmetic ritual that a girl asks her mother about. And the first thing she gives permission for! But if little girls strive to grow up with the help of a bright manicure, then recently many adult women, on the contrary, willingly try on children's manicure. This fashion came from Southeast Asia and is a continuation of the local tradition of kawaii ("small" in Japanese). Even those who graduated many years ago do not hesitate to wear school skirts, wear knee-highs, blouses with a turn-down collar and glue bears and hearts on their nails. On the streets of Europe and Russia, girls also appeared with nails like the heroines of anime and manga comics. Such nail art looks funny and girly cute, although it hints at some regression. You shouldn't come to work with cats on green nails. Even if the office dress code is not very harsh, it will not add business reputation points.

New Amazons

Coming to a manicure, we hardly think that nails are essentially claws, a symbol of struggle and the ability to stand up for ourselves. But such associations are only caused by long nails of saturated colors, at the sight of which a man involuntarily thinks about aggressive sex, imagining how a sharp nail digs into his back during lovemaking.

After the "candy" trends in nail art, the fashion for bloody varnishes and long nails may well return. Today we can fulfill any of our whims and fantasies, change the image at least every day, and there is something fascinating in this. No wonder nails were in the old days an important element of witchcraft rituals and magic spells.

Depends on the mood

The most fashionable and easy-to-use accessory for playful pens is the self-adhesive stickers. With their help, you can transform your nails according to your mood in a few minutes. The benefits of patterns, colors and effects for stickers are a great variety.

Intense hydration

Try products from the MAGIA TIARE series: aqua gel, soap, hand cream. Cream with bio-oil of tiare flowers reveals the secret of hand skin beauty - perfect and long-lasting hydration. Thanks to its light texture, the cream instantly penetrates the skin of the hands and delivers moisture exactly where it is needed most. The skin, like a flower, is saturated with moisture and active substances.

For the first time the term "art therapy" was introduced into psychology in 1938 by Hill. He used it when describing his work with tuberculosis patients, noting that art classes significantly improved their condition.

What is it?

Art therapy is one of the leading trends in psychotherapy. With this method, you can carry out rehabilitation, therapeutic and correctional work... Art therapy is great for diagnosing mental health conditions.

Initially, patients were asked to draw with pencils or paints. Currently, art therapy is successfully developing and includes various types of art: dance, music, literature, photography, modeling. In the process of training, a person relaxes, forgetting about problems and stresses, learns his "I". This helps to deal with internal conflicts, get rid of complexes and clamps.

This method of therapy is good when a person has difficulty finding the right words or trusting a therapist. Through the expression of his "I" and his state in drawings or modeling, in prose, the patient is revealed, giving the specialist the opportunity to accurately determine the problem. At the same time, the projection of experiences occurs unconsciously, there is no criticism and correction of the mind. Simply put, a person does not think about how to socially express his feelings, talk about problems.

Probably the main advantage of art therapy is its availability, anyone can do it independently at home. Simply by drawing simple patterns and pictures or using atystress coloring pages. This will definitely help relieve stress and distract from problems.

Indications for art therapy can be as follows:

stress,
existential or age crisis,
inability to control emotions (vulnerability, irascibility, etc.),
low mood, apathy, loss of interest in life,
depressive state,
psychological trauma,
fears, increased anxiety,
negative self-concept, complexes, low self-esteem,
interpersonal or internal conflicts.

Objectives and Benefits

The main goal of art therapy is to teach a person self-knowledge, self-expression and introspection. A better understanding of oneself and one's desires leads to the harmonization of the patient's mental state.

The goals of art therapy can also include:

removal of emotional (physical) stress,
development of the patient's personality,
increased self-esteem,
acceptance of psychological problems,
harmonization of the patient's condition,
social adaptation, improved communication.

With the help of this method of psychotherapy, the psychoemotional state of a person is corrected. Which leads to the following positive changes:

the patient learns to express negative feelings (fear, resentment, aggression, etc.) in an acceptable form,
relieves stress, increased anxiety, emotional stress,
phobias and fears are overcome, it is possible to get rid of complexes and clamps.

Art therapy helps to unleash creativity, develop emotional self-control, helps to express feelings and experiences without resorting to words, to establish contact between the therapist and the patient.

The process of therapy is more like a hobby, which does not cause suspicion and prejudice in the patient. It is based on sublimation, this allows you to transform internal conflicts, emotional stress and other problems into a more acceptable form for the patient and society.

It is important that in art therapy the stake is not placed on talent and abilities, but on the expression of one's “I”.

It is ideal for working with small children, persons with disabilities, reserved adolescents, people in old age.

Receptions

There are two main directions in art therapy.

The essence of the first method is the use of the patient's creativity to recreate (identify) and resolve a traumatic situation (or other problems).

The second technique is based on the nature of the aesthetic reaction, which is able to transform the negative impact of affect into a positive one.

In the process of art therapy, the patient can perform a task on a given topic, and special attention is paid to the combination of colors, their brightness, design and details.

Also, the patient can be given freedom in choosing a topic, materials, plot, and at the same time the specialist will evaluate the choice of technique, materials, and manner of execution.

One of the popular art therapy techniques is the Mandala method. Mandala is symmetrical elements drawn in a circle with a pronounced center. The patient can draw mandalas according to a template or using his own imagination. Since ancient times, drawings of this type have been considered to have a beneficial effect on the soul. Drawing mandalas helps to find inner harmony. The study of Mandalas and their impact on the emotional sphere was started by Gustav Jung. He determined that this technique allows you to understand your "I" through the disclosure of the "inner child".

Types of art therapy

Art therapy is a popular and rapidly developing method of psychotherapy. It was based on work with the patient's drawings, now it includes a variety of different techniques. The main types of art therapy are as follows:

isotherapy (drawing),
phototherapy (collage creation, photography),
music therapy (listening to music),
sand therapy (drawing with sand),
fairy tale therapy (composition of fairy tales),
dance therapy (dance classes).

Isotherapy

Isotherapy is the most common type of art therapy that allows you to correct the patient's condition through the visual arts (painting, modeling, drawing). The psychotherapist pays special attention to the colors used, their combination, brightness. So works in predominantly pastel colors talk about vulnerability and subtle mental organization. Bright and saturated colors indicate a positive mood of the patient, and the use of dark colors indicates a depressed or depressive state.

This method can be practiced by yourself using atystress coloring pages or by painting yourself. For the therapy to be successful, it is worth remembering the following:

modeling helps to cope with strong negative emotions (aggression, anger),
sitting down to draw, you need to take care of the variety in the choice of colors,
When choosing "tools" (paints, pens, pencils, crayons, felt-tip pens) for drawing, it is necessary to remember that a brush and paints help to liberate more easily, which is important at the very beginning of therapy.
when drawing, you do not need to think about beauty and correctness, but strive to express your feelings.

Phototherapy

Phototherapy is one of the "youngest" types of art therapy. It began to develop in the United States in the 70s of the last century. With its help, many psychological problems are successfully solved.

In the course of therapy, the patient is invited to create photographs himself or work with ready-made specially selected materials, compose collages or installations.

The therapist pays attention to the client's perception of the photographs, the emotions they evoke, details, such as the time of year when the photograph was taken.

These can be photographs with the participation of the patient, or created by him.

The photographs of the client can help to understand his attitude towards himself, to reveal complexes, to assess the situation in the family.

As a rule, a specialist may be alerted by a situation when a person has no photographs at all, or in all of them he is in the center of "attention".

Photos that are not related to the patient help to understand the problems associated with his personal life.

The basis of this method of art therapy is working with the patient's perception of photographs, discussing the photographs created, composing stories based on photographs.

Phototherapy contributes to the successful socialization of the patient and the resolution of communication problems.

Music therapy

This type of art therapy is based on the beneficial effects of music on the patient's emotional state.

Music therapy can be passive, when a person simply listens to music, or active, when he himself plays musical instruments, sings or dances.

The positive impact of music therapy is based on the positive impact of sound vibrations on the emotional and the physical state person. And the associations caused by listening to songs improve the psychological state of the patient.

A music therapy session can be divided into three stages:

adjustment,
introduction,
fixing.

At the stage of adjustment, a melody is selected that best suits the patient's condition and mood. At the second stage, a piece of music should "neutralize" negative feelings, comfort, and inspire hope. At the stage of consolidation, music should instill confidence in itself and its strength, fix the achieved result.

The most effective therapy is classical music.

But you can choose any music to your taste, the main thing is that it evokes positive emotions.

In Japan, this type of music therapy, such as karaoke, is gaining popularity, allowing not only to enjoy music, but also to express oneself.

Fairytale therapy

Fairytale therapy is ideal for children and adults, especially those with fantasy. This type of therapy helps to better understand the patient's condition. It is easy to solve with this method both interpersonal and internal conflicts. The essence of the method consists in creating fairy tales, discussing already known works. By composing his own story, a person finds a way out of a difficult situation, learns to understand his feelings, to express them.

Dance therapy

Dance therapy is based on the expression of emotions through movement, dance. To do this, you do not need to be able to dance or try to perform the movements perfectly, the main thing is freedom of self-expression. This method allows you to free yourself from complexes and internal clamps, to change your view of the world. The basis of this therapeutic method lies in body-oriented therapy, the essence of which is that any emotions that accumulate for a long time negatively affect not only the psychological state, but also the physical one. The effect of dance therapy will be provided you achieve complete freedom in the dance process. This type of therapy is not tantamount to classes in a dance studio, since classes with a trainer involve performing movements according to a pattern, and dance therapy is, first of all, freedom of self-expression.

Basic techniques

As already mentioned, art therapy can be done independently and with a specialist.

For self-therapy, the following simple exercises are suitable.

"Mood". The essence of the task is to draw your mood, it does not matter if it is an abstract drawing, portrait or landscape, the main thing is that it expresses an emotional state. You can draw with a pen, pencils, paints, felt-tip pens, wax crayons. After the drawing is finished, it needs to be reviewed and analyzed. What does it express? Sadness? Joy? Is this the state in which a person is comfortable to be? If not, you can start changing the pattern. You can add colors, remove and paint over elements, even crop out part of the picture.

"Monster". In order to defeat fears or get rid of internal conflicts, an exercise in which you need to blind your fear or problem is ideal. Any materials are suitable, plasticine, salted dough, special clay. It is necessary to think and present your fear or other problem, to sculpt its image. When the figurine is ready, psychologists advise you to tell her everything that has accumulated, pour out all the negative, and then remake the figurine, giving it a more positive look.

"The Tale of the Hero". This exercise involves writing a story about fictional character, who, passing through a series of difficulties, gains what he wants, gaining also some life experience. In a calm and pleasant atmosphere, you need to sit down and think about what the hero will be, the plot of the work, write down and then re-read the fairy tale, find what is in common between its hero and yourself, evaluate at what stage of the fairy tale you are, what you need before reaching the happy end.

Art therapy is a convenient and not complicated method that allows you to solve many psychological problems in both children and adults, both with a psychotherapist and on your own.

Art therapy is a special form of psychological assistance based on art, including creative and visual activities. The key goal of such treatment is to harmonize the development of the personality through the ability to express oneself and know oneself. Such a method can act both as the main and as an auxiliary method. In this article, you will learn about the various types and methods of art therapy, indications for use, how classes are held and simple exercises.

The word "art therapy" today does not surprise anyone. People who are at least a little familiar with English know that the word “art” is translated as art. It turns out that this is a kind of healing method based on art.

The concept of "art therapy" was introduced into everyday life in 1938 by Adrian Hill, who in his research described the work with tuberculosis patients in sanatoriums. The term has been applied to all of the arts that patients practice in hospitals and mental health centers.

Scientifically speaking, art therapy is a specific method of psychotherapy, a way of psychocorrection. It is based on using different types art to improve the psycho-emotional state of a person.

The main ways to achieve a positive result are self-awareness and self-expression.

Art therapy will symbolically explore and express any human emotion: anger, love, joy etc. Moreover, the way of its expression does not have any rules or standards. The key to the success of this psychological method is its individuality. In other words, each person chooses what suits him best.

This is the involvement of a person in the field of art that is most favorable for him. Through creative activity, his personality is harmonized and his morale is improved, thus, the psyche is healed. Drawing, modeling, quilling or origami - there are quite a few types of art, and they all in their own way help a person to know himself, determine the cause of his psychological discomfort and eliminate it. There are no contraindications or restrictions, as well as no side, often negative, effects.

Forms of art therapy

Almost from the very moment that Adrian Hill introduced the term "art therapy", a conditional division of this technique into active and passive forms appeared among specialists. The first implies that a person himself is actively engaged in a certain type of creativity. In the process of creation, his psyche heals, and his mood improves.

When art therapy sessions are held in a passive form, their participants do nothing themselves, they only study objects of art. For example, they listen to musical compositions, look at paintings or sculptures, and so on. In its own way, such an activity is also beneficial for the psyche. For many, it causes peace and tranquility, and this, in turn, cannot but have a positive effect on the general psycho-emotional state of a person.

This is not to say that the passive form of "art treatment" does not involve any mental labor at all. A person does not simply "consume" a drawing, melody or sculptural element, he analyzes it, thinks about it, and also evaluates it. The object of art finds a response in his soul, prompts some thoughts and conclusions. This cannot always be done with other psychological techniques.

There are a great many situations in which active or passive art therapy is useful, we can say that the list of indications for this method of treatment or psychocorrection is unusually wide.

Indications for art therapy

Since the main purpose of art therapy is to harmonize the personality and improve the psycho-emotional state of a person, any deviation in mental well-being can serve as an indication for it. It's not only about pathologies, but also about negative emotions that are completely normal for any person.

As the most common indications for this type of treatment, experts call:

a state of stress and depression, as well as depressed mood;
emotional instability and impulsivity of a person;
the presence of fears and phobias;
low self-esteem and negative attitude towards oneself;
a state of increased anxiety;
groundless irritability and conflict of a person;
a closed personality and a state of mental stress;
received psychological trauma;
impaired communication qualities;
crises of a certain age;
delay in mental or speech development in a child.

This psychological technique is useful for children and adolescents, for mature people and representatives of the older generation.

The objectives of the methodology

Art therapy works well for almost any problem. Whether it's a bad mood or depression, problems associated with the "I-concept" or too low self-esteem, dissatisfaction with oneself or a certain area of one's life - art as a method of therapy will help to understand, analyze and find a solution to all this.

Art therapy allows you to achieve positive results when working with people who have certain psychological problems:

output of negative thoughts and emotions;
facilitation of complex psychotherapy;
conducting detailed psychodiagnostics;
working out the thoughts and feelings that patients are holding back;
establishing a trusting relationship between a doctor and a patient;
development of creative abilities;
increasing self-esteem and ensuring personal growth;
learning to control your own behavior and emotions;
identification and analysis of the reasons that provoked emotional disorders or difficulties.

This psycho-therapeutic technique is used for the following purposes:

as a way of splashing out positive and negative emotions
to increase the effectiveness of psychotherapy
for the sake of obtaining material that allows you to diagnose the mental and psychological state of a person
to work through repressed thoughts, feelings and emotions
to help the patient focus on sensations or feelings
to establish contact with the patient
to improve self-control
to develop creativity and, thus, increase human self-esteem.

For people with increased anxiety or obvious phobias, art therapy acts as a method of calming down, for those who are sad, it is a means of raising mood, and for people who are confident in their own insignificance, this technique helps to believe in themselves and realize their own importance and uniqueness. The main thing is to choose the right art therapy method that best suits all the peculiarities of the patient's psyche.

Types and methods of art therapy

Today there are an unusually large number. Moreover, their list is constantly growing, adding something new. The main and most common are the following:

Art therapy methods	Description
	painting or other fine arts treatment
	based on the use of mandalas
	music therapy
POPPY	technique based on the use of metaphorical association maps
	sand therapy
	treatment with fairy tales
	dolls rush to the rescue, doll therapy
	religion based treatment
phototherapy	a set of psychotechnics, for medical and corrective use of photography
	a type of psychotherapy that originates in the art of dance
cinema therapy	watching and discussing a movie with the help of a psychologist
	drama theater as a means and method of therapeutic therapy
	the use of clay for medicinal purposes

Art therapy activities include quilling, origami, applique, knitting and, in fact, any kind of creativity. Each such lesson is useful in its own way, it improves the mental state of a person and "changes the charge of his emotions from minus to plus."

How are art therapy classes held?

Art therapy classes can be group or individual. Actually, this is typical for any corrective, psychological technique. To carry them out, you need an appropriate room, as well as tools and materials that will be used during healing creativity.

Art therapy groups can be studio, open, closed, structured, or unstructured. Much more often the group can be called mixed for all these characteristics. Of course, if several people are engaged at once, it is important to ensure that they all respect each other's personal space, because we are talking about creativity. It is good if the group leader immediately thinks over the layout of the students and equips workplace each of them.

On average, one art therapy session lasts from 1.5 to 2 hours. Their frequency is most often 1-2 times a week.

Art therapy sessions can vary greatly. It depends on what kind of art is taken as a basis and what purpose the activity itself pursues.

Typically, the psychologist or therapist meets with the client or group, after a short introduction that sets the tone for the session, he asks the participants to select materials and take action. At the same time, the atmosphere is as calm as possible, conducive to creative realization. When the session is over, the results of creative work are discussed and analyzed with a specialist.

Important! During the session, the doctor completely concentrates a person or a group of people on their feelings, emotions or tactile sensations. At the same time, the presence of artistic or other skills in patients is not of decisive importance in order to become a participant in art therapy.

The creative treatment process is conventionally divided into the following stages:

The introductory part, within which the psychotherapist sets up patients, establishes contact with them, and then involves them in the creative process.
The transition to the actualization of sensations and the formation of the theme of creativity.
A direct creative process is underway.
The process of work and the results of creativity are discussed.
Correction and refinement of the results of art exercises.
On the basis of this whole process, the therapist diagnoses the patient's condition and draws appropriate conclusions.

Art therapy exercises

The types of art therapy are quite diverse, their arsenal is constantly being replenished, which allows you to find an individual approach to each patient. And yet, as in any psychological practice, here you can name trouble-free and one hundred percent effective exercises. Let's take a look at the most popular methods and exercises.

Isotherapy

Isotherapy - treatment through painting or visual arts. V this case the patient is asked to choose between brushes and paints, pencils or small pens for creativity. Isotherapy is usually used when patients have neurotic or psychosomatic pathologies, as well as difficulties in communication and social adaptation.

Exercises:

1.Scribble. The goal of the technique is to draw continuous lines on a piece of paper in a chaotic manner. First, the first participant gets down to business, then the second one takes over. This happens until someone decides that the drawing is ready. After that, a discussion begins - everyone must explain a part of their creation. Finally, all participants come up with a storyline. This type of creativity will help increase self-esteem, explore your feelings, relieve tension, and improve communication skills.

2. Plot drawing. All members of the group make impromptu drawings on a given topic. Moreover, when performing, everyone must express their feelings and emotions. This will help to understand the patient's emotional state.

3. Joy. You need to start work in a relaxed way. You should remember the joyful moments of life and try to capture them on paper. This will help improve the emotional background through color and focus on feelings.

4.Drawing music. While listening to the composition, you need to try to express your emotions on paper. As a result, a surge of strength will appear, your mood will rise, stiffness and tension will go away.

5. Drawing emotions. In the case when a person needs to be helped to get rid of negativity, resentment, anger and other destructive emotions, the task "draw an emotion" is suitable. Alternatively, you can create a "wheel of emotions" by using shades to express the positive and negative in your emotional well-being. Those who like to meditate can be advised to create a so-called meditative painting. All of these manipulations are good for anyone, not just those with artistic skills and abilities.

Other exercises and techniques

To relax and relieve emotional stress, a finger drawing can help. You can also try drawing with your eyes closed. Thus, the secret and suppressed, carefully controlled by the subconscious, becomes apparent. For greater effect, you can combine music and art therapy. It is advisable to use only those colors that the person likes and makes him feel calm and other positive emotions.

When the task of the art therapist is to help the patient on the path to happiness, it would be good to create an individual collage of this very happiness in class. Thus, it will be clear what the patient is striving for and what he lacks. Another pictorial technique is the creation of a drawing of freedom. It is also good to create soft toys or other pleasant things during class. Such activities have a beneficial effect on the psyche.

The person to be helped survive a loss or get rid of psychological trauma, should find peace and feel protected. This will help him, for example, drawing a perfectly calm place. It doesn't matter if it is real or fabulous. It would be nice to turn negative into art through a creative diary, or create a creative diorama. Many people find it easier if they draw what scares them. After analyzing the drawing and working it out, the fear becomes less.

You can help the patient express himself by inviting him to draw himself in the form of a fabulous or real animal, or to compose a collage of his positive characteristics and advantages. You can, as an option, puzzle him by creating his own coat of arms or a box of values. All of this increases self-esteem and helps you to better define your strengths.

By watching the following video, you will learn about the exercise "My inner world":

Music therapy

The psychological impact on the patient's condition is provided through music. In this situation, a person can listen to a melody, play it or compose his own.

Some exercises:

Sound of the surf. First, all participants listen to the sounds of the sea, then they try to portray it with sounds. This will help you relax and restore your emotional background.
Sounds of nature. Calming music with sounds of nature sounds. The therapist invites everyone to sit back and relax, imagining that all participants are in a wild forest. This exercise will help bring your emotions back to normal.
Storm. Everyone should imagine that they are on the ship. The music of Vivaldi "Storm" begins to play - the sails are torn on the deck, the masts are broken, the ship is thrown like a splinter into the sea. In this way, the patient will be able to experience his emotional state. Then calmness sets in to the music of Tchaikovsky's "Barcaroll" - the wind dies down, the ship glides on water as smooth as a mirror. At the same time, a person understands that all problems can be solved, you just need to find the right way out. In conclusion, Shostakovich's music "Festive Overture" is played - here it is such a long-awaited shore, a native home. This is the way out of the existing problems.

Clay therapy

Clay therapy is designed to help those who find it difficult to speak out, as well as talk about their own feelings and experiences. Modeling allows a person to control himself and feel the creativity in himself, which makes it possible to overcome fear, resentment or aggression.

Several exercises:

Realize yourself. All members of the group are offered to mold their own figure out of clay. Then it is necessary to imagine that this clay copy fell into some life situation... During such a game, problems will be revealed that a person cannot say out loud.
Fear. The therapist offers to blind the most terrible thing that happened in life. Analysis of the resulting shape (from the side view) will help to overcome the problem. In the end, the whole composition is destroyed - there is no more fear.

The choice of one or another art-therapeutic technique depends on the purpose of the lesson and the problem that needs to be solved, as well as on the characteristics of the patient himself, in particular, on his age. Working with adults is somewhat different from creative manipulation with children.

Art therapy for preschoolers

Art as a means of healing and communication is especially relevant for children and adolescents. Young children often have to rely on limited language to express complex thoughts and emotions, and there is a barrier that can be overcome with things they understand a little better, such as It is equally important for adolescents to have such a pressure-free and without consequences environment. for your thoughts and feelings.

Coloring antistress for kids brings invaluable benefits:

Relaxation. The child does not even suspect about this, but during the coloring, his brain rests. Improved concentration. Concentration on one thing serves as a kind of training for willpower, attentiveness and perseverance.
Development of coordination and accuracy. Few adults remember how difficult it is at first to fit into the contour, not to climb onto a part of the drawing where there should be a different color. The child learns to calculate strength and perform movements clearly.
Improving perception. For the smallest, coloring can become a platform for memorizing colors and shapes. Study of the surrounding world.
Improving logic and imagination. It would seem that the drawing is already ready, what else can you think of. But no one bothers the kid to finish drawing something, to make it multi-colored where, in theory, this should not be. And most importantly, the child will always have a specific reason why his picture looks like this.
Memory development. Many coloring pages are pictures from life. And kids on a subconscious level are trying to make their drawing believable. But for this you need to remember what a machine or a watermelon looks like.

There is also educational art therapy, in which the child learns to be himself and to use emotions as a tool for communication. Here, the concepts of magic, humor and justice that are present in fairy tales, as well as music and images in works created by great artists and the kids themselves, will act as assistants for the teacher.

In this case, the main pedagogical task is teaching children correct communication, empathy and respectful relationship with the people around them.

As the advantages of art therapy for preschoolers, experts say the combination of psychology, medicine and pedagogy, which allows you to achieve much more goals. In addition, the advantages are:

Safe environment during classes and no competition between children.
Thanks to the result obtained in the form of a picture, dance or song, after each lesson, the teacher can track the emerging changes in the child's development.
The possibility of a child's awareness of his own value through such activities.

Children of preschool age are characterized by variability of attention and the impossibility of prolonged concentration on a task. This should be taken into account when planning an art therapy session.

Art therapy for adults

It allows you to release negative emotions and inner experiences without harming things and people around you. Using simple and accessible techniques, the therapist assesses the physical and mental state of the patient, eliminates the identified problems and improves the emotional state.

Psychocorrection is carried out using one of the selected methods, for example, work with a patient according to a certain selected scheme. In this case, a person is given a certain task, for example, to draw a picture or make a craft according to a certain template and on a given topic.

Another method of art treatment can be called communication on a free topic, when the patient himself determines the material, plot and tools of self-expression. At the end of such communication, the doctor evaluates the selection criteria and the manner of implementation.

The most effective art treatment techniques in the case of adults, when patients can practice the exercises on their own, are:

Working with the so-called creative waste, when a certain composition is made of things that cause negative emotions.
A fairy tale written about a hero by the patient himself. Here the patient himself determines the character, lifestyle, time and place of the hero's action.
In order to cope with internal fears, complexes and aggression, you can mold and physically destroy these monsters inside yourself.

Art therapy for the elderly

In this case, art therapy gives strength and desire to live on. This is an opportunity to usefully spend your free time, which has appeared after retirement, not to fill your head with bad thoughts, and also to maintain intellectual and physical shape.

This practice is actively used in European countries. There, special schools and circles for creativity are organized for the elderly.

In this case, retirees are taught:

Handicraft - allows you to train fine motor skills and support brain activity.
Singing - perfectly trains memory, improves the functioning of the respiratory system and improves mood.
Drawing - helps to overcome stress, calm the nerves and relieve anxiety. In the case, as with needlework, drawing trains fine motor skills and develops memory.
Dancing - improves mood and allows you to keep fit.