What Are the Mental and Physical Benefits of Art Therapy?

 

The Canadian Art Therapy Association describes art therapy as a combination of creative processes and psychotherapy. The goal is to facilitate self-expression and understanding using imagery, colour and shape as part of the therapeutic process. Art therapy is commonly used while psychologists near you support children and families but can benefit people and of all ages: children, adolescents, teenagers, adults, seniors, family units, veterans, people with chronic health conditions, people experiencing pain, people receiving palliative care, and people with emotional, social, mental, psychological and cognitive problems. 

Art therapy encompasses visual arts as diverse as sketching and drawing, art journaling, making collages, sculpting, painting and colouring. What makes art therapy rather than just art? Art is a relaxing and rewarding activity all on its own, but psychologists in Calgary apply the visual arts in a therapeutic context. Often applied as a complementary practice alongside other forms of therapy, the therapeutic goals of art therapy in Calgary include behaviour management, the processing of feelings, the reduction of stress and anxiety and increased self-esteem. 

What are the mental benefits of art therapy?

Art therapy enables self-discovery. Subconscious thoughts and feelings are often revealed in the creation of art, following which they can be acknowledged, recognized and confronted. 

People who struggle with self-esteem often find their sense of self-worth supported and bolstered by the process of art therapy and the creation of visual artwork.

Far beyond the artistic merits of any exercise, emotional release is the most significant mental health benefit of engaging in the practice. The creation of visual art is an ideal outlet for expressing and releasing fears, feelings and complex emotions that can not be expressed clearly, completely or safely in words. 

People often overlook the physical side effects of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, mental health disorders and even the experience of emotional trauma. Fighting emotional and mental health issues can be stressful and taxing, both physically and emotionally. Art therapy helps participants to relieve physical, emotional and mental stress. 

What are the physical benefits of art therapy?

There are many connections between the experience and symptoms of depression and chemical imbalances in your brain. Participation in art therapy practices has been shown to combat those brain chemistry imbalances. 

Participation in art therapy eases participants’ experience of pain by redirecting their mental focus. It’s more than a distraction from the painful stimulus. More than that, art therapy teaches participants a new way to relax and alter their mood and pain state. Reports of these effects  include a study of 200 people hospitalized for medical problems or surgery that found participation in art therapy for an average of 50 minutes improved participants’ mood and lowered pain and anxiety levels. The results were published in an article entitled “Art therapy improves mood, and reduces pain and anxiety when offered at bedside during acute hospital treatment” in The Arts in Psychotherapy in February 2018. 

The ability to benefit from art therapy in Calgary doesn’t require any artistic talent or polished skill. Every art therapist near you understands that human beings are inherently creative creatures. Psychologists near you understand how to support, encourage, motivate and free people from inhibitions to creativity and emotional expression using the materials and tools of visual arts with the goal of conferring physical and emotional benefits. 

Do you feel you or a family member could benefit from participating in art therapy? To learn about the availability of individual or group programs near you and about the physical and mental benefits of art therapy in Calgary, contact an art therapist near you.