Art Therapy for Mental Health

I keep getting asked this question “Is counseling the only form of therapy?”

So here I am telling you, “No, counseling is not the only form of therapy. There are many more alternatives to therapy. One such alternative is ART THERAPY.”

WHAT IS ART THERAPY?

Art Therapy can be defined in many ways but the apt way to explain Art Therapy is the infusion of meaning, colours, and joy in our life. It is a distinctive therapy that incorporates exclusive methods of expressing emotions through different forms of art like drawing, painting, craft, clay, dance, music, and much more. Art therapy is not restricted to any age group and can be practiced by anyone who wishes to learn expression through ‘art as therapy. It is one of the most versatile forms of therapy that can be used with children, adolescents, adults, and even the elderly without any gender bias.

BENEFITS OF ART THERAPY

This fusion of ‘art and therapy’ was first coined by British artist Adrian Hill, who discovered the

mental health benefits of drawing and painting while recovering from tuberculosis in 1942.

Ever since then, the benefits of art therapy have been quite evident. It helps people gain a sense of control over their lives and the freedom to express their emotions, feelings, and moods.

The experiments of Albert Bandura helped us in understanding how intensely society obligations and conditions can influence us. Art therapy offers us the medium to explore the unexplored, to express feelings that were never expressed, and to catch on to our deepest desires, traumas, and emotions that we never let out because of society’s conditioned pressure. It lets the raw expression surface on our consciousness and makes us more self-aware, which in turn channelizes the human mind's process.

HOW ART THERAPY IS USED AT HAPPY HIKKUPS

Our therapists, here at Happy Hikkups recognize the zestful nature of art therapy. At Happy Hikkups, our therapists offer a safe space to help clients to introspect their emotions and recognize their strengths through self-expression. They also help you recognize what is the cause of depression and anxiety. This recognition of strengths further boosts the confidence of the clients to perform better in all dimensions and areas of life.

Hence, Art Therapy helps people to build strong resilience, self-esteem, relieve stress, improve symptoms of several conditions like anxiety, depression, trauma, and the attention span of children with learning disabilities like Autism, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and Dyslexia.

We provide people with a medium that makes their subconscious lead to happiness, serenity, and freedom.

“Expressive art therapy integrates all of the arts in a safe, non-judgmental setting to facilitate personal growth and healing. Using the arts expressively means going into our inner realms to discover feelings and express them through visual art, movement, sound, writing, or drama. This process fosters release, self-understanding, insight and awakens creativity and transpersonal states of consciousness.”

~ Natalie Rogers

Learn more about Art Therapists - Who are Art Therapists?