THE POWER OF ART THERAPY

By JC Ellinger

A HIGH SCHOOL-AGED TEENAGER WAS ASKED TO DRAW A SELF-REFLECTION SHOWN IN THE ARTWORK DEPICTED. “THIS IS ONE ART DIRECTIVE I ASK OF MANY OF MY TWEENS AND TEEN CLIENTS,” SHARES MS. SPODEK-SCHLINDER. ADOLESCENTS MANEUVER THROUGH A PARADIGM OF INSTAGRAM-LOOK PERFECTION. THERE LIES A DEFEATING AND MISCONSTRUED IDEALISM OF HOW BEAUTY SHOULD LOOK. GROWING OUR SELF-ESTEEM AND OUR ABILITY TO REDEFINE WHAT BEAUTY AUTHENTICALLY MEANS REQUIRES A DEEPER LOOK THAT SOMETIMES, IN THIS INSTANCE, MAY TAKE MONTHS OR LONGER TO BELIEVE. THE ART THERAPIST NOTED THAT THIS YOUNG LADY “...FOCUSED ON HER FACIAL ACNE, THE WAY HER HAIR LOOKED, HOW SAD SHE FELT WHEN SHE WASN’T DISTRACTED BY HAPPY THINGS AROUND HER...”

A piece from Harvard University titled, The Healing Power of Art supports scientific studies that have linked the use of art and aiding individuals in a number of ways. When individuals are placed in a “fight or flight” situation, including situations that are deemed irrational or non-life-threatening such as school pressures and family frustrations, “a sequence of hormonal changes and physiological responses” takes place. Consequently, repeated activation of our individual stressors yields neurological changes such as depression, anxiety, and high blood pressure.

The term “therapy” is often interpreted as a psychiatric form of mental support. But therapy, with greater acknowledgment for the need for mental health, is offered in various extensions, including art therapy.

Found all over the globe, from Australia to the islands of Taiwan and Thailand and across the aurora skies of Iceland, art therapy has a home establishment. The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as “an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active artmaking, creative process, and applied psychological theory, and human experience with a psychotherapeutic relationship.” Essentially, clients use art therapy to promote a natural and healthy process of attending to their individual psychological and cognitive needs.

Paint The Stars, an art therapy center owned by Art Therapist Robyn Spodek-Schindler, adds that the changes in the education system, through art and music school programs, have caused parents and children to seek more creative options “to process various issues or symptoms.” This growth, specifically in the state of New Jersey, has seen a notable change in that “the state has passed its own art therapy license. As more and more states begin to recognize art therapy as its own important and individual field, then clients also become more aware and are more likely to reach out.”

Another organization that is giving unto others is The Art of Autism, a nonprofit organization that has used the gift of art to coalesce and bring to the forefront artistic autists. The Art of Autism was founded by Keri Bowers and Debra Muzikar, both of whom have sons on the autism spectrum. They interwove their own talent of the arts into their parenting style. A glance at their

website brings vivid colors of imagination to the screen, vibrantly filled with captivating talent and gifts from individuals with ASD.

What is it about the process of art that can bring a form of healing, peace, and also purpose? Ms. Spodek-Schindler shared this story:

This young man comes to see me for various anxiety-related issues, many of which are socially related. Whenever I offer him a medium to choose from, he is always hesitant and almost always requests that I choose for him. I typically push him gently, explaining that it is his artwork, not mine, and he should be able to choose. I do my best to reassure him this is his space. In one particular session, he began choosing his own paint colors AND immediately began adding them to his palette without asking me if he could pick a certain color.

These accomplishments, which may seem minute in a world that contains judgment and labels, are triumphs in our eyes—the eyes of the loved ones of special needs individuals. Moreover, the pathways we have each found ourselves on have taught us that the lens through which we see the world can also come equipped with extraordinary vision…even if the vision before us may at times seem frayed or askew. The use of art has proved to provide an open gateway for many to express their feelings, find meaning, and see the world is not meant to be symmetrical. True beauty lies in our individual arrangements, which are full of juxtapositions, asymmetry, and abstraction. The unique lens that accompanies our pain, hurt, and sadness can be transformed into a work of art when those emotions are acknowledged but not allowed to take hold.

This piece began with an aching image that translated the feelings of a young woman with the word “hopeless” written across her face. After months of art therapy with her therapist Ms. SpodekSchlinder, she saw great improvement. “We worked together on filling the mirror with positive things about herself. We moved from feeling ‘helpless’ to confidently saying ‘I can help myself whenever I need it.’”

As an art therapist, Ms. Spodek-Schlinder has dedicated her compassion and selfless dedication toward a greater purpose. She carries on her message to say, “They [client’s artwork] spoke to me at different times of my career...serving as reminders for how important images and creativity can be—especially important among a population that is so closed off and often cannot find the words.” Works Cited

Art Therapy Association. “Member Demographics.” 2021. https:// arttherapy.org/upload/MemberDemographics_2021.pdf American Art Therapy Association. “About Art Therapy.” 2021. https:// arttherapy.org/about-art-therapy/, Accessed 21 August 2021.

“The Healing Power of Art.” Harvard Health Publishing. 2017. www. health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-healing-power-of-art, Accessed 20 August 2021.

“Understanding the Stress Response.” Harvard Health Publishing. 2020. www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-thestress-response, Accessed 23 August 2021.

Robyn Spodek-Schindler, LPC, LCAT, ATR-BC, NCC is the Owner/ Therapist of Paint the Stars Art Therapy, LLC.

JC Ellinger brings life stories and experiences as an autism mom to publications such as Autism Parenting Magazine and Exceptional Needs Today. She is currently working on her first children’s book geared at bringing relatability and support to other ASD children just like her amazing son. She carries an MBA from Regis University and a BA in Communications from CSU Long Beach. Now, she is returning to graduate school to add an MA in English to her resume and spread her love of writing to young minds. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jc.ellinger.writer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jc.ellinger Email: Juliet.ellinger01@gmail.com