Art Therapy A step-‐by-‐step Guide By: Kaitlyn McClew
Table of Contents • Analyzing the Situation ………………………………………………………………………….(pg. 3) o Setting o Supplies • Grouping the Patients ……………………………………………………………………………(pg. 4) o Age Children ( -‐6 years) Pre-‐adolescence (7-‐12 years) Adolescence (13-‐17 years) Adult (18-‐59 years) Elderly (60-‐ years) • Size of Group …………………………………………………………………………………………(pg. 5) Individual Patient Less than 5 Over 6 • Works Cited …………………………………………………………………………..………………(pg. 6)
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Analyzing the Situation
When first approaching a project, it is important to view all the variables that make it unique. If you have these in mind when shaping your activities and lesson plans, you will be better prepared for the task at hand and your patients will hopefully be more open to a lesson tailored exactly to their situation. Setting The setting is the actual location of where you will be working. Is it a fully furnished art studio? A school, home or office? Taking these questions into account, make sure you are not creating an overwhelming scene for the patient. If you are working in a patient’s home, not taking over their space is a huge issue. Patients who are skeptical of the process may be turned off by a big flashy show. Still, you may be faced with the challenge of creating any scene of creativity at all. When working in at-‐risk or impoverished areas, your recourses will be limited. The setting of this therapy plays a large roll in how the patient will walk into the process and how they will adapt to it. Supplies Gathering supplies for this process is similar to the setting challenge-‐ you are largely at the mercy of your circumstances. You may be granted access to a fully furnished art studio or you could be working in a mud hut. This is where your creativity will come into play. If you are given only trash and clay, work resourcefully and keep an open mind. Art can be anything. Still fundraising is an option if time is granted. Also approaching supply stores and pitching your program is a way to get cheaper paints and pencils. Keep in mind that your patients will not be professional artists; they do not know the difference in brands of pencils and canvases. Give them what you can and work to encourage creativity.
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Grouping the Patients by Age
Children (about -‐6) Unfortunately, many children around the world have been through trying life events at very early ages. Art therapy will not only help these children express themselves, it may just give us a way to communicate with and understand them better. This age group will be the most open to the therapy. Children naturally love to create and have wild imaginations. This may be a trip up, as you try to pick out fact and fiction but keep in mind their individual situation and what is probable. Making this a fun, active environment will not only endorse the best results, but also will the children a time to have fun and be safe. Pre-‐adolescents (about 7-‐12) This age group will still be more open to the process, but the age gap between the therapist and patient will be more noticeable now. Attempting to simply understand their problems as they tell you things here and there will not serve nearly as well as for you to just stop and let them work and communicate through images. Also, making sure you distinguish the lessons between children and pre-‐adolescence, as you do not want to make it seem like a childish arts and crafts project. Adolescents (about 13-‐17) Adolescence will be similar to pre-‐adolescence, but you will be treating patients as pretty close adults. Be careful with these ages to pick up on their maturity level and play to it-‐ speaking down to them is very off-‐putting. This age group will be old enough to really understand what has happened to them in their lives, but they may still be struggling with accepting it. They may be more emotional. Still, be prepared to hear and see things you did not expect to-‐ today’s culture has groomed these kids to hide their issues very well. Adult (about 18-‐59) When approaching this age group, you may be faced with some resistance of the process. Often, it canned be viewed as a light and almost “hippie” way to deal with issues. Encourage an open-‐minded environment and let them go at their own pace. Give ideas when needed, but do not hover. Allow these adults to discover the therapy as they go. Elderly (60-‐) With elderly patients, the most important thing to consider is their physical condition. They may be disabled in different ways, so keep their safety as your priority but be creative as how to work with it. There are many ways for handicapped to create great, expressive works of art despite their obstacles. Also, if your situation allows, try to play music from the time of their youth. The songs may just help to recreate emotions or experiences they want to communicate or remember. Be patient with this age group.
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Size of Group
Individual Patient Dealing with an individual patient will most likely be in an office setting. Though it may be tempting to, hovering will make your artist uncomfortable and may disrupt the creative process. Talk with the patient, brief them on what you both will be doing, then play some music and read a book in the corner. Leaving the room may cause them to feel like you are watching from somewhere else, but make yourself busy in the room. Every once in a while ask a question or make a comment but do not linger. Once they are done, you may talk about the piece if it is constructive or if they hint to it. Try not to over-‐analyze while they are still in session. Keep the environment light and expressive. You just remain a passive object in the room, ready to speak when necessary. Less than 5 Small groups can get tricky, as some people express themselves differently than others. Try not to focus on one certain patient or story, and avoid comparing the works. If the group is comfortable with each other, you may try to get conversation going. If not, music and creative juices flowing will do just fine! Over 6 These groups will most likely be in elderly-‐care or child-‐care situation. Keeping a light environment is just as important; try not to let the group congregate around one piece or story. Allow a flow of conversation, asking questions when you can. These groups will often be close-‐knit, so listening to the way they interact will also be of benefit to you.
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Works Cited Art Therapy Association, American "American Art Therapy Association". n.p. 2013. 1/17/13. <http://www.arttherapy.org/ > Art of Healing, The "The Art of Healing". Arts & Healing Network. 2010. 1/17/13. <http://artheals.org/about/about.html > Judith, A., Rubin. "Introduction to Art Therapy". Taylor and Francis Group. 2010. 2/06/13. Cathy, Malchiodi. "Art Therapy Meets TEDx". Today , Psychology Sussex Directories. Inc. 2013. 2/07/13. < http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-‐healing-‐ arts/201210/art-‐therapy-‐meets-‐tedx > Decosimo, Alexis. "Alexis Decosimo". Therapy Student, Biker/Art Blogger. 2013. 12/10/12. < http://decosimo.blogspot.com/2010/12/art-‐therapy-‐in-‐3rd-‐world-‐ cultural.html > Evening News, CBS "Helping Art Liberate Orphans". CBS Interactive Inc. . 2013. 11/23/12. < http://www.cbsnews.com
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