ART THERAPY
Offers Fun, Creativity and Self-Expression By Ginny McCabe
Art is not only fun, creative and inspiring for many, but the benefits of expression through art are far-reaching across the Cleveland community. For families and individuals living with special needs, art therapies can improve communication and concentration, as well as increase self-esteem and confidence. BENEFITS OF ART THERAPY People of all ages and abilities can benefit from art therapy programs, including people with Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder, and those with physical or neurological disabilities, including cerebral palsy or a traumatic brain injury. Individuals with special needs are integrated into classes with those of all abilities. “Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses art to provide support for people that are coping with emotional needs, physical needs or cognitive needs, so we work with people in a wide variety of ways,” says Cheryl Pete, ATS, clinical director at Art Therapy Studio in Cleveland. According to Pete, who works alongside Executive Director Michelle Epps at Art Therapy Studio, “Art therapy can help people express themselves, cope with difficult situations — and there’s also a physical component, so if people have trouble with fine motor skills, or even gross motor movements, art therapy is a way they can build those skills up, and still express themselves.” Art therapy also is a great means of self-expression and storytelling, Pete says, and it has a positive impact on selfesteem and confidence.
Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood. Photo by Wetzler Photography. EVERYBODY IS AN ARTIST If an artist has a specific need, there are adaptive tools art therapists can use to help, like using a special art board, or raising or lowering a table to accommodate a wheelchair. Artists in the group also help each other, so if someone has mobility issues and they need paint, one of their peers will go get the paint for them or wash their brushes. There are a wide variety of students, including those who engage in art therapy while they recover from a stroke, individuals looking for socialization, and those who are disabled with traumatic brain injuries. “There is a lot of focus in recent years on providing opportunities for people with disabilities to connect with their community,” Pete says. “It happens really organically here in our space because you have somebody that may be recovering from a stroke sitting next to
somebody that might have cerebral palsy, sitting next to somebody who’s retired and wants to have something social to do, sitting next to a person with a traumatic brain injury. So, we have this diverse group of people — what they share is art, and they build these really beautiful, close-knit relationships.” She says it comes down to the fact that there are no stigmas or labels, and “everybody is an artist.” In an effort to introduce the benefits of art therapy services to the community as a whole, Art Therapy Studio will use its Facebook page — facebook.com/ arttherapystudio — to provide weekly sessions where individuals and families can use household items to perform art therapy “tasks.” It also allows participants an opportunity to share their work. Tammy Shella, Ph.D., ATR-BC, art therapy manager for Arts & Medicine Institute at Cleveland
livespecial.com 2020-21
11
