Types of Art Therapy and Who Can Try It

In today’s world, there exists the possibility of completing therapy sessions in various different ways. This includes through the arts – theater, visual arts, music, or expressive movement. The objective is clear: optimize health, give a better quality of life, and for those with traumas, promote healing through art.

Art therapy & healing is not just limited to visual arts. The best thing about these therapy methods is that they are for everyone – artist or no. There are many art healing foundations, like The Eleven Eleven Foundation, that promote art therapy programs and projects.

Theater Art Therapy

Theater has been considered therapeutic for years. Theater helps you to be spontaneous. Theater therapy helps one to learn to be more communicative; it enhances the expressive capacity of each actor. Emotional exploration plays an essential role. Here, people can recognize and transform their actions and feelings in a safe environment.

Acting helps people to practice social abilities, verbalizing, and overcoming social anxiety.

Visual Art Therapy

Visual arts is another branch of art therapy that promotes creativity and personal initiative. It focuses on enjoyment, relaxation, stimulation and association. Emotions, sensations, representations are all at play. Many times, hidden sentiments can be expressed that cannot be expressed with words.

Art is considered a space where you can create and construct, as well as express emotions. Many people find healing through art therapy because they are able to discover, recreate and express what they are going through.

Music Therapy

Music is another way to experience art therapy & healing. Many art healing foundations also have a music emphasis. Though many people feel that they don’t have musical talents or abilities, music therapy is actually based on the belief that all human beings are sensitive to music and have the possibility to respond to it – both creating and recreating.

Music has a high positive impact on our cognitive functions like memory, attention span, self-control, organization and planning, and emotions. It can greatly affect mood, for example. When we listen to pleasing music, the body actually releases dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that provides us with a feeling of well-being.

Who Can Try Art Therapy?

Healing through art is beneficial to everyone and is becoming more widely available every day thanks to the work and funding of art healing foundations.

Art therapy is a smart and friendly option for children, older citizens, teens, and even adults. It can treat emotional and psychological problems, as well as traumas. Whether someone needs to go through the grief process due to the loss of a loved one, needs to deal with depression, or is looking to improve their interpersonal relations, art therapy may be the correct option.

When guided by an art therapist, art therapy – in whatever form chosen – is a powerful tool in helping to connect to the subconscious and emotional parts of ourselves and resolving deeply rooted issues. People with physical disabilities can also benefit from art therapy, as can people suffering from stress.

The arts really are for everyone.