What is art therapy and what is it for?

I have been asked "What is an art therapy?", or got a comment "Art therapy is not for me - I am not creative". So I share a bit (?) what is art therapy and whom for.

Art therapy... Ah... My heart opens up when these words are combined...💗

I came to art therapy to help my daughter to go through her feelings, emotions, stories... It turned out  I was the one who needed it more. 😀 To become more resilient, supportive, empathetic, resourceful parent and therapist too. She enjoyed some exercises and we keep using art therapy when strong emotions or issues with health appear.

I saw it how my child was (is) mirroring parents. Sometimes in a direct way, sometimes in an opposite one. That behavior or belief becomes a pattern for kids and goes into the adulthood unless we consciously replace it.  

I had cases in my practice when working only with parent helped to heal deceases their children had. Sometimes kids reflect not a parent but grandparents or great grandparents. Our ancestors until 7-th generation  can affect our life. We might be not aware of those connections. Some of us are aware of it but don't feel like dealing with it. And that's ok too as long as you are satisfied with your life as it is. 

So...

Art therapy is an interaction with the unconscious, the subconscious. And we all have that - here is a reply whom it is for.😉 But there are some contraindication for certain kinds of art therapy in some cases !

Art therapy is a process of bringing light to:

- the emotions stored inside us such as resentment, anger, worries, fear, etc.; 

- feelings of inferiority, insufficiency, hate, insecurity, guilt, shame, loneliness, grief, fear of intimacy, fear of death, anxiety...; 

- stories from the past, decisions once made from the position of a child adapting to this world, beliefs limiting happiness, health, prosperity, harmonious relationship in the present.

We have already grown up, but since time does not exist for the unconscious, we continue to act, choose from that state, if we do not return to it to go through suppressed feelings and make another decision.

 Art therapy works gently, through the expression of the mentioned  above on paper by pencils, crayons, markers, pastels, paints, modeling clay, creating blots, blowing with straws. 

There are other kinds of art-therapy:

 - sand therapy,

 - music therapy,

- dance movement therapy,

 - fairy tale therapy, 

 - creating masks, collages, etc.

The goal of art therapy is NOT to create a masterpiece of fine art. On the contrary, all knowledge in the style of "how it should be", "right or wrong", "beautiful - not so" are switched off. The mind rests, the inner critic goes to sleep mode through special techniques. In fact it's harder for artists to shut down those skills and knowledge. It's easier if you don't know how to create fine arts objects.

Simple lines, scribbles, dots, symbols can come out, sometimes stored from nonverbal period of our life. And the research work is happening by asking questions: "what do you need me for", "what do I need you for", "when did you appear", "what needs to be done to make you feel better", "what needs to be done to make me feel better" and many others. And ... surprising answers come from inside - true specifically for you.

The principle of art therapy: do not scratch where it does not itch, i.e. delicately work with what triggers. We can go to the root of what has arisen, using other tools, if such a desire and need arises. In many cases art therapy alone is enough.

Depending on the requests, there are special practices for solving different issues:

- to learn living ecologically through some emotions, feelings, conditions;

- to set goals and  to work with limiting beliefs;

- relationship between men and women;

- relationship between parents and children;

- to restore a healthy image of inner parents, contact with the inner child;

- how to get out of a "dead end" in life, make the right decision;

- to understand what your body wants to tell through illness, realize the cause of health problems, and work with it, healing;

- to increase self-esteem, self-acceptance and acceptance of others, etc.

Sessions (=video calls) usually last about 1.5 hour. I'm available from 9 am to 4 pm Alaska time Monday to Friday.💞

Sessions can be in English or Russian.

I'm enjoying a busy period of the year and currently only accepting two new clients, so please understand that I'll need to prioritize based on the number of current projects and your needs.

I will be happy to see and hear you! 💖

Confidentiality guaranteed!

I'm waiting for your questions!😀