Art Therapy
What is
Art Therapy?
Art therapy is the deliberate use of art-making to address psychological and emotional needs. Art therapy uses art media and the creative process to help manage stress and enhance coping skills. *
Art therapy is a powerful tool in helping people cope with all kinds of issues: depression, anxiety, stress, career change, and a host of other life challenges.
How does art therapy work?
Art Therapy provides therapeutic benefits by helping people cope with symptoms related to emotional and physical pain, anxiety, and stress.
Engaging in art therapy helps people increase their ability to heal and be resilient. Through the creation of images, people can refocus their energies, regain a sense of control, and communicate their feelings about their current challenge.
Why is art therapy so helpful?
Through images about their challenge, people can communicate unexpressed conflicting feelings about their issue. Lets use the example of a person coping with a life threatening illness such as cancer. While that person may say that chemotherapy is helpful in eliminating his or her cancer, on an unconscious level the person may be feeling that the treatment is poison. ** Unearthing and examining this ambivalence can be a key factor in promoting healing.
What can I expect in my
art therapy session?
See the story below for an illustration of how a session might unfold.
Tamara Herl is a Registered/Board Certified Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor. Her experience in art therapy has included work on the Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation units at Parkview Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado, serving as Director of Expressive Therapies at Prairie View, Inc., a community mental health center and private psychiatric hospital in Newton, Kansas, and private practice work for the past three years. Overall, Tamara has more than 25 years of experience helping people of all ages improve their quality of life.
*The Art Therapy Alliance, from website: www.internationalarttherapy.org
**Art Therapy Sourcebook, 2006
Remainder from Art Therapy Supporting Patient Care In Medical Settings:
Toolkit from the American Art Therapy Association
Art Therapy?
Art therapy is the deliberate use of art-making to address psychological and emotional needs. Art therapy uses art media and the creative process to help manage stress and enhance coping skills. *
Art therapy is a powerful tool in helping people cope with all kinds of issues: depression, anxiety, stress, career change, and a host of other life challenges.
How does art therapy work?
Art Therapy provides therapeutic benefits by helping people cope with symptoms related to emotional and physical pain, anxiety, and stress.
Engaging in art therapy helps people increase their ability to heal and be resilient. Through the creation of images, people can refocus their energies, regain a sense of control, and communicate their feelings about their current challenge.
Why is art therapy so helpful?
Through images about their challenge, people can communicate unexpressed conflicting feelings about their issue. Lets use the example of a person coping with a life threatening illness such as cancer. While that person may say that chemotherapy is helpful in eliminating his or her cancer, on an unconscious level the person may be feeling that the treatment is poison. ** Unearthing and examining this ambivalence can be a key factor in promoting healing.
What can I expect in my
art therapy session?
See the story below for an illustration of how a session might unfold.
Tamara Herl is a Registered/Board Certified Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor. Her experience in art therapy has included work on the Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation units at Parkview Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado, serving as Director of Expressive Therapies at Prairie View, Inc., a community mental health center and private psychiatric hospital in Newton, Kansas, and private practice work for the past three years. Overall, Tamara has more than 25 years of experience helping people of all ages improve their quality of life.
*The Art Therapy Alliance, from website: www.internationalarttherapy.org
**Art Therapy Sourcebook, 2006
Remainder from Art Therapy Supporting Patient Care In Medical Settings:
Toolkit from the American Art Therapy Association
Let me help you transform your Life Challenge!
Call 719-221-0548 to schedule your session today!
Call 719-221-0548 to schedule your session today!
Art Therapy
A one hour session via phone and e-mail. Tamara will help you get started, you create the image on your own, and then together you will discover its meaning!
$
60.00
A Sample Art Therapy Session
A woman in her 40's came to me experiencing post-partum depression after the birth of her child.
I wanted to work with her strengths, so I asked her what things gave her life meaning and purpose.
She said that Spirituality was one of the most important things in her life.
Using Guided Imagery, I then asked her to imagine the best possible outcome of her situation. She pictured her Higher Power as a beautiful golden Light, pulling her from the depths of her depression.
I then assisted her in creating a Life Mask that depicted what she had seen during her visualization. Creating this image and discussing her issues helped this woman move out of despair and back into a life full of joy and meaning.
I wanted to work with her strengths, so I asked her what things gave her life meaning and purpose.
She said that Spirituality was one of the most important things in her life.
Using Guided Imagery, I then asked her to imagine the best possible outcome of her situation. She pictured her Higher Power as a beautiful golden Light, pulling her from the depths of her depression.
I then assisted her in creating a Life Mask that depicted what she had seen during her visualization. Creating this image and discussing her issues helped this woman move out of despair and back into a life full of joy and meaning.
