Art therapy (from the English "art-therapy") literally means "treatment with art". It is a rapidly growing set of methods of healing and psychological correction with the help of art and creativity.
Unlike classes aimed at systematic teaching of any art, art therapy classes are rather spontaneous in character and are aimed not at the result, but at the creative process itself. The state of free creativity gives emotional relaxation, the possibility of self-expression, and simply gives immense pleasure to all participants in the process.
For the first time, art therapy began to be applied in the 40s of the twentieth century in the United States, to work with children removed from fascist camps during the Second World War. Then the art therapy pursued, above all, diagnostic purposes. At the present time, art therapy not only has not lost its relevance, but, on the contrary, has developed and ubiquitous distribution, due to the proven experience of generations of corrective and curative effect. It is successfully applied in adults and children, in the methodical programs of kindergartens are included art therapy classes. Particularly striking results are provided by art therapy for preschool children and disabled children. The availability of methods and the absence of contraindications allow us to engage in art therapy to people of all age categories and with any state of health.
Objectives of art therapy:
- diagnosis of psychological problems;
- the least painful withdrawal out of suppressed thoughts and feelings;
- adequate exit from the point of view of society for aggression and other negative manifestations of a person;
- increasing the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatment (art therapy as an auxiliary method);
- training of concentration on sensations and feelings;
- facilitating the establishment of social contacts;
- development of creative abilities;
- development of self-control;
- increase self-esteem.
Methods of art therapy
There are many types of art therapy, based on work with different types of art: isotherapy (everything related to the fine arts: drawing, painting, modeling, etc.), color therapy, sand therapy, music therapy, bibliotherapy (working with the word - the composition of fairy tales, poems, etc.), dance therapy, dramatherapy and many others. Each of the types of art therapy has its own, narrow, methods, which are specialists. In general, we can say that the methods of all types of art therapy are based on "switching" the activity of the cerebral hemispheres. The left hemisphere is a kind of censor, mind, consciousness, which sometimes does not let out sincere feelings, suppressing them. The right hemisphere, which is activated during creative activity, triggers unconscious processes that open the way to the expression of genuine experiences. As a result of art therapy exercises, the hemispheres begin to work together, and this work is aimed at understanding and correcting internal, unconscious problems: fears, complexes, "clamps", etc.
Art therapy in preschool age
In conclusion, let us introduce you to the most popular art therapy exercises for preschool children. The main condition for children's art therapy exercises is the availability of funds, attractiveness, understandability and safety.
Art therapy for children - exercises
- Sand art therapy is perhaps the most common and favorite exercise for younger preschoolers, which meets all of the above requirements. The sector of sand art-therapy is in every Montessori-pedagogic studio, in many developing centers and even in some kindergartens. All that is necessary for sand art therapy is an ordinary box with sand, or a sandbox. Drawing dry or wet sand, building sand castles, creating sand figures, the child develops tactile sensations, is liberated, self-expressing.
- Scribbles are the most accessible exercise for which you only need paper and a pencil (pen, felt-tip pen). The child freely, without thinking about the result, draws on a piece of paper a tangle of lines,
then tries to discern in it and describe some image. In the process of description, you can already consciously draw it, highlight contours, shade individual areas, etc. - Monotype (literally "one imprint") is another very interesting form of isotherapy. Ink, ink, watercolor or liquid diluted gouache on a smooth surface that does not absorb paint (plastic, linoleum, glossy thick paper, etc.) is made with a pattern: stains, lines, etc. A sheet of paper is attached to this surface, on it mirror image is printed drawing. The child looks at what has happened, describes the emerging image, paints it.