Art therapy is an incredibly beautiful and effective way of perceiving oneself and the environment, and also promotes the ability to learn to understand the environment. It creates freedom to express yourself creatively and to communicate without words.
It is not about artistic ability, but rather about getting involved in a process. It is based on a trusting therapeutic relationship that accompanies this process. By becoming acquainted with still unknown materials, a wide variety of topics are worked on, and inner processes are made visible and accompanied and worked on at a self-determined pace until the end of the therapy.
The process itself, as well as the created works serve within the therapeutic process as "viewing and rehearsal space", in which actions and ways of thinking can be viewed, developed further and subjected to a meaningful transformation. New possibilities arise in the communication not only with others, but also with oneself. The resulting works become a mirror of one's own personal history, the current feelings and the current way of acting.
In this art-therapeutic process, the discovery of creative resources, self-healing powers can be mobilized and various processes of change can be stimulated through a playful and material testing activity. The focus of the work is the connection between perception - experience - action. Through experimentation and a wide variety of suggestions, patients learn to recognise their limits and develop an improved tolerance for frustration.
The work processes experienced during therapy open up the possibility of addressing problems at the moment of perception and being able to react to them immediately. This promotes the testing of different approaches and can thus create a new basis for action with expanded perspectives.
Art therapy can be used in various areas. It can be used sensibly for people with the most diverse illnesses and in all age groups and different life situations.
The art therapist plays a major role here and is oriented specifically to the patient's stage of development and acts accordingly to stabilize the patient's personality and resolve conflicts in order to offer the patient any necessary assistance or suggested solutions. It protects against too fast evaluations, encourages and supports in phases of unimaginativeness. In addition to being a dialogue partner, the art therapist is also a source of inspiration in the analytical dialogue about the works created.
The successes achieved are reflected as transfer payments in the individual areas of life and behaviour in the family and in the everyday life of the patient. Under guidance many insights into artistic work with different materials can be gained.
It is extremely important that the patient realizes that his or her own work is taken seriously and appreciated. However, it is important that they are not viewed with a judgmental eye, but rather purely for reflection.
