Art Therapy, a familiar term that always appear, especially the place related to children. In Hong Kong, most of the professions, such as psychologist, health care worker or social worker etc……they will cite the Art Therapy to heal or do the rehabilitation. What is Art Therapy? 

Edwards, D. (2004) said that “Art used as therapy emphasizes the healing potential of art.” It means that Art Therapy is coming from two fields: art and psychotherapy; Also, the therapy would process through the art-making. 

More or less, the art therapy is a kind of projection. Therefore, it has a big difference between art therapy with other forms of therapy is that eliciting the words or languages to communicate. Not only have children been applied, but the aging also have been utilized the art therapy. 

Most of the mental health profession will employ Art Therapy in clinical or other settings. Art is a media to employ within the therapeutic process, including painting, drawing, sculpting, and photography. Moreover, drama, sand, music, and all of the creative or expressive arts could be augmented to psychotherapy. 

Art-based assessments

The professions of Art Therapy have developed various art-based assessments for evaluating the emotional, cognitive, and the developmental conditions. 

The Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS) is a three-picture art interview designed by Barry M. Cohen and Barbara Lesowitz in 1982. The Administrators adopt DDS on the behaviors and behavioral changes of the test-taker. 

The Mandala Assessment Research Instrument (MARI) is a test which assesses and gives clues to a person’s psychological progressions and their current psychological condition. 

House-Tree-Person (HTP) is a projective test designed to measure aspects of a person’s personality although the client has brain damage and general mental functioning. 

Road Drawing (RD) is an assessment and therapeutic intervention, the patient is asked to draw a road. This graphic will represent the person’s “Road of Life”. It reflects the client’s origins, the history or her life process, experiences to date, and intent for the future.

Besides, there are many similar drawing assessments have been employed by the Art Therapists. 

General Illness

Actually, Art Therapy could employ in different psychological problems. Art and the creative process could assist the clients who escape the emotional effects of problems through art making and many creative methods. The children who have the conduct, emotion or those who need the Special Education Needs (SEN) would adopt Art Therapy. It is no doubted that the clients who have psychotic problems, who imprison in the correction centres, who encounter the bereavement, disasters, distraction, and the unfinished business. 

More Than Therapy

The Art Therapists could use the art to heal the mental illness. At the same time, art could be a tool to help individuals to solve the daily problem or emotion.

Read more, please click into: http://www.googoogaga.com.hk/ArtTherapy/edm.php 

Reference:

Edwards, D. (2004). Art therapy. London: Sage Publications, p.1 

Barry M. Cohen, Anne Mills, Kathryn Johnson Ph.D.(2012) Diagnostic Drawing Series. diagnosticdrawingseries.com. Retrieved March 4, 2012.

"http://www.diagnosticdrawingseries.com/training.html"