Video: Art Therapy Through a Screen

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Art Therapy Nashville TN Telehealth Services
Video Art Therapy Through a Screen
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Therapy Through a
Many are wondering if they can do art therapy at
home. In the midst of the pandemic, ILC offered
art therapy online for clients. In this art
therapy webinar, Art Therapist, Nina Ayala, MA,
ATR-P, shares tips and exercises on working with
clients to do art therapy online. In light of the
coronavirus pandemic, adapting therapy practices
to virtual sessions is imperative. View the
discussion below as well as some key
takeaways. Art Therapy Through A Screen What
We Learned WHAT IS ART THERAPY AND WHY SHOULD WE
USE IT?
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Art Therapy is a treatment method that can help
clients learn to access parts of their brain
they may not normally access through creativity.
This can be especially helpful to people who
tend to be more analytical, and they may see a
shift in perspective when becoming creative. For
someone who has experienced significant trauma
or grief, these interventions can be helpful in
processing, especially when words fail to
accurately describe what theyve been through.
The use of art therapy can result in the client
gaining more self-awareness and accessing the
subconscious, which can help identify what is
important to them. Many clients, especially
adults, find the idea of art therapy intimidating
at first. This is because many have not used art
supplies since they were children, and have
anxiety about their ability to draw. Art therapy
is about the process, not the product. While an
art class is typically about making a beautiful
piece of art, the goals of an art therapy
session are to find new ways to express emotions,
how to relax with the art materials, and to
learn more about who you are and how you
approach things in life. Art can be used as a
tool to express emotions, resolve emotional
conflicts, cope with traumas, and can be a new
healthy coping skill to help manage addictions
and unwanted behaviors. It also allows you to
explore your inner self. How To Do Art Therapy
At Home Obstacles When leading a traditional
art therapy group or seeing individual clients in
person, the art therapist typically has a
variety of art supplies on hand for the clients
to work with. In this webinar, Nina pointed out
that not all clients will have art supplies at
home. WHAT ARE SOME LIMITATIONS TO DOING ART
THERAPY ONLINE?
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Another challenge Nina mentioned is that the art
therapist can walk around and
ask questions at an in person group. When doing
art therapy online, the art therapist can only
see what is visible on the screen. Because you
are not physically there in the space with them,
you must overcome this by reminding them that
you are there to help with techniques and asking
if they need to pause and reflect with you on
what they are feeling. Children can have
additional challenges when using telehealth for
art therapy. Many of them have short attention
spans, so having a backup plan in case their
attention shifts elsewhere is important. It is
also important to plan sessions around time of
day, as some kids can be sleepy after lunch or
may have had an intense school session that day.
It is also helpful to make sure they come to
session in a manner that is comfortable. Having a
favorite stuffed animal or blanket on hand in
case they need comfort is a good idea since you
are not with them in person.
How To Do Art Therapy At Home Structure Of An
Art Therapy Online Session
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HAVE A PLAN
When guiding clients in an online session of art
therapy, come prepared with a plan. Know what is
going on with your group or individual clients as
this can help to set goals and make plans for
the session. If many members of a group are new,
you will need to ease their anxieties. An art
therapy online session may also include
psychoeducation about healthy relationships or
other topics relevant to the clients, teaching
coping skills, and mindfulness exercises like
deep breathing. CHECK IN WITH EACH CLIENT In a
group setting, it is important to engage each
client at the beginning of the session to make
them feel included and help them connect with the
other members. There are a variety of ways to do
this, but having each person name one thing they
are grateful for that day is a good way to open
the group and get the members ready to work and
have discussions with one another. INTRODUCE ART
THERAPY This is important for new groups, or
groups with a lot of new members. Explain to
your clients that art therapy is a process. It is
also useful to describe what a flow state is and
the benefits being in a flow state has to a
persons well being. INTRODUCE THE ACTIVITY When
introducing the activity to those participating
in an art therapy online session, it may be
helpful to enhance it with guided meditation,
poetry, inspirational quotes, or
psychoeducational materials to reinforce the
days goals. ART MAKING Always have the clients
choose which art materials and mediums to work
with as it gives the power to the client, and
some materials will feel better to them than
others. As they move into making art they will
have an opportunity to learn more about
themselves and where they currently are with
their goals. ENCOURAGEMENT SHARING
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Encourage your clients once they are creating.
Give them opportunities to share
and discuss their process and any insights that
came up while creating the art with you and
other group members. This will help them to gain
confidence in what they have created. While an
art therapist may see meaning in the art a client
has made, everyone is unique and may attribute
different meanings to symbols and colors. It is
up to the client to analyze their art and share
these insights with the therapist. Art Therapy
At Home Tips When conducting virtual art
therapy, its inevitable that some activities
will feel more comfortable and free-flowing than
others. Have your plan, but have a back- up as
well and be flexible. Once a virtual session is
scheduled, art supplies can be delivered to
clients or residential centers, or a client can
use whatever supplies they have on
hand. Headphones should be used by the art
therapist and the client, and having a pair of
backup headphones on hand is a good idea. The
session will run more smoothly if both have
access to high quality internet, and you and your
clients can test your video and audio before the
session. How To Do Art Therapy At Home
Interventions During the art therapy webinar,
Nina discussed a few different art therapy
interventions that would be particularly useful
for art therapy online sessions. ALTERED BOOK
MAKING A book that would have been discarded is
made into a work of art. The client can create
with collage, draw or paint in the book, cut out
shapes or windows, create blackout poetry, or
glue on found objects. Altered books are useful
for recovery,
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journaling or documenting your process, and can
symbolize creating new
chapters in your life. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES
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Bridge To Recovery
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Art Therapy Nashville TN Telehealth Services
Nina asks clients to visualize their challenge
(substance use, self-harm, etc) and think about
what was in the past, where they want to go, and
what that bridge between the two looks like. The
client makes a simple drawing of the bridge using
watercolors or another medium. The client asks
themselves where they are on the bridge, how
solid it is, and where the bridge will take
them. Art In Response To Guided
Meditations During guided meditations the client
might be asked to visualize being in nature or a
place they feel safe. Afterwards, ask the client
to put the image on paper. It can be an actual
drawing or painting of a specific place (beach,
forest, etc.) or abstract colors and shapes.
This image can bring the person back to a place
where they can find refuge when they feel
overwhelmed.
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Nina guided the group through a short
thankfulness meditation coupled with the
Healing Hands exercise. Healing Hands Ninas
favorite art therapy intervention is called
healing hands. The client traces their hands on
a piece of paper with a pen or marker. They then
place words, pictures, and symbols on the hands.
One hand represents the past and everything they
are holding onto. The other hand is a
representation of the future and what they are
hoping for. This allows them to analyze what
things from the past are still lingering and
gives them an opportunity to let go. It also lets
the client look forward, deciding what they want
more of in their life.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE WEBINAR Link to a
research article about Altered Books with
adolescents Great book by one of the Pioneers of
Art Therapy on her battle with cancer and
altered bookmaking My Canvas Community Arts and a
news segment on it.
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Other similar community-based art therapy
organizations are Playing to
Live and Whole Village. American Art Therapy
Association Art Therapy Credentials Board where
to find an Art Therapist by state
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