This reflection journal is about art therapy. I read the chapter out of the book Trauma titled “Art Therapy with Traumatically Bereaved Children.” Reading about this chapter, made me think of the many different creative and expressive arts used in therapy for adults and children.
Music therapy is often used with Alzheimer’s disease that seems to be effective in helping patients to cognitively engage by singing along with the song. Dance and movement therapy is sometimes used for stress relief and mood management. I believe in all these therapies and I think they can be very beneficial. This chapter made me think about the adults who have suffered childhood trauma and did not receive intervention as a child, those incidents of trauma are often buried deep within the person and not even a part of conscious thought or if it is a part of conscious thought the past trauma can be stated as a matter of fact and be devoid and disconnected from any type of feeling or emotion.
I believe that there is a connection between thinking and feeling. I think that sometimes people will behave in ways that are unhealthy, and they keep repeating the pattern of unhealthy behavior despite wanting to do something different because there are unresolved feelings buried within. If it is true that cells have memories then any unresolved trauma is never forgotten, it is only stuffed down and buried alive to emerge in other ways, either as repetitive patterns seeking out the familiar or as a
"Music therapy is a systematic process of intervention wherein the therapist helps the client to promote health, using musical experiences and the relationships that developed through them as dynamic forces of change (Hodges and Sebald pg 284)”. I watched a youtube video called When Meds Fail: A Case for Music Therapy: Tim Ringgold. The video started off with Tim the music therapist singing a song that he wrote for his daughter. As a Music Therapist Tim knows how important music is for an infant in the whom. “Researcher shows using music during childbirth has a significant drop of perception of pain, anxiety and time itself for mom’s
The speech “Art can heal PTSD’s invisible Wounds” spoke by Melissa Walker, she spoke about how art can heal unspoken wounds. Melissa’s grandfather was a war veteran, which inspired her to search for a cure. She persuaded people to speak about their problems through art. The many patients she had dug up their old pains and put it on a mask. She helped thousands come out about their experience in the war in a sculpture.
Therapeutic art is used to assist people in understanding who they truly are and how they have grown from their past and any traumatizing experiences they may have experienced previously. Author, Laurie Halse Anderson explains the struggle of being the high school outcast through character Melinda Sordino. Anderson uses Melinda 's evolving tree artwork to symbolize past calamities in Melinda 's life, as well as how Melinda is growing as a character throughout her freshman year of high school. While Melinda is struggling most, she struggles with finishing her trees the way that she wants them to look.
Of the types of therapies discussed in chapter 4 I believe the Ellis’ rational-emotive therapy approach could be
Merleau-Ponty tells us that, “the real has to be described, not constructed or formed” (1969, p. 17). Phenomenological art therapy as explicated by Betensky (1995) is a clearly formulated art therapy approach that attempts to understand the phenomena of the artwork and the creative process from within itself through "intentional observation" and reflection. The three main features of the phenomenological method are 1) the attention to the description of the perceived phenomena; 2) focus on capturing the essence; and 3) the essence is found by intuiting and not by deduction or induction. The 5 key concepts of phenomenology concepts outlined by Merleau–Ponty in the introduction of Phenomenology of Religion (Bettis 1969) can be applied to art therapy (Carpendale, 2002).
a. Demographics and context: Daneka was a 15 year old girl. She was a loving, energetic girl who had lots of friends, was a straight-A student and enjoyed dancing. She was raised in a middle-class family who always wanted what was best for Daneka. Yet, her mom and dad worked a lot and, therefore, weren’t able to drive Daneka to school every day or spend much time with her because they were always busy with work obligations. However, this wasn’t a problem considering she lived only a few blocks from the school and could walk every day.
Music therapy exists in different forms, which includes drumming, singing, listening, and songwriting. According to American Music Therapy Association, one of the most eminent music therapy organizations, music therapy provides a way for those who have mental disorder “to nonverbally express their inner thoughts and feelings, and support verbal processing of thoughts and reactions” (“Music Therapy”). While curing military veterans during World War Two, music therapy is processed in three steps: disclosure, identification, and transformation. First, music therapy makes people relaxed in order to motivate patients to reveal their fears,
For example, when most people are diagnosed with any type of mental disease, the first and foremost thing to do is get them on some type of medication. Nevertheless thanks to new and upcoming research there has been proven evidence that “ engagement with artistic activities, either as an observer of the creative efforts of others or as an initiator of one’s own creative efforts, can enhance one’s moods, emotions, and other psychological states as well as have a salient impact on important physiological parameters” (The Connection Between Art, Healing, And Public Health: A Review of Current Literature) by Heather L. Stuckey and Jeremy Nobel). Any type of art between, music, drawing, painting, writing, or etc. has been used to help ease the emotion of the mentally ill. Not only can it create a sense of safety, but the please some get from making art has been proven to ease anxiety, decrease depression, calm nerves, and help cope with things that may be harder for one to take in with a mental
More often than not, drawing and writing are very therapeutic means for children like your son to express their vulnerability and memories of an event. Helping your son through his experience, so that he can learn how to cope with what has happened and put his life back together again and move forward is important. The “American Art Therapy Association (AATA)” believes art therapy is healing and life-enhancing, especially for children. AATA is a free online website providing no cost resources to individuals and families experiencing developmental, medical, educational, and social, or psychological impairment in the realms of education, prevention, treatment, services, and public policy for many years. AATA also provides trauma-informed support services for individuals via their online blog.
Overall, I had a very positive experience during this first week of my mental health clinical rotation. When I went into the hospital, I was a little apprehensive because of the stories the orientation nurse told us about the different units. However, when I got onto the unit, I realized that these children were the same as other kids, but they had different mental health issues from their past experiences or their genetics. Most of the kids on this unit did not do anything to become the way they are.
With time all three theories and therapies have received considerable criticism and have been modified by many. Some have suggested that unlike Frauds’ belief, the “manifest content” is nothing but the representation of the dreamers waking life (Fosshage, 1983, 1987; Garma, 1987; Glucksman, 1988; Glucksman and Warner, 1987; Lippman, 2000; Natterson, 1980, 1993; Schwartz, 1990). Others have simply expanded on Jung’s and Adler’s theories along with providing set parameters for its use in therapy ((Beebe, 1993; Bonime, 1987; Bosnak, 1988; Johnson, 1986; Bird, 2005; Lombardi and Elcock,
Art therapy can be a powerful tool when used along with other treatments. Art therapists are trained in both art and therapy. There are various types of creative therapies ranging from art therapy to dance and drama therapy. It is important that art therapy takes place alongside other types of communications within therapeutic relationships and in a therapeutic setting. Another benefit of art therapy is that it encourages people to express and understand emotion through artistic expression and through the creative
When I first started my fieldwork at Creative Gifts I was unsure of what to do as an occupational therapy assistant student (OTAS). Though I have worked with this population, adults with developmental disabilities and am very comfortable in this setting, I am there in another capacity, as an occupational therapy (OT) practitioner. Once I started to see the clients from a perspective of an OT practitioner I was able to incorporate teachings that I learned from the classroom to help me provide services and create interventions for the clients on my caseload. I have had several situations at Creative Gifts, where I have encountered situations in which I felt that I was a true occupational therapy assistant (OTA) and felt confident in my skills.
Client-centered therapy is unique in that it makes me feel connected to my clients on a person-to-person basis. This form of therapy places me in a conflict between my values and emotions. As a therapist, I would need to separate my client 's behavior from their persona, and I would need to address them as an individual not defined by their actions. From my perspective, it would be difficult to display unconditional positive regard to a client that has committed many harmful and violent crimes. I do like certain aspects of client-centered therapy and one day
Over the past one and half month, the class of PDE 502 (Counselling and Career Education) has taught me some major lessons for life in dealing with the clients in response to their emotional needs. The role of a counsellor is not unlike that of a friend where by it is nurtured by being in each other’s company, talking over everyday issues and sharing feelings. However, what sets a counsellor apart is their experience and the ability to apply counselling theories and techniques to assist people in gaining awareness, insight and explore ways of solving their own issues.