Art Therapy Programs
The intention of the Art Therapy Program is to provide an arts focused environment for healing. It can help children and even adults who are with some physical, emotional or mental challenges. Various types of visual arts and art media can be utilized within the process. Drawing, Photography, Calligraphy are great examples. This is in contrast to Expressive Therapy while various modalities will interplay.
The development of the service program needs be organically nurtured. A very practical example of such services is treatment of Autistic children.
The Art Therapy Program deploys professional in art therapy to work with children. The program has great potential to expand in many areas for treatment of bereaved children, disaster stricken victims, Children of divorced families and others with special needs to name a few.
It can be used for counseling by therapists, healing, treatment, rehabilitation, psychotherapy, and in the broad sense of the term, art therapy can be used to massage one’s inner-self in a way that may provide the individual a deeper understanding of him or herself for children and adults.
AMC provides Art therapy in a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Art therapists of AMC are professionals trained in both art and therapy. They are knowledgeable about human development, psychological theories, clinical practices, spiritual, multicultural and artistic traditions and the healing potential of art. They use art in treatment, assessment and research, and provide consultations to allied professionals. Art therapists work with people of all ages: individuals, couples, families, groups and communities.
Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department
Life and Creative Arts Therapy department in Art and Mind Center helps children to minimize the their anxiety, increase understanding and strengthen coping skills while helping children to continue their typical growth and development.
The art therapist utilizes the arts to assist healing by offering tools for self-expression while the children cope with symptoms, stress, or any traumatic experiences.
Art therapy places the value on art making as a tool for insight and discovery. Making art does not require words to express feelings. It engages the right side of the brain, the part of the brain responsible for intuitive, creative and imaginative impulses. Developmentally, this works well for children because art making reveals their internal experience in a safe, secure way.
During individual sessions and the daily art group, children engage in a wide variety of mediums and techniques which are developmentally appropriate, enjoyable and open to the entire family, thus allowing families a place to participate in normal activities.
In recent years, autism has been featured frequently in the news, and it seems that everyone knows someone whose life has been touched by the condition. Art therapy is a natural fit for autism for several reasons and it is not only art education and the AMC offers special programs for children with autism with art therapists assistance.
