ART THERAPY
Art Therapy Focused Sessions
Although, I occasionally incorporate art therapy into psychotherapy sessions, those interested in art therapy as the main modality in treatment can be accommodated with the ‘Art Therapy Focused Sessions’.
What is Art Therapy?
The goal of art therapy is to engage additional senses in the therapeutic process. There are various uses for art in session. I use art therapy to better understand the participant’s felt experiences and to assist them to find some clarity and insight. Art therapy can be used to explore problem solving skills that can be applied to real life using the creative process. Art therapy is also about the art making process itself and can be a way to regulate emotionally and experience the present moment.
What does Art Therapy look like in session: See examples below.
Required materials:
Art therapy materials will be whatever you may have at home such as paper, colored pencils, pens, or etc. You are not required to purchase any materials unless you would like to do so. For those who are interested in ‘Art Therapy Focused Sessions’, having a range of art materials is encouraged.
*Currently only offering services virtually.
$200/Session (75 minutes)
Art Therapy Focused Sessions
35 & 36 y/o African American males (10+ year relationship)
Intervention: What are each of your perspectives of the past/present/future of your relationship?
Partner #1 remarks: I am not really focused on the past but more on the present and future. What stood out to me was the diagonal throughline of the image that represent the consistent factors in our relationship that I believe has contributed to a healthy relationship. I chose images that represented our current lifestyle and what we have in common and future goals together. My favorite part was the process of choosing what collage images to include and making meaning of them. I can see the similarities in my partners collage since we both understand that consistency is important.
Partner #2 remarks: I chose images that represented the story of our relationship and placed emphasis on how each phase is connected to one another. I wanted to show the importance of building a solid foundation in our relationship which has allowed us to get through challenging times and continue growing in our relationship. I also really liked the process of figuring out what each image would represent, the colors I would use and even planning how to place them to tell the story. It was also nice to include an image that represented a higher power which I used my late mother as symbolism.
16 y/o African American female
Intervention: What does your anxiety look like?
Participant remarks: My anxiety gets higher when I am at school. This is pretty much what goes through my mind when I am at school.
39 y/o Latina female
Intervention: What does your current phase of like look like?
Participant remarks: I chose to highlight my current phase of my professional development. I know how I want to feel as a professional taking the next steps in my career, shown on the upper half. I also wanted to include the importance of having friendship/connection and ancestry present to represent important values I hold. I used the darker bottom half to show what gets in the way on an emotional level of taking steps towards professional growth. However, there is some yellow coming through the black paint to show the light that is underneath the negative self-talk, fear, and exhaustion.
36 y/o Biracial (African American/Asian) female
Intervention: Journaling using art
Participant remarks: I started with creating multi-color lines without too much thought but wanting to go from light to dark. As I was creating, I was able to think about the ups and downs that are always taking place in life and how perspective is important. It made me think that nothing is all “good” or all “bad” but on a continuum that keeps moving. Depending where I am on the continuum, I will make different meanings on past and present experiences.