Supplies: Drawing paper and materials (markers, pastels, crayons, pens, etc.). Supplies: Glue gun is helpful, gloves, and decorative craft materials, wiggly eyes, (pipe-cleaners, foam, yarn, buttons, feathers, felt, ribbons, etc.). I instruct them to decorate the outside in ways that represent how they show who they are to the world. But where does one start with art therapy?We compiled an extensive list of excellent activities to introduce you into the world of art therapy. Copyright 2022 Master Peace Box, LLC. Description: Work to create different representations of what self-esteem means to you in clay. You'll likely enter a soothing space of enjoying the moment. Anyone who violates the exclusive rights of the copyright owner is an infringer of the copyrights in violation of the US Copyright Act. 12 Most Interactive Art Therapy Group Activities For Adults Goals & reflection:This activity pushes you to experiment. While working with adults, you will likely come across a wide variety of issues. In a good way. In other words, dont specify what kind of bridge or body of water they should depict. Description:This exercise is pretty straightforward, but powerful nonetheless. Make sure you are physically comfortable and strained to see your reflection. If you'd like, you can add color. Supplies: Canvas or thin cardboard, masking tape, markers, crayons, pastels, paints, magazine photos, glue, scissors, etc. I organize the process of focusing and art therapy into Judith Herman's three stage model of recovery: establishing She then asked us to create small visual images on paper for each of the important things we kept in there. ), or you can leave it open-ended, and simply say draw your wall. Clients may also depict themselves somewhere along the bridge. Supplies:Paper and any drawing supplies (pens, pastels, crayons, markets, etc.). Art Worksheets for Adults | Therapist Aid 4. So, you'll then want to draw or paint on the canvas. We share three activities with which to get started. I ask the client to think of the flattened box as their self. While the Draw Your Wall activity can benefit treatment no matter what the issue, in my experience, the Draw Your Wall activity is especially useful for clients who have experienced trauma. Art therapy can be a great way to relax. Goals & reflection:Reflect on what your defenses are and what are the reasons you have them in place. Art can help a person develop a positive self-image, develop goals, and improve insight. Lesley University has a range of on-campus courses available from undergraduate to graduate certifications and a doctoral program. Professionals who use the tools available on this website should not practice outside of their own areas of competency. This will help get the energy moving and keep you from obsessing over getting the details perfect. Experiment with patterns, and express yourself freely. This is highly expressive and good for experimentation too. I love bridge drawings. Art therapy has little to do with esthetic value, or making something pretty or Pinterest-worthy. Feel free to play calming music during this exercise. Get your FREE Art Therapy Activity Guide here. The use of artistic methods to treat psychological disorders and enhance mental health is known as art therapy. Probative questions include: is your theme literal or abstract? 7. Sometimes when people experience trauma, their brains and bodies go into protective mode, locking down the painful memories and physically embedding sensory data for future reference. Goals & reflection:This is a good exercise for group bonding, cooperation, and entertainment. What is your armor?How does it look?Create a piece based on your own armor. Goals & reflection:This is a wonderfully expressive exercise and opportunity to hone in a state a focus. This usually inspires energy that translate to creative output, and instantly brings us into a space of mindfulness. You can download the transcript by clicking on the three dots on the right-hand side under the video and then clicking open transcript. You can copy and paste the transcript from the text box on the right. Art Therapy Activities PDF (5) | OptimistMinds Let loose and have fun! Socialization, teamwork and cooperation come together with creativity in a beautiful way. In western culture, mental health counselors often use mandalas as a form of stress relief, a tool for art therapy, and as a meditative exercise. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. We suggest newspaper or a drop cloth to mitigate mess on your workspace surface. You may cut, rip, or select the images, words, or objects that resonate with you. Next, clients shift to the third panel where they draw the solution to their problem. You can use your phone to set a timer for one minute, and after the time is up, other members guess what the drawing is. The mind and body are closely connected and can influence each other in a feedback loop whereby the mind creates feelings of tension in the body, and heightened feelings in the body leads to overthinking in the mind. Supplies: Paper, crayons, markers, pens, pastels, etc. I came up with this art therapy directive while working with a parent who was stuck in a pattern of self-defeating thoughts and behaviors. Rather, they are proficient in the skilled use of expressive arts as an integrative intervention in psychotherapy (Knill et al., 2005). Remind people it doesn't matter much about their artistic ability, rather, it's the feeling and the ensuing meditation on the power of relationships. Doodle. I developed this series as a means to explore that meaning and help her discover a more positive frame. If youre looking for more science-based ways to help others enhance their wellbeing, check out this signature collection of 17 validated positive psychology tools for practitioners. Let this serve as a totem, a reminder, and something to spark joy when you need it most. This activity can be conducted with individuals or in a group and was devised by music therapist Paula Higgins. Art therapy is available to all, and helps foster a deeper connection to the self. Art externalizes the problem, making it easier to explore. Filmmaking is another powerful expressive art form that is now available to most of us, given we can all make videos with our smartphones and edit them with various low-cost or free video-editing apps online. That way, you can connect with your internal world and create fertile ground for personal growth. Finally, ask them to envision putting their problem into the machine. The container metaphor can serve as a physical symbol that can tap into those feelings and experiences. Trevisani, F., Casadio, R., Romagnoli, F., Zamagni, M. P., Francesconi, C., Tromellini, A., Di Micoli, A., Frigerio, M., Farinelli, G., & Bernardi, M. (2010). Enhance problem-solving skills. Description:Find objects that encapsulate all of the senses. There are many ways to conduct bridge drawings with your clients and I will put forth two options: a classic from the Handbook of Art Therapy, and my own variation geared toward difficult life transitions. Description:Let everyone in the group write a few nouns onto the index cards. Thats why I put together this collection of art therapy activities for adults. Supplies: Canvas or paper, acrylic or tempera paints, paintbrush (or can be done with old toothbrush), water, container or cardboard box. After this is dry, you can decorate any way you see fit. Drawing Exercise First, paint a magic drawing on a blank sheet of paper with a candle, then wash it with watercolor. 1 What happens in art therapy? Create a Collage. Ask open-ended questions about what you see and also offer up any noticings that occur to you about their process, product, and symbols. This is my first experience with art expression therapy, and I was left with so many resources. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Theres no doubt children can do well in art therapy. Expressive arts therapy involves a multimodal integration of varied elements of the creative arts therapies into psychotherapy and counseling. Art therapy is a technique rooted in the idea that creative expression can foster healing and mental well-being. To make a mandala from scratch, the client needs to draw a circle (perhaps tracing around a circular object or using a compass) and then fill the circle in with spontaneous patterns and colors. While it certainly can work as an exercise for individuals, we think it's more powerful done with others to foster that sense of accountability that a group creates. Bright or dark? Let them know they can recreate again if they feel it is more suitable to have the happy emotions at the base. Supplies: String, claps, pliers, beads and any other available jewelry making supplies. Do you lash out?Distance yourself?Hide? Find additional free mental health worksheets and resources at TherapistAid, GetSelfHelpUK, and Taking the Escalator. Expressive journal writing can combine words, drawings, sketches, collages, or photos to represent emotions, thoughts, events, memories, aspirations, strengths, and other inner experiences. Expressive Arts Therapy: 15 Creative Activities and Techniques The action of focusing with art therapy serves to help the experience to move forward, marked by the felt shift. Clay can take a lot of impact, and sculpting can be used to represent abstract inner states, a self-image, and other people (Vaartio-Rajalin et al., 2020). Creative arts therapists tend to be expert arts practitioners in one specific area who have gone on to train in a specific type of creative arts therapy (Stuckey & Nobel, 2010). Once your client has finished, run through some open-ended processing questions to explore their meaning. From anxiety to PTSD, to grief to substance use, therapy with adults covers a broad range. It can also help them contain things that may feel overwhelming or out of control through visual and/or tactile means. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Of course, there are therapeutic benefits too! And the process is a cathartic transfer of energy. Benefits of Art Therapy. Don't force anything. Close your eyes, and start to visualize relaxation melting all the way down your body, from the scalp to the eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, jaw, neck, shoulders, etc. Adapt it for your session. Therapist Aid has obtained permission to post the copyright protected works of other professionals in the community and has recognized the contributions from each author. Citations Then, invite the kids to draw themselves as a superhero. Bring to mind your own joy throughout this entire process. Read more about our policies here. If they need guidance, ask them to describe the tools they would need to get past the problem and their current negative view. Also in the Toolkit is Drawing Grief,an expressive arts tool that aims to help bereaved clients explore their thoughts and feelings about their loss through drawing. Expressive arts therapy is a multimodal holistic health intervention that mobilizes creative expression in the service of healing both mind and body. The goal of the exercise is to give kids a chance to see how their moods change, and reflect on what behaviors happen in those moods. Observe any physical sensations while you are drawing or coloring. Through the reframing process, we owned that the method wasnt the best, as it caused damage in its wake, but we honored that her mission was good, and in the end resulted in her familys unmet needs getting met. You may also want to include printed images, mixed media supplies, and found objects, depending on your clients preferences. Description:Use the masking tape to create different sizes and shapes across the cardboard or canvas. on paper that represent the parts of themselves that feel unresolved, AKA their unfinished business. Participants benefit by relaxing, becoming more present, and through an enhanced sense of creativity and flow. Use Meditation While Painting To Overcome Creative Blocks. Plus, be the first to receive exclusive content & discounts. The exercise is aimed at developing imagination, creativity. Containers provide an excellent metaphor to work through a number of issues, including anxiety, unresolved grief, family secrets, and childhood trauma, to name a few. If you are using a cardboard box, cut out the top and one side and place it on top of the drop-cloths. Mandalas are traditionally used in many eastern spiritual traditions as a tool to aid meditation. Vaartio-Rajalin, H., Santamki-Fischer, R., Jokisalo, P., & Fagerstrm, L. (2020). Then, encourage them to make marks with colors that represent their feelings and draw and paint their problems away. Give them a chance to talk about themselves through the puppet, asking what the child's name thinks about certain things. Click here for a list of sites with mental health worksheets/handouts and here for for a list of free PDF workbooks, manuals, and self-help guides. The practice can be used to soften trauma, to assuage anxiety, reduce depression, and boost self-esteem. These science-based exercises will provide you with detailed insight into Positive CBT and give you the tools to apply it in your therapy or coaching. Description:Wait..I didn't know art therapy could involve cake?Well, now I'm definitely on board!In this exercise, divide the group into teams (usually 3-5 people per cake is enough to get the benefits of teamwork while ensuring everyone gets to play a role). Help to gain clarity and insight. If someone gets it right, the artist and the person who guessed properly get a point. Description:Create a messy line doodle, allowing the lines to overlap in certain areas. For some reason, they couldnt quite navigate the developmental milestone, and they got stuck. Her meaning around her ability to be a good mom was wrapped up in guilt about her past drug use. Its also important that you are clear with your clients that you are not an art therapist, and you are not providing art therapy. There are so many benefits to art therapy, its easy to see why the field is growing. This presence in art history is one of the characteristics contributing to the effectiveness of the box as a tool for art therapy (p. 88). Description: Play relaxing background music and let yourself start to get visualize stress releasing. Make a piece of jewelry inspired by the selection. Expressive Arts Therapy vs Creative Arts Therapy Whats more, art-making creates a safety buffer for adults who struggle with direct talk therapy. This gives the child the opportunity to express themselves without worry. Alternatively, try our Mapping Emotions worksheet, which uses visualization and color to enhance emotional awareness. In this article, expressive arts therapist Shelley Klammer explains the wider benefits of expressive journaling. The practice of art therapy has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, which makes sense in conjunction with depression rates rising. Hayley is a licensed counselor, art therapist, certified family-based therapist, and clinical supervisor from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The key to this exercise is working quickly and spontaneously, as free of internal verbal commentary as possible. MIND BODY CONNECTION. visual, dance, movement, music, creative writing). This project encourages self-reflection, expression, and it will sometimes allow you to start difficult conversations. Our Positive Psychology Toolkit also contains numerous expressive arts therapy tools, including Rewriting the Narrative With Humor, a tool for promoting emotional wellbeing and resilience using writing therapy to reframe a narrative about an embarrassing event with humor. That is where art therapy can really shine. ART THERAPY EXERCISES FOR ANXIETY. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". That means that when I set down to create each piece, I reflected on my work with a specific client, and then created the artwork with that experience in mind. Supplies: Paper and any drawing materials. Ask processing questions to further explore their drawing. For the purposes of this exercise, I prefer to use these small premade cardboard boxes that get assembled by hand (see below). This version of the bridge drawing technique comes from the Handbook of Art Therapy, from the section on clinical application with adults. In therapy, Jane drew her unhelpful view of the problem as a dark, messy blob of lines and jagged shapes. These books are highly recommended and created by experts in the field. This art therapy activity for adults explores unfinished business, using the container as a metaphor for repressed/buried/unresolved feelings, regrets, goals, dreams, etc. Movement can be a powerful form of self-expression to connect to the wisdom of the body and its innate healing capacity. Built with love in the Netherlands. Supplies: Black pens, Microns work well. 20 Mindfulness Art Activities for Adults & Kids - Happy Body Formula Knill, P. J., Levine, E. G., & Levine, S. K. (2005). Art Project Ideas to Aid in Recovery | Gateway Foundation ), had a powerful impact on each one of us. Provide them with paper and drawing tools. Yell? Creating together; the marriage of social psychology, group counseling and art therapy, where healing is provoked through the energy generated by a group of individuals, all creating art together. Square tissue boxes work perfectly, but you can use other wooden boxes, recycled containers, or even jars. In other words, the therapist provides the materials, equipment, and media required to facilitate a clients creative expression during the therapy session. You can explore past trauma, current boundaries, life stuckness, and even check in on the therapeutic relationship. While there are countless art therapy activities for adults that could work well, these 5 art directives include some of my favorites. Draw yourself trying to get out of a hole, which is a representation of your depression. We all play many roles in our lives at work, in social situations, and in our relationships. (P.D.F. FILE) Essential Art Therapy Exercises Effective Techniques to Due to the symbolic value of these characteristics, the box has been utilized throughout art history. This will become the base of your tree - your arm is the trunk of the tree and the fingers are the beginning of . Supplies:Paper, pens, pencils, drawing boards or table. Think about color, texture, size and shape. Set up your mirror so you can see yourself clearly, making sure your mirror is large enough to allow for this. Then, let everyone write their affirmation and decorate the cards to put in their decorated "bank". Explore ways this could be reframed. Have them start with colors that represent negative moods and gradually fade into a representation of positive feelings. Master of Arts Degrees in Expressive Arts Therapy; Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Expressive Therapies, Graduate Certificate in Expressive Therapies Studies, Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Concentration in Expressive Arts Therapy, Graduate Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy, Continuing Education CAS Expressive Arts Practice, Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Expressive Arts, MA degrees in the fields of expressive arts therapy, 17 validated positive psychology tools for practitioners. Once they have all of their symbols inside the box, I ask them to take them out, one at a time, and talk about each one. She found respite in her heroin use, and fully escaped the only way she knew how. Notice how you feel before and after, and let yourself create anything you desire. This video trailer for the book Video and Filmmaking as Psychotherapy (Cohen et al., 2016) gives a taste of how filmmaking is being used in psychotherapy with veterans to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Or, perhaps, make this a long-term project. I was working with a 23 year-old woman (Ill refer to her as Sydney) who was having trouble opening up about a past trauma. Now draw what you breathed out. The basic idea behind the activity is for the client to take their current unhelpful view of their problem and put it through a meaning machine in order to fabricate new meaning that serves them better. This can help to build group cohesiveness, or act as a reward for children doing a good job during sessions. One player then picks up an index card and has to draw whatever is written on the card in one minute. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Goals & reflection:This activity will entrance adults, children and teens alike. Take a look at the video under the next item for an example of an intuitive drawing session. Ask them to look past the not so good method and identify the good mission behind the problem. You can now go back and fill in the empty space with new designs if you so choose. You might type up the affirmations, you might write them on sticky notes, or perhaps on slips of paper you cut out with scissors. Art therapist and author Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT, explains in a Psychology Today (2010) article on art therapy interventions that collage is an excellent intervention to use with adults because they dont have to go through the agony of drawing something realistic and are spared the feeling of embarrassment that [their] pictures look like a 10-year-old drew them; this is welcome relief to most of my adult clients who bring this worry to initial sessions.. 26 Adult Art Therapy: Four Decades, Ages 20-60 Years 262 Deborah A. Thank you so much. Rather than explore the details of her experiences, I asked Sydney to depict the wall that got built as a result of those events. This method of escape pulled in much-needed supports for her and her family. Write out the values and let let a certain type of bead (color, size or shape) represent each value. The classic example is a cracker or chip: it has a unique sound when biting into it, a flavor, you can feel the texture, looks distinctyou get the idea. This is helpful on a survival level, but when clients get stuck in that mode, they can experience all kinds of issues and symptoms.