ART THERAPY – A TOOL TOWARDS MENTAL WELL-BEING

They say, “Art is the meeting ground of the world inside and the world outside”. Expressive art therapy integrates all of the arts in a safe non-judgmental setting to facilitate personal growth and healing.

Art therapy is known to improve the mental health of people who are dealing with addictions, anxiety, attention disorders, grief and loss, dementia, depression, eating disorders, physical illness, PTSD, traumas, relationship issues, and much more.

PRC Rehabilitation Center Karachi has incorporated group art therapy into its program understanding the important role it can play in communication skills improvement and mental health and well-being of the clients.

The creative process helps to explore self-expression and in doing so, find new ways to gain personal insight and develop new coping skills. Sometimes, it is a great way to declutter the mind and help in making our inner thoughts more organized in a coherent way.

Techniques used in art therapy can include drawing, painting, coloring or collage. As the clients at PRC Clifton Karachi, create art, they may analyze what they have made and how it makes them feel. Clients do not need to have artistic ability or any particular knowledge about art in order to participate in art therapy. It is just another medium to express how you feel or just be a source to relaxation. In creating art, clients are able to focus on their own perceptions, imagination, and feelings. Clients are encouraged to create art that expresses their inner world more than making something that is an expression of the outer world.

Engaging in artwork can awaken our feelings and relive memories from our childhood. From a very young age, we instinctively use drawing, painting or modeling clay as a way to communicate, reduce stress and express emotions. But as adults, we often forget about the beneficial effects of art.

Parvarish Recovery Center has introduced group art therapy in their program to enable its clients to benefit from this form of therapy. Art therapy provides a safe place where clients can explore feelings such as anger, sadness, fear or loneliness. Feelings that they are otherwise reluctant to talk about. Research has shown that drawing and painting can stimulate memories in people with dementia and other neurological diseases. Painting, drawing and other art forms can help increase the number of connections in the brain that impact memory, improve moods and expand a person’s vocabulary even.

It is not always necessary that you create something to discover its healing power. Looking at art is beneficial for people’s health as well. There is an increasing number of studies that imply that surrounding yourself with art is an effective way of preventing and treating a variety of conditions. Even museum and art gallery visits help reduce stress in people by taking them away from the busy routines of modern-day life and by immersing them into a more tranquil environment.

Similar to daily exercise, surrounding yourself with art can help balance these hormones like cortisol and our level of serotonin which if absent can be responsible for a variety of diseases including depression, anxiety, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

The positive effects of art therapy are not limited to people with illnesses only. Even perfectly healthy people can benefit a lot from art. The fact that you took the time to do something for yourself, whether its painting or visiting a gallery can lead to improved self-awareness and self-esteem.

With so many positive effects on a person’s health, it’s no wonder that Parvarish Recovery Center uses art therapy as are other institutions like hospitals, schools, and other facilities. By giving clients a way to express their problems and an escape to a happier, serene reality, art therapy is a powerful weapon in preventing and battling diseases and improving one’s well-being.