Art Therapy

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Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy where a child creates some form of art-work, such as a drawing, doodle, a sculpture made of clay, a collage, or other art. None of these techniques require any special talent, experience or training in the arts.

 

The artwork is then used as a focus for reflection in words between the child and therapist. This artwork is used in much the same way as dreams are used in therapy, because both artwork and dreams access the unconscious rapidly and effectively. Using a journal or diary, the youth is guided with focus questions about various areas of his or her life.

 

Youth would be encouraged to draw, paint or engage in other forms of artistic expression. The young people would then be asked to write about the image in a journal and to reflect upon feelings captured in the artwork. Art therapy is said to foster use of both sides of the brain—nonverbal art expression is primarily a right brain process, and writing is a left-brain centered activity. Brooklyn Youth Enrichment maintains that art therapy is a means of supporting and fostering the development of the child's ego and sense of identity helping in the maturation process.

 

Every child has creative drives, which, if encouraged in an atmosphere of controlled freedom, can promote emotional growth, satisfaction, joy and development of a positive self-image. Brooklyn Youth Enrichment will use music, painting, drawing, writing, masks and collages to provide children and teens with a means of expression that develops critical life skills.