tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41284718061834851272007-09-29T10:34:11.151-07:00Janice, Art TherapistBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4128471806183485127.post-2414776912883144362006-12-01T16:56:00.001-08:002006-12-06T16:34:31.015-08:00Art therapy is an unconscious form of therapy that bypasses the powerful and rational brain and goes directly to the healing power of the heart. Through the creation of spontaneous images or objects, the unconscious surfaces and is made conscious, visually available for the rational mind to look at.<br /><br />For children the act of creating artwork comes very naturally. For adults, this process can often cause stress as many individuals feel they are not artists. But art therapy is not about creating a pretty picture, rather it’s about banging into clay, collage, doodling, making stick figures or just letting your arm intuitively pick colours and paint designs.<br /><br />Once trust is formed between the therapist and the individual seeking therapy, the ability to create images begins to flow, the fear of judgement begins to dissipate and the blocked emotions, forgotten memories and life stories surface. For many, trauma occurred before the ability to understand the complexities of language, though the world was understood visually through mental images, which we then stored in our bodies.<br /><br />Without language it is difficult to express the meaning in these stored images, but unconsciously our thoughts come through in the symbolic language of dreams, paintings and drawings. It is through this process that we can acknowledge our fears and hurts, reorganize them and heal by turning them into our strengths and potentials; the very things that make us the unique individuals that we are.Janice, Art Therapist