Human beings are expressive creatures. We exhibit through different kind of arts– -dancing, music, speaking, painting or drawing. A piece of ourselves are laid out at some extent with the art that we are making. The most usual definition of art is that it is a means of expressing ourselves. Take this as an example.

Babies communicate their need through crying. There could be varying reasons why the babies cry. It could be because of a wet diaper, of hunger or of pain. When these babies grow up, words are articulated. They start to associate people with words already. From there, toddlers begin to ask for what they need through language and the limited words that they learned along the way. When they become children and had been adults, our vocabulary becomes wider. There is more ways of expressing one’s self through words. However, there is still a limitation towards speaking. There are some people who are introverted. They do not find this form of expression they can be accustomed with. Moreover, there are people who are talkative in nature but had been inhibited because of trauma, stressful events and loss of a loved one. This is where art therapy kicks in. Art combined with therapy is a very powerful tool for healing. How does this actually help? Many had considered art as a means for self-discovery, a release from tension or a healing from events that caused pain. Even with the good things that go along with art therapy, there is some that are still intimidated by it. Some would say they do not know how to draw. They feel they are not talented enough. They are afraid because it seems unnatural and strange it first. Gradually, learning the art of expression through will alleviate any anxiety or fear around it. This is not impossible with the help of an art therapist. The goal of art therapy is to improve the person’s well-being through art and not to create a masterpiece. Little by little, you would begin to feel comfortable with it. There are satisfying aspects of doing this kind of therapy.

Art therapy can help in a multitude of ways. It continues to help a lot of people regardless of the bracket that they are in or what their social standing is. Any negative emotion that we have demands to be felt and acknowledged. Once acknowledgement is done through any kind of expression we welcome healing. That is what art therapy does. Since there are painful situations that may be too difficult to be discussed through words, it is encouraged through this method. Our mind is then welcomed with a new form of expression through art. It had become a stress reliever for many and a way to communicate what is unsaid– -may it be joy or sorrow. This makes art therapy just more than a creative outlet or a creative process. It creates a bridge of understanding towards one another and had become a way to bring out past hurts.

Art therapy has also shown to help people with heart health and those who have previously suffered from a heart attack and stroke. United Medical Education has been a strong supporter of our efforts to help those trained in online ACLS certification to recognize the importance of art therapy after the traumatic medical event. Through treating both the mind and the body medically the patient is more likely to make a full recovery.