Say 'No' to Child Sexual Abuse |

The following is a definition of Art as Therapy:

Art therapy is founded on the ideas that the creative processes involved in the making of visual art and creative writing can increase the awareness of self, help with stress management, aids coping after traumatic experiences and reaches emotions. By touching emotions and recognising feelings, art therapy moves towards healing and growth for those participating in the activities. The results of working through art therapy can be a deeper sense of identity, accomplishment and increased self-knowledge.

Working through art therapy can change attitudes, emotional states and help people to cope with difficulties by creating hope and positive attitudes. Art therapy takes one to an inner world - the world of emotions, feelings and imagery. The healing of art therapy is a transforming process and it unites the spirit, mind and body. Art therapy uses a non-verbal method of working through issues and concerns. When images are unconsciously drawn, sometimes this creative activity helps painful feelings to surface and heal. Art therapy can also aid creative thinking and self-expression.

Personally ......

For many years an art as therapy group was run by the mental health worker in our local town. Clients of the mental health service came along each week, and used various forms of art as a way of expressing how mental illness impacted on their life. It became a group that encouraged self expression through art as well as a support group for clients of the service.

The group became much more than just an art group. It became a safe place for socialising, full of fun, support, encouragement, friendship and individual expression. Many lasting friendships were made and it became a place where people felt safe to be themselves, knowing that others that were there understood mental illness. Often after being isolated for some time, afraid of what people would think of them, people who were attending the art group grew in confidence and felt able to go out into the wider community, no longer needing the safe haven of the art group. This is what it was all about.

For me it was the first time I felt accepted and not abnormal, and how I learned to make friends for the first time in my life. Art as Therapy became a huge part of my healing process and counselling. I still use it today. The following is a few examples from my many art books. Today I have expanded my art, using photography, manipulating computer graphics, using fabric and doing scrapbooking in an inspirational journal. I even do childlike crayon drawings of memories of my past. It all helps - it uses another part of the brain that talking and intellect can't access or help.

The way I saw myself, an innocent child, with the 'bad' abuse constantly following me, invading me, always in my life.