Art Therapy

Creating art helps in the process of healing, self-expression, a tool to build self-esteem, to increase concentration, fine and gross motor coordination, to relax, and to manage stress. Choosing to become an Art Therapist I remember drawing and painting when I was a child. A hobby I loved. I pursued this hobby through out my growing years, However, I went on to major at university in applied psychology, for I always knew even at a very young age that my purpose was to heal and help others and psychology seemed a nice way to follow my purpose .but art and gardening being serious hobbies came up time again in my life through friends or circumstances I needed to explore more than just a creative outlet to art. Art was therapeutic to me. How could I make that understood? It was a powerful tool to communicate our thoughts and feelings and everyone had a right to use this tool. Coincidentally, while specializing in social therapy in Germany I was asked to do a course in art therapy from the anthroposophical prespective, and while doing this I also taught at a waldorf school and so helping young people be creative, and firm about their confidence. Eventually coming to Pakistan and meeting someone special I found what I had to do, Art therapy combined the two areas that I found fascinating and interesting – art and psychology. Furthering my pursuit of this fascination, I started teaching art therapy, which was a wonderful experience. I earned the role played by Art, Communication and the Art Therapist in the process of healing. Having worked with different groups of people, during my art therapy classes. One of the purposes of the classes is to bridge the information gap between anthroposophy and clinical psychology in the field of art therapy. I am gradually starting to make an impact by conducting workshops, bringing in artists in the field of art therapy and by setting up an art therapy program in Pakistan. While every society has used art to express their thought and ideas in the past, we are currently discovering how an individual can use the same process to express their creativity, innermost thoughts and feelings. Using Art Therapy Art surrounded us in every aspect of life in sub-continent, right from the ‘Kolams’ (floor drawings) (mandalas) casually rendered every morning in front of our homes, to the beautifully decorated idols in our temples! And later with the advent of Islam mosques and forts where a wonder of the artists expression Almost every festival we celebrated involved one form of art or the other in either the way we decorated, the food we cooked or something as simple as the design on saris and clothes. While subconsciously absorbing this form of art expression, I also realized that art had a therapeutic value. I knew I felt better about myself while indulging in sketching or painting, but there was something more. I was able to expresses my thoughts and feelings through art. The creative process was energizing. My evolution from therapist to artist had already begun and the rest is history. As an art therapist, I would like to help others use the art process to work on their self-esteem, concentration and focus, self-awareness, and many other aspects of their personal growth. I have realized that the presence of an art therapist, who has the combined knowledge of psychology, interpersonal relationships and the artistic process, is instrumental in taking this innate humane ability to use art as an expression to a new level of personal insight. It is this therapeutic relationship which develops while working with an enjoyable process of art making that begins and completes healing. The therapist is sensitive to the skills that are being developed in art making, and is simultaneously working with the person on a more psychotherapeutic level. The goal in a regular art class is primarily to enhance personal knowledge of art and art making. The goal in art therapy, on the other hand is to step into a psychological plateau and help in a variety of ways from building self-esteem to gaining insight into ones thinking process. About the therapist Ali Adnan Chaudhry., is a clinical psychologist & social therapist (Germany), and has a M.Sc. in applied psychology from the University of Panjab, Lahore, Pakistan; he specialized in family therapy, working with special people and art therapy from camp hill movement in Germany . He has over 11 years of experience working with children and adults with serious mental illnesses and other disabilities. He has used his experience as an educator, clinical psychologist and as an art therapist to lay a foundation for a holistic approach to teaching and using art. His goal is to bring art education to every school in Pakistan and to introduce the concept of art as a form of therapy for children and adults. In this venture, These workshops are for people who are interested in art as a visual mode of communication and a therapeutic tool .in his workshops Ali Adnan Chaudhry addresses both the value of art therapy for children and adults, and the need for a comprehensive approach to teaching the visual arts as part of the education curriculum. Emphasizing the role of artistic creativity in a person’s learning process; he outlines in his workshops the artistic developmental stages, revealing the patterns in how people express themselves visually from random scribbles to realistic drawings. Including how to set up the art environment, how to organize art at the varied school levels, detailed art lesson plans and also demonstrates how to use art appreciation to teach art. Art is not only an educational tool, but also a means of expressing one’s thoughts and feelings, building self-esteem, and gaining insight into one’s thinking and behavior. Introducing the field of art therapy with a brief history on the origins of art as a tool in therapy, he addresses the various aspects of art therapy, such as art as therapy, art psychotherapy, and art as a diagnostic tool, demonstrating how these various approaches help children and adults alike.