Art Therapy : A Life Saviour

According to this blog, art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

The creative process involved in expressing one’s self artistically can help people to resolve issues as well as develop and manage their behaviors and feelings, reduce stress, and improve self-esteem and awareness.

A person don’t need to be talented or an artist to receive the benefits, and there are professionals that can work with you to dive into the underlying messages communicated through your art, which will aid in the healing process. The art therapist also don’t need to become an artist or someone that have talent in art to be one of the therapist.

Art therapy can be used for counseling by therapists that can be used to massage one’s inner-self in a way that may provide the individual with a deeper understanding of him or herself.

In Malaysia, there are still few person that have this expertise to help people. We need more and more people to learn art therapy so that this therapy can help a lot of people in the future. I, myself put my whole trust in this therapy that it may help a person to solve their own problems and unfinished business.

Not all person know how to express their feelings well when it comes to phobia and trauma. We all know chances of a person to become a victim of war, tsunami or any natural disaster, domestic and sexual abuse,  and a lot of cases related. It is uncertainty and we couldn’t force a person on how they have been treated that lead them to be the victim. And sometimes they just refuse to talk about it. But this is unhealthy for their mental health. This is why art therapist exist. They do exist.

I always dream of being an art therapist in the future. I put my trust on art therapy because I already been there as a client. As a student in counselling, I attend a seminar about art therapy. During the seminar, we need to draw something that become a turning point in my life.

I came from a broken family. My parents separated when I am 8 years old. As a kid that seen a lot of fights between my parents, my inner child broken. As time passing by, I learn to accept the fact that not all marriage will destroy. It just some mistakes that I need to learn from them. I thought I already free from this trauma but NO.

I thought I am not hurting anymore when I start to talk about family. I thought I already okay because I no longer a cry baby when I told anyone about this problem. It is totally wrong. I never thought I will cry as hard as how it happens during my childhood when I do the drawing.

Sorry I can’t attach the drawing here because it is private and confidential and I still didn’t want to expose it to the public. As a counsellor, we need to keep the secret about out client and the concept is remain the same when It comes to an art as well. We can’t expose the drawing without the client’s  permission. In this case, I also refuse to show it to anyone because it is too private.

An art can expose our current feelings when we put our heart in it. Scientifically art can also heal a person’s mental health. Not only by making an art, but also by dancing and listening to music. An expressive art therapy not only consists of drawing and colouring but also dancing and music therapy.

I'm at the right corner next to the guy that wear spectacles

             Hopefully my mom will let me continue my postgraduate in art therapy and pass the AATA’s license as an art therapist. Helping people are also one of my source of happiness and I want to be happy for the whole life by helping a person’s mental health!