My name is Oz and I’m an art therapist.
For many of you, the phrase ‘art therapist’ will have little or no meaning, and that’s OK. It’s not something you hear every day for one thing, and nor is it a discipline you would have come into contact with in any significant way.
But that’s why I’m writing this. To hopefully shed some light onto a therapeutic process that has many, many benefits; a therapeutic process that taps into creativity and unlocks the potential for insight, personal growth and understanding.
I have always had an interest in art and pursued it through secondary school up until I received my BA in Fine Art whilst training to be a teacher. I remember at the time a tutor of mine suggesting I looked into art therapy practice as a way to bolster the final dissertation I was writing. I did, and while I barely scratched the surface of the discipline some of what I read remained at the back of my mind as I began my teaching career. It wasn’t until much later, when I found myself in my early thirties, that art therapy once more became a part of my life. And there it remained as I undertook an MA in Art Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths, University of London.
So what is art therapy?
At its core it is rooted firmly in the psychodynamic/psychotherapeutic domains. This means, essentially, that a client is free to explore and express whatever is on their mind. How art therapy differs from the more traditional view of psychotherapy however is the added inclusion of art materials. There is no therapist’s couch, but instead a safe and nurturing environment conducive to creativity. The subconscious plays a very large role here, and as an art therapist it is my job to facilitate the creative process but never to lead. It is also not my role to interpret what the client has made, allowing the client to discuss freely whatever the process of tapping into their creativity has brought up for them.
The sessions are held in the designated art therapy space in the art studio here at Learn Different. Sessions are strictly private and confidential and clients are made aware right from the outset that the space is for them to use any way they desire, the materials are there for them to use any way they desire and they can say, or not say, whatever they like. The idea being that the room becomes a safe space and ‘container’ for their emotional issues. The only boundaries that are placed on the client are those of time and safety. As the therapy develops a three-way relationship is formed between the client, the therapist and the artwork, with the art therapy space acting as the container. It is important for clients to feel at ease in the space and a relationship of trust between them and the therapist is very important. If I felt a client was in danger, or had divulged information that I felt needed to be shared with other significant persons, I would make it clear to them that this is my intention – this is the only time specific details of the sessions will be discussed outside of the therapeutic space. All artwork made during the course of the therapy is kept in the art therapy space, in the same place, until the therapy has come to an end. It is not on display for others to see and is kept within its own folder. This again reiterates for the client the important containing aspect of the room. Session length is fifty minutes (the traditional ‘therapist’s hour’) for adults, and between thirty and fifty minutes for children.
People come for art therapy for many different reasons. I cannot reiterate this enough, but it is not something that requires you to be ‘good at art’. It is not so much the product that is the important thing here but the process, and how it enables the client to express him or herself in ways the more traditional talking therapies may not. I have worked with elderly clients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, to young adults diagnosed with all manner of psychoses, to young children with behavioral difficulties. Age is not an issue and neither are the reasons for being in therapy.
Individuals can be in art therapy for a relatively short number of sessions, whilst others require therapy for much longer periods. There is no set time period. Art therapy is not something that can be considered a ‘quick fix’. The benefits of Art therapy can include: gaining a greater understanding of oneself; gaining a greater understanding of the reasons behind emotional difficulties; relief from painful or difficult feelings; and an increase in general wellbeing.
I have been witness to the benefits of art therapy on many occasions. One of my first placements as a therapist saw me volunteering for Kid’s Company, a UK based children's charity. I was placed within a school in north-east London and worked with a young boy of eight years old for the duration of an academic year. I shall call him ‘Jay’. Jay had emotional and behavioral issues and as a result was failing academically. The school felt that an intervention was necessary and so enlisted the help and support of Kid’s Company. As the therapy progressed Jay was able to utilize the art materials in a way that reflected the very messy internal feelings he was carrying. Through his use of paint he was able to explore and express himself in a way that made sense to him - his images became a very real and concrete reflection of what he couldn’t say verbally. As often difficult as this was for him, his behavior began to improve slowly as he realized that our sessions were a much better outlet for his frustrations and angst than his classroom or playground. He began to improve academically as his self-confidence grew and through close collaboration with his teacher, parents and other significant adults we were able to change what had the potential to be a very difficult time for him.
This is just one of the many incidences where art therapy has helped someone. I feel very fortunate to have discovered a process that has so many benefits, one that appeals to my creativity as well as my desire to help others understand themselves. If through being an art therapist I have helped change at least one person’s life for the better, then I know I have succeeded.
If you would like any further details, or would like to make an appointment for an initial consultation, or would just like to chat about what art therapy is and what it can do, I can be reached at ozouchoka@learndifferent.com.sg or by ringing Learn Different on +65 6836 1128.
I look forward to hearing from you.
