Art Therapy Offers Creative Release
According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy uses the creative process in order to improve clients’ mental and physical well-being.
The AATA, in an e-mail interview, said art therapy is for people of all ages and helps clients deal with everything from eating disorders to abusive relationships.
Even though art therapy is still relatively unknown and unrecognized as a form of therapy, according to the AATA, many schools are beginning to jump on board.
On the organization’s Web site, schools like New York University and the School of the Art Institute Chicago offer majors in art therapy.
Although former USU art department head John Neely, who is currently on leave during a sabbatical in China, said USU does not currently have a program for art therapy, it may only be a matter of time before it is offered.
“I think art can act as a therapeutic release for pent up emotions without having to over-analyze your thoughts or explain them to others,” Deven Boyer, undeclared junior, said.
One reason art therapy is still under the radar may be because it is not fully recognized as a licensed profession.
On the AATA’s Web site, Tennessee Art Therapy Association President Janie Giles-Carp, said she recently spoke to the Chamber of Commerce about the issue of art therapy licensing.
“Currently there is no Tennessee law that gives licensure to art therapists, even though our training is similar to licensed professional counselors,” Giles-Carp said.
The AATA is currently trying to begin a study that would prove the effectiveness of art therapy on victims of post-traumatic stress disorder and gain credibility for the profession.
According to Kristin Langely, who works for AATA, the group is currently trying to find funding for the project.
Art therapy is a relatively new practice, and according to the AATA’s Web site, art therapy began as a profession in the 1940s and is just now beginning to gain attention in the health-care industry.
Currently, USU offers animal therapy as one alternative form of therapy, and Boyer said she thinks it would not be much of a stretch for them to offer art therapy as well.
According to the AATA, art therapy is a way to express emotions without words, which can be beneficial when dealing with the issue of language barriers. The AATA also said since art is a universal medium, it can cross cultural barriers as well.
Although there are currently no programs in Utah schools for art therapy, the AATA said they are constantly expanding and trying to bring art therapy into public view.
-amanda.m@aggiemail.usu.edu