Art Therapists Are Not Art Teachers...

Art Therapy is a relatively new profession in the Mental Health field, and there is still a lot of confusion around what it is and how it works. Some people think that Art Therapists are a sort of art teacher, while others believe that by getting a group of people to paint in the same space they are also providing Art Therapy...

Living in Bali I am used to finding a lot legit professionals blended with smoke sellers, claiming to be "healers". Unfortunately there is also a hand full of expats claiming to be therapists, without the proper psychological becground, degrees or accreditation. Therefore, it is pleasing to find that there are other Art Therapy professionals in Indonesia to connect with and collaborate. So if you find yourself curious to know what Art Therapy is and how it works, please take a look at this great article in the Indonesia Expat News about two Indonesian colleagues who are proper Art Therapists, got their degrees and accreditation in Australia, and have opened up their private practice in Jakarta!

"Art therapy is a therapy involving the use of creative techniques, such as drawing, painting, collage making, and colouring to help people express themselves and examine psychological conditions through artwork. Believably, according to Psychology Today, “art therapy is thought to make the patient’s therapy better as they understand their deepest feelings and emotions.” An art therapist’s role is therefore to identify the code, symbols, metaphors, and nonverbal messages illustrated in the artwork. This is an alternative method to combat an inner blockage for children, adolescents, and adults. Some benefits include stress relief, as well as a reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improvement of self-esteem."