For many individuals in recovery, art becomes a voice for unspoken truths, a platform to confront and reconcile with their past, and a hopeful gesture towards rebuilding their future. A client of a prominent east coast drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility bounced into group one morning eager to share the arts and crafts project she had been assigned to complete the week prior. art therapy for addiction With her mask tucked safely inside a paper bag, she allowed her fellow clients to show off their designs as they narrated the creative process behind their inception. While additional studies are needed to examine art therapy and substance use disorders (SUDs), there appears to be a correlation between a mind-body-spirit (holistic) approach to treatment and relapse prevention.
Art Therapy Ideas and Prompts
Create an art installation of a safe space. Instead of physically building a safe space for yourself, draw your most realistic version of a safe space you would like to go, filled with meaningful, nostalgic objects. On a piece of paper, draw a happy dream you’ve had on the left half of the paper and a nightmare on the right half. Fold it into a paper airplane, and let it go.
What Are the Benefits of Art Therapy?
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Hayley has worked in the mental health field for 20+ years, helping both clients and clinicians. She is the owner and lead clinician https://ecosoberhouse.com/ at the Center for Creative Counseling based in Pittsburgh, PA. Introducing art into your work with clients can be powerful.
The Efficacy of Art Therapy Activities with Adults
In fact, Farrell-Kirk (2001) states that “the use of boxes to enclose and conceal contents, create a new realm of space, and unite opposites makes the box effective in therapy. Due to the symbolic value of these characteristics, the box has been utilized throughout art history. This presence in art history is one of the characteristics contributing to the effectiveness of the box as a tool for art therapy” (p. 88). While the Draw Your Wall activity can benefit treatment no matter what the issue, in my experience, the Draw Your Wall activity is especially useful for clients who have experienced trauma. In particular, numerous studies have explored college students’ ability to regulate emotions and how this ability affects substance use.
- Rather than focus on the thought of relapsing, you can instead turn to your preferred art form.
- If you are experiencing physical discomfort, draw a picture of the spasm.
- Creating art is especially effective for individuals dealing with mental disorders as well as drug and alcohol addictions.
- Draw monsters in place of your real fears.
Art, in its many forms, can make the experience of recovery more fulfilling and enjoyable. Whether you like to paint, write music, or doodle in your journal, art may be the tool you need to bolster your recovery journey. If you’re creating a self-care box, have the participants add items that represent to them the idea of support and self-help. Give them a moment to reflect on what activities, people, or things help them feel good. These can be as simple as notes on scraps of paper that mention goals the person wants to achieve or affirmations that evoke positive emotions.
What Is Expressive Arts Therapy?
