Art therapy
So, for the first time, UNE Psychology department is offering an Intro to Art Therapy course. As an English major, I begged to be admitted, as they were restricting registration to senior and junior Psych majors. Nancy Rankin, the professor of the course and Maryann Corsello, head of the department, kindly allowed me to take the course. I'm SO glad they did.
Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses art materials, as a means of communicating emotions or as a mode of relaxation. Art therapy combines traditional psychotherapeutic theories and techniques with an understanding of the psychological aspects of the creative process, especially the affective properties of the different art materials. It can be seen as making art as therapy or psychotherapy with the use of art. It has been tested to be more affective than traditional talk therapy alone.
The course is designed so that we learn about the aspects of art therapy and the profession, as well as activities therapist can use with their clients. We have done scribble drawings, played with play dough, traced our bodies, made fabric tapestries, and now we are spending the next two weeks on mask making. Friday we began the process by plastering our faces!!!
Scary-looking huh?
It is hands down one of the coolest classes I've taken at UNE, and I hoping the continue the course and expand upon the idea of teaching art therapy as its own major (or graduate level!!!).
Pictures of the final product to come...stay tuned.
