| Art & Imagery using Expressive Art Therapy, | | | | medical research and intervention. The increase of |
| By Dr. Mary Saleeby | | | | stress to a varied range of physical illnesses and |
| | | | mental health disorders are extensively believed to |
| Expressive Art Therapy is a wonderful therapeutic | | | | be more significant, and research has addressed |
| creative tool, which assists in psychological healing. | | | | stress as a contributor in heart disease, hypertension |
| The process of expressive art therapy is far more | | | | stroke, cancer and many other illnesses. It is also |
| important than the final result because it gradually | | | | thought to have affects on hormonal alterations |
| unlocks the subconscious allowing the release of a | | | | hemodynamic responses and other connections |
| mental health problem regardless of the magnitude. | | | | between stress and immunity. Whether or not the |
| Art and the world’s masterpieces are so much | | | | changes have been observed and meaningful, we still |
| more significant to us than most individuals realize. | | | | know very little about how stress controls immune |
| The arts are not just restricted to painting, theatre, | | | | function and why such affects occur if changes have |
| poetry or music they extend themselves in ways | | | | any real clinical substance. |
| that most people abandon to realize. They can be | | | | As science learns more about how the connection |
| used as a tool for health management and | | | | between emotions, health, stress, disease the brain |
| psychological development or they can be used in | | | | and immune system work, art therapy is discovering |
| meditation techniques. | | | | new ideas for the use of imagery and art expression |
| Expressive Art therapy has historically repelled an | | | | in treatment. The wonderful conclusion to this is that |
| alliance with science and has chosen a more | | | | Art therapy bases revolves its belief around the fact |
| art-based position in its philosophy and practice. | | | | that all people have the ability to express themselves |
| Recent scientific findings about how images control | | | | creativity and productively. |
| emotion, thoughts and well being and how the brain | | | | Because imagery is the bodies-minds inner language |
| reacts to the experience of drawing, painting and | | | | several things occur. The left side of the Brain is the |
| other activities are clarifying why art therapy may be | | | | verbal language and the right side of the brain is the |
| effective in a variety of societies. There are, | | | | imagery language. To be able to create a healing |
| however therapists that feel that Expressive art is | | | | process both sides of the brain must come together. |
| not used as a diagnostic tool because it is thought | | | | It is because the body responds to an image, |
| that only the person who composed the piece | | | | thought or idea first before it responds to the words |
| knows the true interpretation. | | | | that describe that thought or image. |
| As we know, the mind is a complex organ and a | | | | While our emotions do not fully cause disease they |
| miraculous one at that. A process called | | | | play a role in bodily dysfunction. Through art and |
| Psychoneuroimmunology (PIN) studies the effects of | | | | expressive art therapy one might be able to release |
| the mind or psyche on the central nervous and | | | | the demons inside the soul so that one can discover |
| immune system. Therefore physiological stress can | | | | a healthy, peaceful existence and begin to heal |
| alter and result in immune dysfunction. The alliance | | | | physically and spiritually. |
| between stress, emotion and health has been an on | | | | |
| going situation since the foundation of behavioral | | | | Copyright: 2009 Mary Saleeby Ph.D. |