The art of art therapy

But art therapist and psychotherapist, Sian MacLean, assures it is beneficial to all, especially those who have difficulty with verbal communication, or for people who suffer from trauma.

“Art brings a third element into the therapy room - the therapist, the client, and the art. It can bridge communication.

It is utilised in a way to help tell a story, to help expression, when people just don’t have the words to say how they feel because sometimes there just aren’t any words to express an incredible pain. But if you’re able to draw it, paint it or sculpt it, the therapist can really get an idea of what’s going on,” explains MacLean.

As a psychotherapist, MacLean treats clients with mental or emotional disorders by talking about problems rather than using medication. She says art therapy is beneficial to anyone willing to engage in the process. While some people are willing to “dive head first” into art, many adults tend to be reserved.

Therefore, she uses a variety of techniques including lifelines, which help clients chronicle their lives, or body drawings which she describes as an external representation of their internal world, where illustrate how they feel.

MacLean explains that someone who experiences trauma at a very young age, or who has chronic trauma, may not be able to remember exactly what happened or the sequence of events. She adds that trauma responses, such as fight or flight, can stay in the body if a person does not process it, so something simple could trigger a reaction. Art can help a person figure things out.

To do that, MacLean uses a variety of media including paint, pastels, crayons, colour pencils, poetry, clay, and three-dimensional materials such as tin foil and papier mache.

“With any trauma there is the sensory memory of what happened, then there is the narrative. That’s in two different parts of the brain. When you do art that comes from sensory memory and they can actually help give you the words.

It can actually help fill in the missing pieces, so if there are gaps in the narrative or you are totally confused about what happened first or when it happened, the art can help piece things together.

“Trauma manifests itself in physical and emotional symptoms--- hyper-arousal, pains, panic, flashbacks, nightmares.

There is also a sense of powerlessness because something happened that is beyond their control. Different exercises can help empower. It can help stabilise. For example if someone is completely overwhelmed, they can do things to help them regulate and calm down.” The main point, she says, is to allow the client to tell their story, and to give them hope.

However, a therapist should not just decide to add art to their sessions and call it art therapy, MacLean notes. While the therapist does not have to be an artist, some knowledge and experience with art and art materials is necessary because different materials, textures and colours could trigger different emotions, she explains.

In TT there are five trained art therapists who have formed The Art Therapy Association of Trinidad and Tobago. Their hope is to bring awareness of art therapy into the community.

A 15-year-old client of MacLean told Sunday Newsday she started art therapy two years ago, when her parents discovered that she self-harmed. She said her parents thought she needed therapy and sent her to a child psychiatrist (medical doctor specialising in children’s mental health) who recommended she also work with MacLean.

“When my parents told me they thought therapy could help me, I didn’t exactly agree with them because I thought what I was going through was normal and I was fine. When it was explained how it works, how it would help me, I started taking art therapy seriously and with an open mind.

But mostly, I took it seriously when I stopped believing that I couldn’t recover, and started thinking that getting better was something that was happening and something I wanted.” The teenager says she always liked art and practised at school and at home. Plus, she found it was easier to express herself through art because talking about her issues is sometimes difficult.

In therapy, she draws and paints but also likes to work with clay. “Clay is good because of the texture. It’s good for venting and stuff. Even when I do want to talk, having done the art it makes it easier to explain myself or certain aspects of how I feel.” She has also learned techniques to calm herself and says art therapy helps her understand herself and her trauma more.

“I have grown a lot since I started. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It’s not just for people who are inclined to art. You don’t even have to be particularly good at drawing or painting. It’s all about expression. It’s especially good if you have problems with words or talking about certain things. It helps you to process things easier