Art Therapy: Making Children Smile 02/13/2012
By Rohma Akhtar Laila Lodhia Student clinician Intern clinical psychologist Ziauddin College of Speech Language Therapy Institute of Clinical Psychology AFC project coordinator NOWPDP What Is Art Therapy? Art has always been a medium of expression in various forms, for all sorts of individuals across the globe. Art has been employed in the field of psychotherapy as a treatment mode for various disorders based on the psychodynamic approach following the model of client-centered therapy.
This was originally proposed by Carl Rogers and further exemplified to the mode of expressive art by his daughter, Natalie Rogers. 'It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behaviour, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight (The American Art Therapy Association). It allows free expression of the self where words fail to or are inadequate to describe the internal emotions and struggles experienced by individuals of any age, whether the cause behind the inability to express includes language impediments, physical and cognitive deficits and differences, or emotional problems such as fear, resistance, and shyness. An art therapist is not primarily concerned with making an aesthetic or diagnostic assessment of the clients work. The overall aim of its practitioners is to enable a client to effect growth on a personal level through the use of art materials in a safe and facilitating environment. Artpeneurs For Change - Where It All Happens Naya Jeevan, Network of Organizations Working for People with Disabilities, Pakistan (NOWPDP), Fullbright Alumni and certified art therapist Shazia Mohommad, joined together to form Artpreneurs For Change (AFC), in Karachi, Pakistan. This project is the first of its kind in Pakistan. This collaboration endeavors to help children with special needs overcome obstacles they face, being unable to freely express themselves, by employing the techniques of psychodynamics and art therapy.
An ATP shared her experience in the following words: "The children just open up to the colors and just go at the paper like it’s the only thing that truly understands what they’re feeling. They have improved in so many ways, by being more open, more cooperative, more confident, and much happier. The art allows them to release all their pent up emotion and thus behave more constructively with the environment." Another stated "I was very nervous at the beginning. It was nothing like I had anticipated. It was so much more! Each one of these brilliant kids is unique and it has been amazing watching them grow over these last few months. The final product is usually exquisite, but the process of making it is where you see their personality clearest." Seeing The Change Salman, from Ida Reiu, was quite a challenge to work with initially. Being the clever boy that he is, he would make the most of me being an amateur at sign language. He would run off multiple times during the session and pretend like he could not understand what i was signing. The first few times he would make it glaringly obvious, that he was uninterested. When he finally gave in, I was shocked to see what he had drawn. He made cut outs from different colored papers of an extravagant house and a car with a man standing next to it, holding a gun in his hand. Every session since, his work has been surrounded by a gloomy border, red and black generally, even if the center is full of bright colors. Now I know that art is a matter of perception, so this is how his work made me feel: tense, frustrated and afraid. Last week’s session with Salman was a string activity. The children in the group were provided with yarn, paints and paper and asked to paint. Salman did somehing very interesting, he held his string, dipped it in bright colours and used it, to whip his paper. He went on for minutes at a stretch, continuously whipping his paper with the string. The completed piece was amazing and once again surrounded by a black border, but the process could best be described as aggressive and frustrated, and its end catharsis. The most recent session at Ida Reiu was a group activity. All six of my kids had to work together on one canvas. In this session Salman chose the colors green and blue and drew a boat. He had no trouble functioning in a group activity. I have seen Salman grow in minor ways over these past weeks. No longer running off, even taking the longest to finish his work, he loves sharing his work with others now and displays confidence and a sense of pride. Initially he'd want his own material and put it in a corner, but now he understands the concept of sharing. He even took paint and rubbed it on a fellows face to play with her, in his most recent session. AFC is not trying to change these children, it is merely giving them a mode to communicate freely and fearlessly; free from judgment, cynicism and society's expectations. Another ATP shared that her client, a young boy, loved drawing objects that our society would characterize as being feminine. He loved drawing and making jewelry, clothes and even women with long hair. Art therapy sessions for this boy have been a medium to express himself, safe from worrying about what society will say, or what society typically expects from a man.  Looking Ahead The process of producing art is a very personal act. When these children have completed their work, they have shared a part of themselves with us, a part that is very dear to them and they trust us with. Forming this bond of trust and freedom of expression has been therapeutic in itself, for the clients as well as the ATPs. With almost three more months to go, the ATP’s are hoping to see more positive changes and growth in the kids they are working with, and prove the effectiveness of art as a healing process to the scars that the eyes cannot see and people cannot understand. *Names have been changed to protect the identity of the children CommentsKamil 02/13/2012 02:40
This is so wonderful. Extremely heart-warming. Asim 02/13/2012 03:03
WOW SADIQA MAHMOOD 02/13/2012 08:25
Excellent piece Rohma. Kumail 02/13/2012 11:52
Precise and well constructed. Mungpoo 02/14/2012 19:09
Amazingg! Asher 02/15/2012 14:41
Well done Rohma and the Naya Jeevan team. Keep up the good work! Aisha Masood 02/16/2012 07:13
This is a very healthy stimulus for them to transform the negative emotions into creative work. Perhaps reinforcing positive behavior with reward or encouragement will further motivate them. Leave a Reply | 
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