“I’m not an art teacher!”
There is no right or wrong in art therapy

HealthXchange.sg - “I’m not an art teacher!”

There is no right or wrong in art therapy

Parents ask me if art therapy can improve their children’s art. And I have lost count of patients who say their art “cannot make it”. Some of them even pretend to fall asleep the moment I enter the ward for an art therapy session.

But really, there is no right or wrong in art therapy; I don’t judge patients’ artworks. Instead I guide them to reflect on their artworks, which helps in awareness and understanding of the self. I also encourage patients to step out of their comfort zone, play, and get in touch with the child in them.

Under the guidance of a trained art therapist, patients will come to realise that certain images can provide special meaning, evoking deeper understanding or feelings about themselves. The art therapist guides patients to focus more on those areas as a therapeutic intervention.

Dian Handayani

Art Therapist, Department of Psychiatry,

Singapore General Hospital

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Originally published by HealthXchange.sg on 30 October 2018