Participation In Art Therapy

Art therapy is a practice in which clients under the supervision of a certified art therapist use art to explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior, reduce stress and increase self-esteem (Ramirez, 2016). Through the art therapy treatment, the main goal is to restore a client's functioning and their sense of personal well-being (Thong, 2007). The treatment involves various art activities which include drawing, painting, and other crafts decided by the client with direction from the therapist (Robb, 2012). Using art as a therapeutic tool is in pediatric, psychiatric, geriatric and rehabilitation settings (Robb, 2012). Participation in art therapy is not an instant cure, but, studies show it is an …show more content…
A pilot study captured evidence of reduced stress among hospitalized children who took part in art therapy (Rachlin, Siegel, & Yount, 2013). Participation in art activities can help reduce stress by providing a child an opportunity to access, process and integrate traumatic feelings (Rachlin et al., 2013). In the study 25 patients received art therapy during their hospital stay. The art task assigned was to make a sock creature with an unused hospital sock, fiberfill, button eyes and other embellishments decided by the child. Children were given no instruction and were encouraged to be creative and express themselves (Rachlin et al., 2013). The goal of this therapeutic approach was to engage them in an activity to reduce their stress (Rachlin et al., …show more content…
Cortisol is one of the major glucocorticoids produced in the adrenal cortex (Rachlin et al., 2013). Studies show that cortisol is a considerable precedent for its use as a physiological biomarker of stress (Rachlin et al., 2013). In the study a spot cortisol assay was taken before and after the art therapy intervention to show the immediate stress reduction effects (Rachlin et al., 2013). Before intervention the average mean cortisol measurement among the children was 6.89 nmol/L (Rachlin et al., 2013). After the children finished their art assignment, the average mean cortisol measurement among them was 5.94 nmol/L (Rachlin et al., 2013). The average cortisol level dropped by .95 nmol/L, which shows that the child’s stress level was reduced. The results found from the pilot study show that art therapy is a conductive intervention to reduce stress levels in hospitalized children. By reducing stress in a child, they are more likely to socialize with others and engage in other play occupations that interest them (Leigers, Myers, & Schneck,