The Practical usage of Art Therapy:

Although art is appreciated in all walks of life but there are some places where there is practical usage of art.

• Mental Health centers where patients are introduced to the unique power of colors. They help to relax a patient and calm his anxieties.

• Hospitals where patients who have to remain for a longer duration due to a treatment dabble in art which help them to pass their time creatively.

• Rehabilitation centers to ward off their addictive habits with creative pursuits like art through various mediums.

• Nursing homes to help in healing people with their ailments faster.

• Senior citizens homes, seniors feel a very negative attitude towards life as they seem near to death, but introduction of colors can help them in bringing the happy colors of life and make them feel young again.

• Pre-schools,  often children are over-burdened with the heavy concept of books in their early life. An introduction to colors can help them cope with school blues and help them learn education faster than their peers.

• Disaster relief centers-the loss of personal belongings and other problems make people seem helpless in their lives. Art helps them look at life in a better prospective.

The working of Art Therapy
Art therapy helps in increases brain levels of Serotonin, a hormone associated with feelings of well being and gives rise to alpha brain wave patterns. It is also beneficial to elicit feelings, fears and fantasies. Special techniques help patients to express negative feelings like resentment and negative attitude towards society. Helping them develop social skills; solve problems; reduce anxiety and resolve emotional conflicts. They can select from a variety of tools like paints, pastels, clay, charcoal, pencils etc. Through them they can express their view point. Often struggling with weight issues and obsession with food are solved through this way. Simply mindless eating and bingeing to fill the gap caused by an empty feeling due to love less life or directionless life can help in making life meaningful. It can not be merely misinterpreted as art or craft but an essential tool that is highly recommendable to people from all walks of life. It is multi-purpose and helps people to heal themselves by communicating their pain with the outside world.

According to the experts, art therapy is not merely “arts and crafts,” or purely recreational. It is multi-sensory and teaches people to use objects purposefully and to communicate their pain with the outside world.