Art therapy generally has similar goals and values as traditional psychotherapy, aiming to develop self-awareness and healthy strategies to deal with personal challenges. It integrates traditional psychotherapeutic theories and techniques with a unique understanding of the creative process and its ability to aid in the healing process. Art Therapy relies on visual expression to awaken an individual’s own problem solving capacities. Guided by a professional art therapist, the creative process can be insightful and therapeutic.

Art therapy is not an art class, although the sessions can be enjoyable and educational. The focus is not on the esthetics of the end product, but rather on the whole process of creation.

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What is art therapy? - ما هو العلاج النفسي بالفن؟
Who can benefit from art therapy? - مين ممكن يستفيد من العلاج النفسي بالفن؟
Is it necessary to have artistic skills to benefit? - ضروري الشخص يكون يعرف يرسم ليستفيد؟

Through creating art and reflecting on the end product and processes with the guidance of a professional art therapist, people can increase their self-awareness, notice particular patterns, and discover new ways of dealing with challenges. In a safe, non-judgmental environment, artistic process offers a way of expressing feelings and thoughts in a manner that is spontaneous and less threatening than strictly verbal expression. Anxiety, anger, grief and other emotions and needs can be externalized into a visual medium. The artwork, that is a tangible product outside oneself, offers distance from one's emotions, allowing the space for reflection, new perceptions, and transformation to happen.

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How can art therapy help us? - كيف ممكن يساعدنا العلاج النفسي بالفن؟

Art therapists are trained in both art and psychology and have extensive graduate level studies specifically in expressive therapies. The studies are backed by many hours of practical training and supervision with qualified art therapy professionals. Art therapists are knowledgeable about human development, psychological theories, clinical practice, the healing potential of art as well as spiritual, multicultural and artistic traditions. There are various requirements for becoming an art therapist, which differ slightly between countries.

* So far there is no specialized degree in Art Therapy in Lebanon. For more info about education and requirements abroad, check the resources below.

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Does the art therapist analyze the images? And who is a qualified art therapist? - هل يحلل المعالج النفسي بالفن الصور والأعمال؟ ومين هو المعالج النفسي بالفن المختص ومحترف؟

American Art Therapy Association www.arttherapy.org
Canadian Art Therapy Association www.canadianarttherapy.org
The British Association of Art Therapists www.baat.org

About Other Expressive Art Therapies:
American Dance Therapy Association www.adta.org
North American Drama Therapy Association www.nadta.org

American Music Therapy Association www.musictherapy.org