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Desiree Panlilio

Creative art therapy

Creative art therapy is a therapy that uses the arts such as poetry, painting, polish wreath making (McMahon, Paisley, & Skudrzyk, 2018), and client specific cultural rituals (McMahon, Paisley, & Skudrzyk, 2018) to improve and enhance the psychological and social well-being of individuals. 

Identity development is the process in which a person develops a sense and understanding of themselves within the context of their cultural, ethnic, and societal norms (Moore-Thomas, 2018).  Most often cultural and ethnic identity development takes place during adolescence and is necessary for a healthy self-concept of cultural belonging and socialization (Moore-Thomas, 2018).  Clients who are marginalized, oppressed, or immigrants from another country frequently have to face this development at a different developmental phase.  This creates challenges which creative art therapies can help to overcome.

Creative art therapy can help clients with identity development as it allows them to tell their unique stories by providing nonthreatening ways to communicate and create bonds within their community by sharing a ritual from their own culture. It allows for acculturation to take place, as sharing of life stories or cultural practices help create, maintain, and restore wellness for the individual, family, and community (McMahon, Paisley, & Skudrzyk, 2018).  Further creative art therapy allows for a client to express their feelings and ideas when a language barrier may in fact be present.  It also gives the counselor an alternate medium to explore, to allow for the counselor to grow in their multiculturalism as they become aware of the artistic rituals of their client.  Gaining, this insight into the clients culture expresses to the client, hospitality and demonstrates the value and respect the counselor has for their clients individuality, culture and personal story. This ability for the client to express themselves in a manner in which they feel comfortable will help to build a trusting, therapeutic relationship.  This helps the client work through their concerns in order to discover where there development is in respect to acculturation to a new country, or explaining their culture to someone who does not have the awareness of that culture.  Creative art therapy expands the relationship beyond conversation and allows for a deep understanding of culture.

 

Reference

Moore-Thomas, C. (2018).  Cultural identity development. In D. G. Hays, & B. T. Erford (Eds.), Developing multicultural

                    counseling competence: A systems approach (3rd ed.) (pp. 37-64). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

 McMahon, H. G., Paisley, P. O., & Skudrzyk, B. (2018). Individuals and families of European descent.  In D. G. Hays, & B. T.

                    Erford (Eds.), Developing multicultural counseling competence: A systems approach (3rd ed.) (pp. 431-470).

                    Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.