What is Art Therapy Counselling Session?
Art therapy is a transformative process using creative expression to help heal the emotional self and bring about personal growth. In an art therapy counselling session, one is guided to express thoughts and feelings through artistic mediums such as drawing, painting, or sculpting. This therapeutic approach is based on the premise that art-making is intrinsically healing and provides a non-verbal outlet for communication, self-discovery, and stress relief.
Why Should You Choose Art Therapy?
Art therapy is suited for those who cannot verbalize their feelings or are dealing with intricate emotions. In an art therapy counselling session, through the creative process, a person can:
Become more aware of themselves and express it.
Help in conflict resolution and emotional healing.
Provide an opportunity for trauma sharing or working through it as a means of learning ways to cope with the feeling in an art therapy counselling environment.
A standard art therapy counselling session would be created for the specific individual, and at times, art-making, discussion, and reflection are used simultaneously. The session is constructed using three main stages: warm-up, mid-session, and closing activities. Here, I’ll take you through a fully designed group session activity that I had conducted and it’s called “From Burnout to Balance: An Artful Journey to Wellness.”
A Fully Implemented Art Therapy Counselling Session Looks like this:
1. Warm-Up Activity (20-30 Minutes)
Shake It Off Activity (10 Minutes):
This is a lighthearted and refreshing activity to initiate the session. The participants are encouraged to form a circle and move their arms, legs, and body to shake off the tensions. The pace is varied while counting aloud makes it fun.
Intention: To release the physical tension and encourage relaxation along with creating an atmosphere of interconnection among participants during the art therapy counselling session.
Balloon Pop Activity (15 Minutes):
Participants are provided with balloons to inflate and draw symbols of their stress on them. At the count of three, everyone pops their balloons simultaneously.
Purpose: This symbolic act of “popping” stress induces laughter and dissipates pent-up tension, preparing the session for creative exploration.
2. Mid-Session Activity: Work-Life Balance Exploration (1.5 Hours)
This activity promotes self-awareness through the visual structuring of daily work tasks and personal priorities through art.
Step 1: Work Priorities: The participants take a blank sheet of paper and draw a balance scale. On the left side of the balance scale, they list their daily work tasks and responsibilities.
Step 2: Family Responsibilities: Using a second sheet, participants draw another balance scale. This time, they write their family and personal priorities on the right side of the balance scale.
Step 3: Integrating Priorities: On a third sheet, participants create a final balance scale. They revisit the first two sheets and select the most important elements from both sides. These are added to the new scale, visually representing their ideal work-life balance.
Intention: This exercise promotes a clearer understanding of time and energy allocation. It helps participants identify potential imbalances and align their actions with their core values.
3. Closing Activity: Goal-Setting for Balance (30 Minutes)
The participants reflect on what they have learned in the art therapy counselling session and set one specific, achievable goal for the following week. Examples:
Spending 15 minutes of quality time with family each day.
Delegating a small work task.
Setting a boundary around work hours.
Intention: This activity allows participants to take action toward their desired balance. They are encouraged to focus on small, realistic changes that lead to long-term improvements without being overwhelmed.
This session integrates movement, creative expression, and reflection, making the art therapy counselling accessible and engaging for participants of all backgrounds. The use of visual tools, such as the balance scale, enhances clarity and self-awareness. The goal-setting activity also provides a tangible outcome, which bridges the gap between reflection and action.
Some Of The Key Benefits of Art Therapy are:
Accessibility: You don’t have to be an artist to benefit from art therapy; it’s about expression, not skill.
Stress Management: Art-making can help reduce stress and induce relaxation.
Emotional Insight: The process of creating art often reveals previously unknown emotions and patterns, bringing new insights.
Empowerment: Setting and achieving small goals builds confidence and resilience.
Unique counselling sessions through art therapy are available at Happy Labs to explore the emotional challenges in a very enriching manner. Stress, self-discovery, and a new approach to personal growth can benefit from the use of art therapy counselling for effective inner world transformation.
