What Is Art Therapy?
New Leaf Recovery is a place to feel safe and a place for you to be expressive in how you feel, finding new ways to manage your feelings to avoid possible future relapse.
Our art groups are a good way for those at New Leaf to express their feelings artistically, helping to resolve and manage their feelings.
In one of our recent art therapy group sessions, our group were able to express themselves creatively through painting and decorating masks. This gave everyone in the group an opportunity to be as expressive as they wanted to be in a calm and visual way. Some of the masks from the session can be seen below…
Benefits to Art Therapy
Art therapy has a number of benefits that can help those in recovery. It is a psychotherapeutic method of improving mental health and wellbeing for those who may suffer from anxiety, emotional difficulties, stress, depression, or substance addiction.
There are different forms of art therapy that New Leaf offers to their groups including painting, colouring, drawing, ceramics, dancing, writing, poetry and collage creation. We offer a mix of these forms to give our clients the best form of therapy for their needs.
Benefits of art therapy in whatever form can include:
- Visual communication - This gives an outlet for those who may not want to communicate with people but can communicate through art.
- Breakthroughs on a personal level - Breakthroughs are important in therapy as they help people work through the difficulties in their life.
- Self-reflection and self-confidence - Addiction can cause low self esteem and a distorted reality of who you are as a person. Expressive art therapy works to improve these thoughts and boost self-esteem.
- Emotional healing - This is also a form of cognitive behaviour therapy that works to adjust negative thoughts into positive ones
- Relapse prevention - Working through potential triggers is a way of helping overcome addictions and preventing relapse
- Self-discovery - You may find a new talent that has the potential to change your life for the better
Importance of Mental Health
Being creative is a healthy way of expressing your thoughts and feelings to help you begin to understand and resolve them. In learning more about yourself and your personal triggers, you can work to overcome them and reduce the likelihood of relapse post-treatment.
With mental health issues on the rise, it is incredibly important that people learn how to be creative and know the ways in which they can work through their issues before they turn to unhealthy outlets.
New Leaf Recovery Services
If you or someone you know is in need of help in learning to express their thoughts and feelings before turning to their addiction, New Leaf Recovery can help.
Get in touch with us today and let us help you find the best way to express your thoughts and feelings through our alternative treatment options.
