Every day, we’re bombarded with so many ideas about who we should be and how to

look and act that we often lose sight of who we truly are. We all struggle with self-
acceptance every once in a while, and need to remind ourselves to love who we’ve
become. New York-based Creative Arts Therapist Mallory Denison says art can be
therapeutic in helping people to become more compassionate with themselves, and
ultimately with others. “People who work on tapping into their true, authentic selves may
find themselves happier,” she explains. “Connecting inward is an absolutely core
exercise for people who want to work on their self-esteem, self-worth, confidence and
happiness.” Try one (or all!) of these simple art exercises to tap into the inner “you” and
freely express who you are without fear of judgment. Have fun!

1. The Project: Tapping Into Your Inner Child

How To Do It: Choose art materials you feel comfortable with. These could be things
you used during art class in elementary school (crayons, markers, colored pencils, glue,
etc.). Turn on music that you typically listen to when you’re in a good mood, and maybe
even make an art playlist. Before diving into the project, give yourself the permission to
create without judgment— you aren’t trying to become the next Picasso; you’re just
trying to let out your inner child. Spend 20 minutes playing with the materials. Choose a
color you like and start making marks on the paper. After 5 minutes, take a step back
and see if any images form and focus on that area to highlight it. Once the 20 minutes is
up, flip the paper over and write down a description of your piece, what came up for you
during the time you worked on it, and how you felt before and after.
Why It Helps: Allowing yourself to ‘play’ in this exercise will hopefully connect you to the
inner child we all have within us. Think about when you were young and were free to
imagine and create. There was something carefree about that time and a good reason
for that is because we didn’t judge ourselves. Giving ourselves the gift of tapping into
that inner child can truly open us up to a world where we feel more comfortable with
who we are and express that realness, free of judgment.
2. The Project: Vision Board
How To Do It: You will need the following materials: magazines, scissors, glue, a large
piece of paper or poster board, a writing utensil and piece of paper. Take some time to
jot down the things that you would like for yourself in the future. Take a look at where
you are now and determine what from your current situation would you like to maintain
for the future and what you would like to change. Once you’ve placed yourself in this
mindset of focusing on your future goals, flip through magazines and select
images/words that represent the goals. If you do not have an idea of what you want for
yourself for the future that is okay! You can still do this exercise and get a lot out of it.
For those of you who do not have specific goals, spend time flipping through magazines
and select images and words that stand out to you. You don’t have to understand in the
moment why that particular image or word is speaking to you. Begin to compile the
images/words on the poster board to create your vision board.
Why It Helps: Just the simple act of taking time out to focus on what you want out of life
can relieve some stress. It can allow you to focus on what it is you’re longing for, and
what it is you feel you need out of life. Creating the vision board can help you to visually
focus on your goals. This exercise is based on the law of attraction, which states that
we bring into our lives the things we think about the most, and the board is a daily visual
reminder of the things we want for ourselves. By seeing these things, we think about
them, and if we believe in the law of attraction, this means we’re more likely to obtain
these things. It is also a really great gauge for your progress by saying “this is where I
want to be, so what am I doing right now that will help me to get to these goals, and
what am I doing that’s hindering me from making these things happen?”
3. The Project: Inner vs. Outer Self Mask Making
How To Do It: Head to a local craft store for supplies. Pick up a couple of blank masks,
paint, a glue gun, glue sticks, feathers, beads, flowers, tissue paper, ribbon, and any
craft item that appeals to you. Before beginning any project, it is important to focus on
what your goals are for the exercise. For this project, you will do this by writing on a
piece of paper. Split the paper into 2 columns, one column labeled ‘Inner Self’ and the
other labeled ‘Outer Self’. Take some time to think about and write down what
characteristics each of these selves has (the inner self is who you are when you are
alone, the outer self is what you show to other people in different situations) and what
type of emotions these selves feel. Once this is completed, work with the art materials
to visually represent the 2 selves. On the inside of the mask (the part that would be
placed on your face) decorate that mask in a way to express the inner self. Do the same
on the opposite side of the mask and decorate it in a way to represent the outer self or
the self you show others.
Why It Helps: This is another form of art that focuses on introspection. It is important to
be able to identify what parts of ourselves we show to others and what we keep private.
This can lead to further exploration. You can start to think about what it is that keeps
you from showing that inner self to people. What people do you feel you share that inner
self with and what people do you not. Does your outer self-change in different situations
and why? How does it feel to express that outer self vs the inner self? Does one cause
more anxiety, does one feel more authentic? Tap into that.
4. The Project: Write a Love Letter to Yourself
How To Do It: This can be done simply with a piece of paper and envelope. If you want
to get crafty, you can head to the craft store and pick up nice cardstock and envelopes,
add stickers or any other decorations to make it more fun! The important part lies in the
words, though. Write a love letter to yourself mentioning all the things you love about
yourself. Think about all the things your body & mind does for you. This is not a time to
be critical of yourself; it is a time to appreciate all the wonderful things you offer to the
world. You can write words of encouragement to yourself for the times when you truly
need it.
Why It Helps: We spend so much of our day thinking about what we did wrong or why
we’re not good enough, without thinking about how much we have to offer the world.
Give yourself credit for being incredible. By writing and reading this letter, you will be
taken to a place of compassion and love for yourself. You need to be as loving towards
yourself as you are for other people. It’s easy to do nice things for others, but it’s often
hard to do nice things for ourselves. You are not alone in that struggle. So take the time
out to love yourself with this exercise. Keep it with you so that when you are having a
low day, you can remember why you kick ass!
5. The Project: Paint a Self-Portrait
How To Do It: You will need a canvas, paint brushes, paint, a palette or paper plates,
water, paper towels, pencil and mirror. Find a comfortable place to sit. Make sure you
have a mirror in front of you so that you can see your face. Begin by outlining your head
on the canvas with a pencil. This DOES NOT mean to be exact. This is about spending
time with yourself, learning the curves of your face, the color of your eyes, the beauty of
you and the experience of playing with art materials. Spend some time painting your
portrait. Once you have completed your project, again, DO NOT JUDGE. Fighting your
inner critic is one of the hardest parts about this specific task! Spend time writing down
what the experience was like for you and what you see when you look at the portrait.
Why It Helps: This exercise helps to get you comfortable looking at your reflection.
Practicing the act of not judging, but playing with the materials, can help to alleviate
some of the critical thoughts we have about ourselves when we look at our reflection. It
can be a different experience for people who spend time only critiquing themselves in
the mirror and attaching emotion to those critiques. This exercise is more about looking
at the face as a set of shapes, lines, and colors and hopefully appreciating the beauty of
it instead of immediately finding the ‘flaws’. Having a different experience in front of the
mirror gives you the opportunity to have a a different perspective, which after more
practice, can hopefully decrease the initial instinct to judge.
6. The Project: Affirmation Cards
How To Do It: You will need blank, unlined index cards, scissors, magazines, writing
implements, glue and magazines. Write down affirmations that you like. Here are some
examples: ‘I am enough,’ ‘I can do whatever I focus my mind on,’ ‘I am healthy,’ ‘I am
creative,’ ‘I believe in myself.’ Take a note card and write down one affirmation. Create
an image on each affirmation card that represents that statement for you. You can carry
around these cards with you or choose to look at them when you need.
Why It Helps: These daily affirmations can help you to develop a more positive self-
esteem. Having positive thoughts about yourself can potentially re-wire the connections
in your brain causing you to feel better about yourself. It is important to rework our
thoughts. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) works to adjust thoughts and the behaviors
associated with those thoughts. If we change negative thoughts into positive ones, our
behaviors will likely follow!
Original by Katie Oldenburg

https://thefrisky.com/6-art-exercises-to-help-boost-self-esteem-from-a-professional-art-therapist/

Assessing Self Using Art Therapy: A Case Analysis

Nishi Tripathi*
Department of Psychology, Chitamber School of Humanities and Social Sciences SHIATS,
Allahabad, India

Corresponding Author:
Nishi Tripathi
Associate Professor and Head, Department of Psychology
Chitamber School of Humanities and Social Sciences
SHIATS, Allahabad, India
Tel: 0532-2466055
E-mail: tripathi_nishi@yahoo.com
Received Date: October 29, 2015; Accepted Date: November
01, 2015; Published Date: November 08, 2015

Citation: Tripathi N. Assessing Self Using Art Therapy: A Case

Analysis. Insights Blood Press 2015, 1:1.

 
Visit for more related articles at Insights in Blood Pressure
Abstract
The study conducted discusses the use of art therapy at a
University counseling center as an additional approach to
treating clients. Like all young adults, adolescents need to
cope with psychological and psychosocial a change that is
connected to the development of an independent life.
Coupled with the stressors of University, individuation,
academic pressures, and personal and professional goal
attainment, emotional regulation can become difficult. The
research presented explains the prevalent mental health
issues that are being diagnosed on University campus and the
definition and benefits to using art therapy as a way of
expressing feelings and thoughts. The purpose of the present
research was to assess whether or not students and faculty
see a need to incorporate art therapy into traditional
psychotherapy. This study examines mental health issues in
colleges and the effects that they presume on students. The
literature reviewed supports the use of different art Medias as
a means of exploring an individual’s inner self. The study
defines art therapy techniques as a mode of treatment to use
in conjunction with psychotherapy. The study also focused on
how art therapy could prove to be useful in combating the
mental illnesses that are prevalent in higher institutions. From
the results it appears that the need and interest for the use of
art therapy in a counseling center was supported. The study
also found that most all the participants agreed with the
treatment benefits of art therapy. An open psycho-educational
art group in the college setting could be a useful approach to
reducing depression and anxiety and providing students with
coping skills.

Keywords

Art therapy; Psychological, Psychosocial; Literature; Sculpture;

Self-expression

Introduction
Art therapy is a form of projective technique that uses the
creative process of art making to improve and enhance the
physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all
ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process
involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve
conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage
behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-
awareness, and achieve insight. Art therapy integrates the
fields of human development, visual art (drawing, painting,
sculpture, and other art forms), and the creative process with
models of counseling and psychotherapy. According to British
Association of Art Therapists, “Art therapy is a form of
psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of
communication [1]. It is practiced by qualified, registered Art
Therapists who work with children, young people, adults and
the elderly. Clients who can use art therapy may have a wide
range of difficulties, disabilities or diagnoses. These include,
for example, emotional, behavioral or mental health
problems, learning or physical disabilities, life-limiting
conditions, brain-injury or neurological conditions and
physical illness. Art therapy may be provided for groups, or for
individuals, depending on clients’ needs. It is not a recreational
activity or an art lesson, although the sessions can be
enjoyable. Clients do not need to have any previous
experience or expertise in art”.

Kramer was the first person to champion this school of

thought [2]. Kramer emphasized the healing qualities of art
making, and was concerned with artistic quality. Art therapy
also helps people to discover things about themselves based
on what they draw. Along with Art therapy, it is necessary to
counsel children so that they are able to overcome their issues
& fears. Art therapy & counseling can together help a child in
enhancing their capacity to deal with problems and would
eventually lead to their optimal development. Naumburg
believed that this was the best way to utilize art therapy [3]. In
this way, the art therapist uses art as a window into the
subconscious of the patient, and from there can attempt to
figure out the underlying problems that the patient may be
suffering from. It can be risky to look into art too closely, but in
the case of children, who may not have the words to express
how they are feeling; it is very beneficial to use art as a mode
of expression. Two of the procedures warrant additional
attention. The first one involves the use of art or drawing as an
assessment tool, procedure clinicians have used for some
time. The second is the use of clinical interview with children,
adolescents and parents.

Drawings or Art

Drawings or art can be used in both standardized and

nonstandardized assessment procedures. One standardized
procedure is the Good enough-Harris Dearing Test [4]. This
test requires children and adolescents to make a picture of a
man or woman and a picture of themselves. Another
commonly used standardized test is the House-Tree-Person in
which children and adolescents first draw a house, then a tree
and last a person [5]. Most recently, Knoff and Prout
developed the Kinetic Drawing System for family and School,
Children and adolescent, draw one picture of their family and
another that relates to school [6].

This test assesses important relationship at home and school.

Stabler provides information on the non-standardized use of
drawings with children and adolescents. He notes that
drawings can be us to obtain an estimate of a child or
adolescent’s cognitive and psychosocial development and level
of maturity [7].

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this research was to assess on how art therapy

could prove to be useful in combating the mental illnesses
that are prevalent in higher institutions. This research is
important because stress and anxiety affect the lives of many
students and can have strong influences on students
psychologically, emotionally, physically and academically. It is
important for counselors to learn how they can better help
students and to build coping mechanisms and resiliency. Art
therapy could be effective as it is proven to be a good tool
when working with mental health issues. It is also a versatile
approach and is cost and time effective. The present research
was planned to study the impact of Art therapy and
Counseling on adolescents undergoing stress and anxiety and
help them to deal effectively with their problem and issues
through art therapy and counseling. It also aimed to help
adolescents release their tension with the help of training in
muscle relaxation technique.

Sample
Client ‘A’ was purposely selected for the purpose of the study.
A case study method was adopted to focus on in-depth
analysis of an individual. The assessment involved individual
who received services at the university counseling center.
Participation in the assessment was voluntary and
anonymous. The participant used the counseling services and
was about 18 year’s old female, studying in class 12th.

Materials

Participant was given a survey to measure the need and desire

of art therapy in the counseling center. The needs assessment
is entitled “Using Art Therapy to Express Your Self” and used a
yes, no, or not applicable measure. There was also a section
for comments to allow participant to express her thoughts on
art therapy. The needs assessment test was developed by the
researcher.

Procedure

An orientation talk was conducted for the participant to make

her aware about the objectives of intervention program, its
impact and benefits to the individual. The purpose of Art
Therapy and Counseling was explained to the participant and
was briefed about the process Art Therapy and Counseling to
aware about the concept of stress and anxiety and its related
problems. Pre-stress anxiety test questionnaire was
administered on the participant and was encouraged to
undergo art therapy and counseling to overcome her issues
and problems. She was also informed about ethical
considerations involved in this process and assurance was
given to them regarding confidentiality of their information.

Collection of Data

The data was collected through both quantitative and

qualitative tools. The scores of pre and post stress and anxiety
test questionnaire served as quantitative data whereas
observation of adolescents and analysis of their art work
served as qualitative data.

Pilot Study Data Analysis

The data analysis of pilot study was done through comparing

the pre and post stress score of the participant and inferences
were made on the basis of stress score and artwork of
participant. It was observed that art therapy and counseling
had a significant impact on participant as it reduced the stress
and anxiety level of participant.

Summary of the Case Analysis

The research was conducted to assess the effectiveness of Art

therapy and Counseling on participant undergoing stress and
anxiety. The obtained data has been analyzed by assessing the
drawings made by the participant and pre & post stress test
questionnaire filled by her. The case summary wise data was
as follows: (For maintaining the confidentiality of adolescents,
their names have been changed).

Behavioral Observation

Client A was an 18 year old girl studying in class XII in ABC

school, Allahabad came to the counselor in realm of personal
social counseling. She belongs to an upper middle class socio-
economic background. Her family comprise of five members
including her father, mother, elder brother, grandmother and
herself. Her father is a Chemical Engineer and mother is a
housewife. She likes to listen to music and her favorite subject
is English.

Client “A” mentioned that her mother does not keep well and
has been diagnosed with depressive disorder. She stated that
she thinks that she is suffering from Truman’s syndrome. She
feels that her friends are watching her through a camera all
the time and this makes her very conscious and thus she
restricts herself in participating in various activities. She feels
negativity all around and is unable to cope with life. She
mentioned that she is very short tempered and her intense
anger leads her to cut her hand. She further stated that
because of all these issues, she tried to commit suicide when
she was in 6th standard.

Client “A” appeared to be very stressed and sad when she

came to the counselor. Her class teacher also referred her to
the counselor.

Client A’s pre-stress test questionnaire scores revealed that

she has high stress (score 90). In view of the nature of the
problem, art therapy and counseling were conducted on the
client to help her overcome her issues.

Art Therapy
The entire process of Art Therapy was divided into four parts:

1. Assessment

2. Treatment in the Beginning

3. Mid-phase of treatment

4. Termination

Assessment

The main objectives of Assessment were:

• To build a psychological climate of warmth, acceptance, trust

and empathy so that the client feels free to talk about her
problem.

• To gather information about client’s family.

Outcome

Client A was very restless when she came to the counselor but
as the session progressed she felt comfortable. She reported
that from the last 5-6 years she feels that her friends are
always watching her through a camera. She mentioned that
she thinks that this world is not made for her and therefore
she has made an imaginary world for herself that consist of all
those people who are close to her and where only love &
positivity exist. She discussed about her short-tempered
behavior and mood swings. She mentioned when she gets
upset she cuts her left hand and after cutting them she feels
relaxed.

She further reported that she keeps very upset because of her
mother’s ill health. Her mother has been diagnosed with
depressive disorder and as a result the environment at home
is quite disturbing.

Researcher’s Observation

Client “A” looked very shabby and was very restless to discuss
her issues. She continuously fiddled with her finger while
discussing her issues. And most of time she was looking at the
roof while talking.

In the next session of assessment, the objectives were:

• To explore client’s relationship with her father and brother.

• To administer pre stress test questionnaire on the client.

Outcome
In this session, client A’s relationship with her father and
brother was explored. She mentioned that she shares a good
relation with her father and said that he remains very upset
because of her mother’s health. She told that her brother does
not stay with them because of academic reasons. After this,
she was given the Stress test questionnaire and was motivated
to fill it accurately.

Treatment in the Beginning

Objectives

• To orient the client about Art therapy.

• To teach relaxation technique to the client.

Outcome

In this session, client A was oriented about Art Therapy and its
features. She was quite amazed to hear about such a therapy
and was initially hesitant to indulge in it. But, she was
motivated and encouraged by telling her that this therapy
does not focus on one’s artistic accomplishment but rather
self-expression of the individual.

After this, deep breathing relaxation technique was taught to

client A so that she can control her anger and increase her
concentration.

Mid-phase of treatment

The main objectives of this phase were:

• To administer various techniques of Art therapy along with

personal-social counseling sessions.

• To help the client relieve her tensions with the help of

training in muscle relaxation.

Outcome and analysis

In this phase, several techniques of Art therapy were

administered on the client, which was followed by Personal
social counseling. The analyses of several techniques are as
follows:

The client A undertook the following techniques one by one:

Session 1: Automatic Drawing (also known as the

Scribble Technique)
 In this, the client was asked to relax and begin to make draw
free lines or scribbles on paper. After a while the client was
instructed not to remove her pen from the paper until the
exercise is over. Automatic drawing is an excellent way for the
client to let down their guards.

Outcome

In this task, client A initially made several lines and then made
a 3-D face out of it. It was very interesting to see how she
made this face. When told to make a figure without removing
the pencil, she made a heart and a face. This activity was
basically given to help the client A to remove her nervousness
related to Art therapy and to make her more comfortable
(Figure 1).

Figure 1: Automatic drawing/ Scribble Technique.

Session 2: Free Drawing

In this, the client “A” was motivated to express herself freely

and not to worry about planning the drawing. This technique
is very useful because the images that the client creates are
 often mirrors into the person's present problems, strengths
and weaknesses. At the end of the free hand drawing, the
client was asked to share and explain what she drew about.

Outcome and Analysis

In this drawing, client A made her own self within a boundary.

On the top of left hand side, she drew a camera from where
she feels her friends watch her. Inside the boundary, she
made a black circle that depicts her imaginary world. She also
portrayed positive and negative energy which she feels she
posses. She mentioned that her positive energy is declining
whereas negative is increasing. She also made nails (symbol of
pain) towards the right side of picture that she thinks are
coming from her parent’s side.

Client A mentioned that after drawing her issues, she could

relate herself to her thoughts. She told that she felt very good
and peaceful after making this drawing. This task gave an
outlet to client A to portray her issues that she had not
discussed before with anyone (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Free Drawing.

Observation

Client A took lot of time to make this drawing. She looked

quite calm while drawing.

Session 3: Three Wishes

In the three wishes technique, client A’ was asked to portray

her three or more wishes:

Outcome and analysis

1st wish: In this drawing, she drew a house which consists of a

chimney. The snow is falling outside the house and the sun is
shining bright in the sky.

2nd wish: For the second wish, she made one rupee coin
encircled by a heart.

3rd wish: In this drawing, she made four smiling faces.

After client “A” completed the drawings, she was asked to

explain what she drew and then a discussion followed
focusing on the strength of the wish and whether or not these
wishes are attainable. While explaining the 1st wish, client “A”
mentioned that she really wish to have a house at a lonely
place where snowfall always takes place. She wants that her
dream house should consist of antique pieces and a chimney
to keep her house warm and cozy. The second wish of client
“A” was that she should excel in whatever she does like sports,
studies and so on. She wants that she should be very rich and
famous. Her third wish is that her home environment should
improve so that everybody is happy including her parents,
brother, grandmother and herself.

After explaining her drawings, she was asked to tell which all
wishes she think are realistic and attainable. She stated that
she thinks that her 1st wish is attainable but at a later stage.
For 2nd wish, she is doubtful as it requires lot of hard work and
she does not like to put much effort for any task. She
mentioned that her third wish is unattainable because of her
mother’s deteriorating health (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Three Wishes.

Observation

While explaining 1st wish, client A was very excited and happy.
But as she came towards the last wish she seemed very upset
and sad.

Session 4: Draw yourself as an Animal

In this task, client A was asked to draw herself as any kind of

animal, or as the animal she see herself as most similar to.

Outcome and analysis

In this task, client A drew a Griffin. Client A mentioned that she

drew Griffin because it is a majestic animal and is loyal &
trustworthy and she feels that she too has these qualities.
After this, the counselor asked client A if she liked comparing
herself to an animal. She mentioned that it was a great
experience to first think and then draws an animal to which
she thinks she resembles (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Draw Yourself as an Animal.

Observation

Client A took lot of time to make this drawing. It seemed that

she thoroughly enjoyed making this drawing.

Session 5: Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique

The main objective of this session was to help client A relieve

her tensions with the help of progressive muscle relaxation
technique. The counselor instructed the client A to do
progressive muscle relaxation in the following way:

• Take a few minutes to relax, breathing in and out in slow,

deep breaths.

• When you’re relaxed and ready to start, shift your attention

to your right foot. Take a moment to focus on the way it feels.

• Slowly tense the muscles in your right foot, squeezing as

tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10.

• Relax your right foot. Focus on the tension flowing away and
the way your foot feels as it becomes limp and loose.
• Stay in this relaxed state for a moment, breathing deeply and
slowly.

• Now shift your attention to your left foot and squeeze it as

tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10. Relax your left foot
and focus on the tension flowing away and the way your foot
feels as it becomes limp and loose.

In the same way, instructions were given to relax legs,

abdomen, back, neck and face.

Outcome

Client A mentioned that she felt very fresh and relaxed after
undergoing this relaxation technique.

Session 6: Self-Portrait

In this technique, client “A” was asked to portray herself. This

technique was aimed to help her gain complete awareness of
her personal needs and body image.

Outcome and analysis

In this drawing, client A portrayed her two different selves. In

the first one, she portrayed herself as being very helpful and
kind to people. In the second picture, she portrayed herself as
a short tempered person, who does not think before speaking
and hurt others.

While discussing about the drawing, client A mentioned that

she feels that her bad quality is being overpowering the good
one. She realized that she needs to control her anger to
continue her cordial relationships with people around (Figure
5).
Figure 5: Self-Portrait.

Observation

Client A seemed very enthusiastic while making the drawing.

She was frowning while making her short tempered picture.

Session 7: Drawing Completion

In the drawing completion technique, client A was given a

piece of paper that already had few simple shapes on them.
She was asked to use these shapes as a starting point and
make a picture out of it.

Outcome and analysis

From the first shape-circle, client A made a Sun along with

tress, grass and birds. From the second shape she made a
flower bud. From third, she drew her own self and a star. And
from the last figure she made a blackboard. When asked the
reasons for making such shapes she mentioned that she
made Sun because she likes bright sunny days, she made star
because she want to go there, a bud because it is a symbol of
freshness & calmness. Out of all these figures, she loved
making a bud (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Drawing Completion.

Session 8: House-tree-person

In this task, the client was asked to depict a house, tree and a
person in one picture. After completing the drawing, the client
is faced with the task of relating the human figure to the other
two common environmental features.

Outcome and analysis

In this task, client A made a house consisting of a chimney, a

tress right outside the house with a bird’s nest and a person
walking towards the house.

When asked to explain the drawing, she mentioned that she

wishes to have a small house at a place where snow falls all
the time and where greenery is there. When asked to relate
the person with the house and tree, she stated that she has
portrayed her best friend here and she wish that he should
keep coming to her house. And as far as the tree is concerned,
she wants that birds should make their nest on it (Figure 7).
Figure 7: House-Tree-Person.

Observation

It seemed that client A enjoyed making this drawing. In this

drawing she portrayed her same wish of having a small house
as she did in Three Wishes Techniques task.

Termination

Objectives

• To discuss the outcomes of Art Therapy.

• To terminate counseling sessions.

• To administer post stress test questionnaire on the client.

Outcome

The client came voluntarily for counseling with her irrational

belief that she has Truman’s syndrome. With the help of
cognitive interventions the counselor was able to challenge
her irrational beliefs. The client was very stressed out when
she came for counseling so before starting the therapy she
was taught deep breathing relaxation technique so that she
could cope with her stress in a better way.
After completing all the tasks of Art Therapy, client A was
asked how she felt after undergoing Art therapy & Counseling
sessions. She stated that she was quite happy and content
with the therapy & sessions. She told that she could never
imagine that she would see so many changes in herself
because of this therapy. ‘A’ mentioned that she feels that she
know herself better now. She has realized that her anger
causes lot of problems for her and other people and so she
has now started controlling her anger with the help of anger
management techniques. Most importantly, she mentioned
that she no longer feel that someone is watching her through
a camera. She feels free and happy now. After this, the
counselor informed client A about successful completion of
Art Therapy. She was informed about the termination of Art
Therapy and counseling sessions and was encouraged to fill
the post stress test questionnaire accurately. Client A thanked
the counselor for helping her resolve her issues and beliefs.

Evaluation

The client came voluntarily for counseling with stress and

anxiety. This case was a challenge for the counselor as the
client was very adamant that she has read about this type of
problem and knew that she is undergoing it. With the help of
traditional art therapy the researcher was able to reduce her
stress and anxiety. The client was very stressed out when she
came for counseling so before starting the therapy she was
taught deep breathing relaxation technique so that she could
cope with her stress in a better way. Art therapy seemed to be
very helpful in this case. After portraying her thoughts on
paper, the client realized that it was her irrational belief that
people are watching her through a camera. She realized that
in reality nothing like this is happening. Individual counseling
along with Art Therapy helped client A to resolve her issues.
Her post Stress test score indicate that she has below average
stress (score 37). There are many case studies in the literature
on the use of art therapy to reduce trauma symptoms and
some proposals for art therapy treatment protocols for PTSD
in children and adults [8-11]. Arnheim examined mental
processes used in art making that art therapists believe may
be involved in art therapy and discussed how visual
perception corresponds to visual thinking [12]. Cognitive
operations are not divorced from perception. Knowledge is
built from the environment through the senses; the act of
perceiving things visually is directly tied to the way one thinks
about them. Exploring, abstracting, and problem solving are all
processes of higher level thinking that depend heavily on
perception. Given art’s reliance on perception and the senses,
Arnheim postulated that art could be used to facilitate
problem solving if it is true that visual perception is equivalent
to visual thinking. The results of the present research indicate
that art therapy would be beneficial to helping people express
their emotions; it would have a positive impact on individuals
[12].

Limitations

Although from the results of this study one could infer that
there is an overwhelming interest and need for art therapy,
there were many limitations to the study. First, the study was
done with only one individual. In order to generalize the
results, a larger sample size would have been better.

Secondly, considering the possibility of survey duplication by

the same participant, a control for this must be met to account
for this.

Implications for Counseling Practice

This study provides a greater understanding for the need and

interest in art therapy as an alternate approach to addressing
mental health concerns. First, from the results, one can infer
that student’s are willing to support the use of art therapy.
Therefore, college counselors and students can recognize the
usefulness of this time effective method of counseling. The
result of this study also informs counselors about the types of
stressors that adolescents face in today’s society. With this
knowledge, counselors can better identify students
experiencing excessive stress and tailor counseling
interventions and art therapy to address the problems.

Recommendations for Further Study

In order to better establish the need and interest of using art

therapy as an additional approach, this study needs to be
replicated with an increased number of participants, be
screened for duplicate survey results and attach additional
literature on the benefits of art therapy and mental health
issues. This would allow one to sort out whether it is the lack
of understanding and small population, rather than other
factors like minimal information and a small sample, that
underlies to the percentage of students who did not
recommend or found that this approach was not relatable.
This implies that parents need to be constantly aware of the
important role that they play in nurturing of adolescent self-
esteem.

Conclusion

The purpose of the present study was to examine on how art

therapy could prove to be useful in combating the mental
illnesses that are prevalent in higher institutions. From the
results it appears that the need and interest for the use of art
therapy in a counseling center was supported. Thus, Art
therapy is a form of projective technique that uses the creative
process of art making to improve and enhance the physical,
mental and emotional well being of individuals of all ages. It is
based on the belief that the creative process involved in
artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and
problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior,
reduce stress, increase self-esteem and selfawareness, and
achieve insight. Art therapy integrates the fields of human
development, visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and
other art forms), and the creative process with models of
counseling and psychotherapy.

The study also found that most all the participants agreed with
the treatment benefits of art therapy. An open psycho-
educational art group in the college setting could be a useful
approach to reducing depression and anxiety and providing
students with coping skills.

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