"ART REACH PROGRAM: Providing Creative Services to Victims of Sexual

Abuse."

INTRODUCTION

It is very common in clinical settings and for most therapists to encounter cases with a

history of sexual abuse. Because of its rampant cases and continuous rise in reports, research

on making therapy and intervention for this issue the main focus of most mental health

services is underway. There are already many studies exploring this topic, and most have

confirmed that sexual abuse can lead to high levels of psychological and behavioral issues

with strong relationships between interpersonal and psychological problems. With growing

cases and reports of sexual abuse, the need for knowledge to create an effective intervention

becomes evident.

People who have experienced sexual abuse are also possible victims of physical and

emotional abuse. This abuse may impact the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning

of an individual and may even result in other serious psychological disorders like PTSD,

Dissociative Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, and more. Additional symptoms can

include low self-esteem, feelings of hopelessness, and feelings of guilt. Because of this, it is

very important to come up with a good way to help the victims recover from the trauma

slowly and steadily.

 One of the most effective interventions that are being introduced to mental health

providers is art therapy. This program will use art therapy to effectively provide services to

abused victims.This therapy is being considered by most therapists because of its underlying

connection to cognitive approaches. It is believed that the mood disturbances occur because

of cognitive distortions in the brains of the victims. Therefore, if their cognitive distortions

are set straight, their behavior will also be corrected. Most cognitive distortions include the

perception of oneself as both helpless and hopeless, which can sometimes cause a creative

gap between thinking and feeling. Through the use of art therapy, the gap between the two

can be reinforced. The goal of art therapy involves acting out and expressing distressing

thoughts symbolically through art (Brown and Latimir, 2001).

Art therapy includes sessions wherein the victims will be able to creatively express

their emotions with the guidance of therapists to a more creative and client-centered type of

therapy. It will utilize the creative process to help people explore self-expression and, in

doing so, find new ways to gain personal insight and develop new coping skills. The clients

create art, and they may realize what they have made and how it makes them feel. Through

exploring their art, it doesn’t really need to be good or to be made wonderfully, they just have

to express how they feel. Through this, the therapist can look for themes and conflict that

may be affecting their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Art therapy can be in the form of

dance therapy, drama therapy, expressive therapy, music therapy, or writing therapy. The

therapist will choose which therapy is suitable for the client based on the result of the early

assessment and initial interview with the client.

 ORGANIZING THE GROUP

This program will be implemented inorder to help victims of abused in the

Philippines. The organization will be called, “Art Reach Program” The coordinators of Art

Reach Program must consider how important the selection of competitive and effective

mental health practitioners and staff will be to making this program operative. Doctors and

therapists that will contribute to this program must be well equipped with knowledge of

utilizing art therapy. Also, the staff and volunteers for this program must know how the

intervention must work and should undergo various workshops and training to assist the

therapists and doctors during the intervention. This program will be presented to the

authorized local governments to gather funds and support for the implementation of the

program. After being approved, the group will create another proposal in collaboration with

related agencies like the Department of Social Welfare Development, Barangay Officials,

School Guidance Counselors, and more to acquire records of cases of teens who experienced

sexual abuse and will be subjected to offered thorough sessions and therapies.

GROUP GOALS

This program will be implemented with the aim to:

• Provide free and friendly services to traumatized teens, particularly those who have been

sexually abused.

• Assess their needs in terms of emotional and psychological support.

• Perform a variety of tests and assessments to determine their primary psychological

concerns.

• Work with local officials and other important members of the community to achieve the

program's primary goal.

• Encourage teens to express themselves creatively in order to develop a self-intervention

strategy for their psychological development.

• Apply and expand on research on the use of art therapy in counseling and clinical settings.

GROUP FORMAT

The “Art Reach program” will consist of three units, with a group of people assigned

to each with corresponding tasks and responsibilities—the staff, the therapists, and the

coordinators. The role of the staff will be focused on gathering the reports from different

local partnerships, organizing the reports, conducting interviews and assessments with first-

time clients, and managing their schedule for sessions. The therapists will be the heart of this

program. The complete intervention relies on their skills and knowledge. They will be the

ones to conduct individual or group sessions, apply art therapy, and have more deep

interaction with the victims. Lastly, the role of coordinators relies on creating evaluations and

modifying the program thoroughly with the help of their connections to people outside the

organization. They will make sure that the program as a whole is beneficial and effective.
They are responsible for representing the whole program as a known organization with

purpose-driven services to offer.

GROUP OUTCOMES

Guided by the aim and goals of the “Art Reach Program”, is expected to help the local

government address the psychological issues of youth, especially those victims of sexual

abuse. It is also expected to create an environment where everyone is accepted and not judged

by their past experiences and traumas. Instead, this organization will recreate another

modified form of generalization for victims of abuse, that all people with wounds are capable

of creating masterpieces out of their experiences. If this program is implemented and adopted

by neighboring local governments, the victims can no longer feel the prolonged feelings of

hopelessness, shame of self, lack of self-esteem, and even suicide ideation. This program will

also serve as a public awareness campaign and a channel for reaching out to victims who are

too afraid to speak up about their situation. This will become revolutionary not just for the

victims but for the field of counseling and therapy as well.