Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I’m glad to see you gathered here today in this auditorium.

I’m Professor Smith, majoring in Psychology and Neuroscience from University of Social
Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam. In light of today’s forum, I’d like to present some
points from my recent research about the topic "A diversity in treaments to improve
mental health."

Besides poetry, literature, and music, art also plays a significant role in capturing the
beauty of life. Nevertheless, a much more bizarre function of art, which not many
people have acknowledged, is its therapeutic feature. In psychotherapy, therapists treat
their subjects using a variety of techniques. One treatment that helps therapists "catch"
the patient's mental condition is art, in particular. The big question is, what benefits may
art have for patients and how do therapists implement=carry out it?

The intial notion discussed in this article would cover the definition of art therapy.
Psychologist Kendra Cherry defines art therapy as "the use of artistic methods to treat
psychological disorders and enhance mental health." This is known as art therapy. "Art
therapy" is a technique rooted in the idea that creative expression can foster healing
and mental well-being. Along with art, music, dance, drama, writing, and expression are
also considered to be the creative methods to treat patients with mental conditions.
Creative therapy may be used to cure a variety of problems, such as those connected to
aging, anxiety, cancer, depression, eating disorders, and emotional challenges. Issues in
the family or relationships, medical issues, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
psychosocial problems, stress, and substance use disorders are among the
psychological manifestations = the act appearing as a sign of other physical conditions.
Due to research carried out in 2018 by Regev D, Cohen, and Yatziv L, art therapy has
been shown in trials of traumatized individuals to considerably lessen depressive
symptoms and trauma symptoms. Furthermore, with clients ranging from young
children to elderly individuals, an art therapist may employ a number of artistic
techniques, such as collage, painting, sculpting, and drawing.

Currently, we’ve just finished with the what and the how in art therapy. Any curious
cats who would like to pop a question? No? Okay, so I’ll keep going.

Then, the next question to bring to the table is: why is this fairly simple technique
appreciated and widely used in medical treatment? Well, I would say that creative
therapy offers a plethora =excess of benefits to any party involved. The first one on the
list is the revelation of hidden thoughts and feelings within each individual. You can take
it like this: the process of creating art is stimulating and thought-provoking, so patients
or participants may find room to face their inner thoughts. Consequently, patients
would be given the opportunity to gradually shed light on the roots of their emotions
and trauma. Another impressive impact would lean towards the humane side of the art
experience. As abstract and perplexing = puzzling as it may sound, this is literally the
case in the application process of this therapy. During multiple sessions that involve the
sharing of thoughts about paintings or any other work of art, the patient may start to
develop a close relationship with their therapists. For instance, while observing "Le
Bassin aux Nymphéas" by Claude Monet, not only does one try to comprehend the
combination of colors or the mastery in drawing lines, but one also feels the painting by
trying to contemplate the hidden meaning behind Monet’s every stroke. In most cases,
this procedure typically occupies a lot of time, during which participants would be
encouraged to speak their minds. From here, therapists and patients are likely to
develop a strong mental connection from the foundation of their mutual understanding
and taste.

Well, I guess you are now all flabbergasted=astonished by my elaboration, right? But
that’s not everything. The night is still young, and this is a colossal= extremely huge
concept. Are you ready to press on with my presentation?

The aforementioned benefits remain at the tip of the iceberg, especially when being
compared with the third positive impact: the ability to be in control of one’s life. This
means that patients are given sufficient space to curb their creative process, from
choosing which topic to illustrate to different methods of coloring. Hmmm. This may
appear to be an everyday activity at any kindergarten in this day and age, but the same
thing doesn’t apply to workplaces or right inside of our homes. A hierarchical model at
work, for example, is amongst the root causes leading to pressure in one’s professional
life. Other burdens, like raising a family or maintaining a straight-A academic record,
also contribute to the loss of balance in one’s life. That doesn’t include peer pressure
and many other potential contributors. Over time, these situations may trigger or
develop into mental illnesses. As I was saying, having the ability to make independent
decisions without the influence of anyone or anything paves the way for self-healing and
recovery. The therapy of art could also permeate=penetrate people to grow
authentically, especially when they are given favourable conditions to do so. It’s only a
matter of time until its effects are clearly recorded. Additionally, not all mental health
issues have been reported to benefit from art therapy. A meta-analysis, for example,
concluded that neither positive nor negative symptoms of schizophrenia can be reduced
by art therapy.Basically, it works differently on different individuals. Don’t be pushy or
hasty. I assure you that, in this way or another, creative methods do turn one’s life to a
new page.

For the record, people can explore and express their personal experiences in a number
of artistic ways through art therapy. Through engagement with materials and tools,
patients can explain, expose, and resolve internal issues; with the company and
direction of an art therapist, patients can grow in self-awareness and self-belief. With
the knowledge provided above, I believe it is acceptable to say that art serves as a
"remedy". And if possible, on a day when you feel like you are not yourself anymore, my
recommendation is to try to immerse yourself in the grand and abstract world of
illustration, portrayal, and representation.