Art Therapy and Anxiety: Healing Through Imagery

Art as Innovation in the Treatment of Anxiety
Art therapy is the field where the worlds of art and psychology meet. Roots can be traced back to Carl Jung, the first known psychologist to have his clients draw as a means to interpret dreams and fantasies. However, the true pioneers of art therapy are Margaret Naumberg and Edith Kramer who, during the 1940s and 1950s, recognized art therapy as its own field of study and practice. Today, art therapy can be applied to many different fields of psychology. Treating children with behavior problems, teens and adults struggling with addiction, couples with marital difficulties, and older adults suffering from Alzheimer's are only a few of the areas where art therapy is utilized. By making and interpreting their own art, individuals can reach beyond censored and conscious feelings to a deeper understanding of personal motivations in everyday life.

This course is designed to educate participants about art therapy and provide practical skills for effective assessment and intervention with clients experiencing symptoms of anxiety. Demonstrations of art therapy techniques will advance the participants' understanding of the biopsychosocial perspective of many of the disorders that fall under the DSM-5 categories of Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders, and Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders. Significant attention will be paid to treatment interventions with numerous opportunities for hands-on, art-based techniques. Multiple case studies will illustrate the effectiveness of art therapy with anyone presenting with symptoms on the anxiety scale. Take away new skills and interventions to assist in the treatment of your most difficult anxiety cases.