{"id":25735,"date":"2023-06-15T12:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T09:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/art-therapy\/emergency-art-therapy-assistance-in-situations-of-acute-stress\/"},"modified":"2023-06-15T12:44:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T09:44:00","slug":"emergency-art-therapy-assistance-in-situations-of-acute-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/emergency-art-therapy-assistance-in-situations-of-acute-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency art therapy assistance in situations of acute stress"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5>Lyudmil<\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/psy.1september.ru\/2009\/04\/18-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"216\" align=\"right\" hspace=\"7\" vspace=\"5\"><\/p>\n<h5>and LEBEDEVA,<br \/>\ndoctor of pedagogical sciences,<br \/>\nRussian State<br \/>\nsocial University,<br \/>\nMoscow<\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><big style=\"line-height: 1.5em;\"><big><b>A<\/b><\/big><\/big><span style=\"font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;\">Mouth therapy games, exercises and techniques are an effective, accessible, simple form of &#8220;first&#8221; psychological help, based on safe and natural visual art for a person as a kind of &#8220;transit space&#8221;, more reliable and protected than words. \u201cI could draw, but I don\u2019t know how to put it into words,\u201d K. Rudestam quotes one of his clients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Non-verbal means are most authentic for expressing and clarifying a traumatic emotional state.<\/p>\n<p>Being in a difficult, stressful situation, a person, without noticing it, spontaneously draws lines, \u201cscribbles\u201d, crosses out images, blackens the space of a sheet of paper, draws with a stick on the sand &#8230; As a rule, this process is not controlled by consciousness, these are the so-called free drawings, &#8220;handwriting&#8221; as an unconscious way to bring traumatic experiences outside, to get rid of an overabundance of emotions and feelings.<\/p>\n<p>In a difficult life situation, writes the famous psychotherapist Natalie Rogers, \u201cI drew scribbles, \u201clet off steam\u201d or played with paints without caring about the result &#8230; So I noticed that I find comfort with the help of drawings.\u201d According to N. Rogers, \u201cwhen we use various forms of art for self-healing or therapeutic purposes, we do not worry about the beauty of the works, the grammatical or stylistic correctness of the text, or the harmony of the sound of the song. We use art for purposes of release, expression, relief.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>K. Jung considered fine art an extremely important tool for realizing the self-healing possibilities of the psyche.<\/p>\n<p>In situations of stress, a person spontaneously turns to the inner sphere of the unconscious &#8220;in search of dreams and images that contain potential possibilities or seeds of healing&#8221; ( <i>D. Allan<\/i> ).<\/p>\n<p>As you know, traumatic experience is imprinted in a figurative form. Therefore, it is the process of artistic creativity that is an effective means of overcoming it: the act of artistic creativity is often accompanied by very strong feelings and leads to catharsis ( <i>V. Appleton;<\/i> <i>G. Khulbut<\/i> ).<\/p>\n<p>Affects, as is known, develop in conditions when the subject cannot cope with the situation that has arisen. Therefore, in order to slow down the development of acute stress, to get out of the conflict state, it is necessary to choose an effective way of help and self-help.<\/p>\n<p>The advantage of art therapy is that a person, along with expert advice, will be able to apply individual techniques and exercises quite independently. For example, modeling a conflict by artistic means will help to update and explore one&#8217;s own behavior in a state of stress, to realize feelings, experiences, attitudes towards the conflict and its outcome. In the end, this will alleviate emotional pain, at least allow you to look at the traumatic situation in a new way, change your attitude towards it. In other words, visual activity is comparable to the placebo effect.<\/p>\n<h2>Group Art Therapy Practice<\/h2>\n<p>The art techniques proposed in this article were developed and repeatedly tested by me in study groups of psychology students aged 19 to 27 years old, successfully used in art therapy work with women with cancer aged 35 to 60 years old, as well as in groups of specialists of different ages. at seminars, master classes and advanced training groups on the course &#8220;Art Therapy in Education and Social Work&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h3 align=\"center\">Art therapy technique &#8220;Lines of conflict&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>The technique is suitable for working in a group of up to 15 people (effective in the format of individual art therapy).<\/p>\n<p>The art therapy space includes a circle of chairs and personal workstations (table and chair) for individual creativity.<\/p>\n<p><i>Materials<\/i> : sheets of A4 white paper, felt-tip pens (or colored pencils, pastel crayons), adhesive tape, colored plasticine, white clay and foil.<\/p>\n<p align=\"CENTER\">MAIN STAGES<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>1. Individual work<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><i>Instruction<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Draw a conflict situation that is subjectively significant for you as a \u201cconversation of two lines\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>To do this, first take a sheet of A4 paper, put the number 1 on it, attach it to the table with tape so that the sheet does not slip during work. Choose two felt-tip pens (pencil or chalk) of different colors, conditionally designating you and your opponent (opponent, opponent). In your working hand, take a felt-tip pen of the color with which the line of your behavior in the conflict will be drawn. In a non-working hand &#8211; a felt-tip pen of a different color to indicate the behavior of your conditional opponent. Depict the dynamics of the conflict situation with the help of lines, without lifting the felt-tip pens from the paper. When finished, turn the paper over and set it aside.<\/p>\n<p>On the second sheet, depict the same conflict situation by swapping the markers in the left and right hands. Thus, in the second figure, the working hand depicts the lines of behavior of the opponent in the conflict, and the non-working hand &#8211; the lines of your own behavior (in the same color). In a word, the originally selected color of the felt-tip pens is also saved on the second sheet of paper.<\/p>\n<p>Think about what you see in the drawings and try to write a story from the point of view of each line. What does the resulting drawing tell you? What symbolic meaning does it carry? What new did the lines tell you about the conflict situation and how to resolve it?<\/p>\n<p>Next, using various materials (colored plasticine, clay, foil), depict the outcome of the situation: create metaphorical images of yourself and your opponent as a result of a conflict confrontation.<\/p>\n<p>It is also useful to build dialogues between lines and modeled images, which will help clarify some of the essential nuances of the conflict.<\/p>\n<p><i>Note.<\/i>  Each of the listed artistic materials has its own properties, features and, consequently, its own capabilities. Plasticine is a soft, plastic material, so modeling does not require too much effort. In addition, it is colored, which makes it possible to continue working on a three-dimensional image in the same colors that were chosen for the \u201cconflict lines\u201d. As a result, the awareness and response of psychotraumatic emotions and feelings is enhanced.<\/p>\n<p>Clay, on the contrary, is a denser, more elastic natural material, the work with which requires considerable effort and is accompanied by energy costs. Another advantage of clay is its &#8220;colorlessness&#8221;, which provokes free associations. The image made of white clay also becomes a specific area for the projection of deep (repressed, hidden) experiences of the author of the work. Thus subjective experience becomes available for perception and analysis.<\/p>\n<p>It is known that the projection of feelings onto external objects is the way to symbolize and recognize these feelings. Fantasies depicted on paper or made in clay often speed up and facilitate the verbalization of experiences. In the process of working on images from plasticine or clay, the protection that usually exists with verbal, habitual contact is reduced.<\/p>\n<p>I note that sometimes, as a way to release from internal tension, one can observe the destruction of an already made figure. This happens especially often if foil is used in art therapy work with conflicts. This is an unusual material that not only models well and holds its shape, but at the same time it is easily torn, requiring extreme caution. Sometimes participants attribute properties of &#8220;resistance and rebelliousness&#8221; to the foil. In addition, the foil is shiny, festive and \u201cresourceful\u201d in the sense that it evokes early childhood memories, returns to childhood for positive experiences.<\/p>\n<p>Upon completion of the work, each participant is invited to answer the question in one or two words: \u201cWhat material is foil for you?\u201d The answer, with a high degree of probability, can be interpreted as an actualized characteristic-metaphor of self-perception (self-attitude).<\/p>\n<p>The greatest therapeutic effect is achieved if, after drawing conflicts, participants first create images of themselves and an opponent in plasticine, keeping the color according to the original choice in the drawing, and then repeat these same images in white clay. This order facilitates the clarification and transformation of the traumatic situation.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>2. Stage of verbalization<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>If this exercise is performed under the guidance of a psychologist (art therapist) in a group, the participants sit in a circle, show their drawings and simulated images at will, talk not so much about the content and causes of the conflict, but about the emotional side and behavior in a conflict situation. The rest of the participants can ask questions, for example:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/psy.1september.ru\/2009\/04\/20-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"170\" height=\"477\" align=\"right\" hspace=\"7\" vspace=\"5\">\u2014 How did you feel in the process of drawing the trajectory of the conflict and modeling the characters?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; What do you feel now?<\/p>\n<p>Have you clarified for yourself how the conflict developed and whether it was resolved?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Has the understanding of the causes and consequences of the conflict situation changed?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 How do you now see your own role and the role of the opponent in initiating the conflict? What experience did you gain in the process of visual work?<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the purpose of such questions is not to hear the &#8220;record&#8221; of real events. Rather, these are prompt questions to facilitate awareness and transformation of traumatic experiences into resource ones.<\/p>\n<p>At this stage, the client is invited to take an active position, to take responsibility, trying to understand the \u201cpattern\u201d of behavior in conflict, the nature of their inner experiences, their role in their own lives and in relationships with other people.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to create a safe atmosphere of trust, openness, empathy, so that the feedback provided does not cause traumatic feelings and is adequately perceived by the person. This can be a useful experience for building a constructive communication strategy and new emotional contacts.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>3. Final stage<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The specialist invites the participants of the session to make the desired changes to their work, to transform visual images or to do with their drawings as they would like.<\/p>\n<p>Often there is a need to symbolically \u201cdeal with\u201d the conflict: tear, crush, destroy the drawing. Such behavior may indicate acute mental pain, suffering, or anger. Sometimes &#8211; about the symbolic recognition of the author to himself, the awareness of his own role as the &#8220;initiator of the conflict&#8221;, which was previously consciously or unconsciously repressed, replaced by some form of psychological defense. Acceptance of such revelations is a resource start for personal growth.<\/p>\n<p><b>Comments<\/b><\/p>\n<p>According to the well-known American art therapist M. Betensky, line is one of the main elements of symbolic expression in art, along with form and color. With its help, a person can display his experiences and inner world.<\/p>\n<p>Drawing lines, people do not think about their properties. In essence, they do not so much create an image or picture as express their emotions and feelings. The unconscious plays an important role in this process. And only at the stage of verbalization does the realization of the significance of the lines occur.<\/p>\n<p>The line can symbolize the life path as a whole or its specific stage.<\/p>\n<p>The art therapy <b>technique<\/b> <b>\u201cLines of Conflict\u201d<\/b> is also resourceful in the context of operational diagnostics of the emotional state, for identifying, \u201cworking through\u201d and responding to emotions and feelings, including suppressed ones.<\/p>\n<p>In the Conflict Lines exercise, participants are asked to draw the same situation twice. The reason for this is as follows.<\/p>\n<p>Many psychologists and psychotherapists agree that the non-working hand is associated with the unconscious. Therefore, when a person draws with a non-working (usually left) hand, the drawing is less subject to control by consciousness, which means it is more impulsive, emotional, &#8220;truthful&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>According to R. Amman, the left hand represents the inner world, and the right hand represents the outer world, reality and life goals of a person. In a word, the right hand is associated with consciousness.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, by changing the position of the markers in the first and second drawings, we have the opportunity to compare the real (unconscious) with the desired (consciousness).<\/p>\n<p>As N. Rogers writes, if you turn to the symbolic or metaphorical meanings contained in your own works, you can get an intuitive revelation, an insight.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, each line on paper is a \u201cpath\u201d, an indirect imprint, a \u201ctrace\u201d of the role of each participant in the conflict in the history of the event.<\/p>\n<p>Drawing for the opponent and for himself, the author reflects his own, subjective vision of what is happening (or what happened).<\/p>\n<p>Further, moving away from the drawing, observing the lines left by the movement of the right and left hands at the same time, the author can get more truthful information, compare what he sees with how he thinks about himself and his opponent in a conflict situation. Indeed, by controlling the line of his behavior while drawing with his working hand, a person involuntarily weakens control over the image of his projection onto the line of conflict from the &#8220;opponent&#8217;s face&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>When interpreting the drawings, it is important to pay attention to the nature of the lines and their location relative to each other, the places of contact, collision and divergence, which is an indicator of the interaction, activity and passivity of the conflict participants.<\/p>\n<p>For example, winding, repeatedly intersecting lines indicate the complexity of the situation, numerous attempts to resolve the conflict. Such lines are especially common in drawings of intra-family conflicts (\u201con the same territory\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>The lines forming a &#8220;tangle&#8221; are characteristic of people who have an intrapersonal conflict, and may be associated with confusion, lack of order, chaos of thoughts and feelings. This may also indicate hidden hostility and the absence of open clashes. Perhaps the author is confused, worried, the harmony of his personality is broken.<\/p>\n<p>Broken lines with a large number of sharp corners can be an indicator of anxiety, excitement, tension. If the lines intersect and form corners at the intersection, this may be regarded as an indicator of sharp open collisions.<\/p>\n<p>Lines that do not intersect symmetrically and mirror each other with a high degree of probability mean that the person could not actualize or reflect on the conflict situation, or that the phase of acute stress has passed and emotional manifestations have weakened somewhat.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the drawing in the form of colored lines, one should pay attention to the sculptures-metaphors of the image of &#8220;I&#8221; and the image of the &#8220;enemy&#8221;. As a rule, they are the most informative, often more realistic than words, they reflect the history of the confrontation.<\/p>\n<p>On fig. 1 is an example of the work of a 28-year-old woman. A tangle of black and red lines emphasizes the acuteness and tension of the life situation experienced and recreated on paper.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/psy.1september.ru\/2009\/04\/22-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"218\"><\/p>\n<h5>Rice. 1<\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The author of the work sees himself emerging from the conflict in the form of a \u201cwounded heart\u201d. The figure of the opponent is perceived by her as a &#8220;poisonous snake&#8221;, although it has spent poison on a bite, but has not lost its strength.<\/p>\n<p>On fig. Figure 2 shows how, as the frustrating experiences were reacted, the plasticine images transformed &#8211; they found \u201cpoints of contact\u201d, and the clay figures created a little later reflect the author\u2019s already changed view of the conflict problem and situation: \u201cThey have a future, they will be able to reconcile.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/psy.1september.ru\/2009\/04\/22-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"205\"><\/p>\n<h5 align=\"center\">Rice. 2<\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In essence, this is the moment of conscious or spontaneous transformation that distinguishes art therapy work from artistic creation. In the first case, a therapeutic effect is achieved, in the second, an aesthetic effect is most pronounced.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, in situations of acute distress caused by stress, the position of the helping specialist is of particular importance. The symbolism of the language of the drawing gives the client a sense of security, the co-presence of the art therapist helps to create a psychologically safe space within which it is possible to react various feelings in spontaneous artistic images, to overcome traumatic experiences.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, Natalie Rogers writes: \u201cIt is extremely important that I was with people who allowed me to be in my grief and tears, and not patted me on the shoulder and said that everything would be fine. Healing occurs when the client feels accepted and understood. Feeling accepted and understood is a rare experience, especially when you are experiencing fear, anger, grief, or jealousy. And yet it is these moments of acceptance and understanding that heal.<\/p>\n<p>As friends or therapists, we often feel that in these cases we should have a ready answer or should give advice. In doing so, however, we are ignoring an extremely important truth: the greatest help we render to a person is when we sincerely \u201clisten\u201d to the full depth of his emotional pain and show respect for the person\u2019s ability to find his own answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is especially important in conflict and crisis situations.<\/p>\n<h3 align=\"center\">Art therapy technique &#8220;Emotions and feelings&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>I will give an example of a thematic art technique I have developed, which creates conditions that effectively help the client to respond to traumatic emotions and \u201cfind his own answer\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><i>Purpose and priority goals:<\/i><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 operational diagnostics of the emotional state: in the training groups of specialists &#8211; the identification of emotional fatigue as a professional destruction; in a situation of acute stress &#8211; prompt assistance and emotional relaxation;<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 research and &#8220;working out&#8221; of emotions and feelings, including suppressed ones;<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 psychoprophylaxis of negative emotional experiences and their manifestations; emotional switching;<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 harmonization of the emotional state as a potential for overcoming destructive personality changes and personal growth.<\/p>\n<p><i>Materials:<\/i><b> <\/b>sheets of white paper of various sizes, simple pencils, watercolor and gouache, bowls of water.<\/p>\n<p><i>Instruction<\/i><\/p>\n<p>With a simple pencil, using lines on a piece of paper of any size, mark the contours of the image that reflects your state (emotions, feelings, experiences) at the moment.<\/p>\n<p><i>Note.<\/i>  The restriction on the creation of specific images makes it possible to level the cognitive pattern and encourages a person to think outside the box, provides freedom of creative self-expression, the creation of individual symbols that are important for one&#8217;s own self-knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>If this art technique is used in a situation of acute stress, it is useful to suggest that participants crumple a sheet of paper with the outlines of a drawing, then lower it into water, straighten it, and only then add color, \u201cshow\u201d, \u201ccolorize\u201d the image drawn with a simple pencil.<\/p>\n<p>This technique has a deep psychological meaning and a noticeable therapeutic effect, since working on textured wet paper allows you to achieve greater expressiveness and at the same time emotional release.<\/p>\n<p><i>An example<\/i> from a self-report of a student (20 years old):<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt seemed to me that I was burning with resentment. But I didn\u2019t dare to talk about this feeling, or at least just name it. In the eyes of fellow students, it was necessary to correspond to the image of \u201chappy innocence\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>When I was asked to work with current emotional states during an art therapy session, I chose love. I easily drew the outline of the heart with a simple pencil, then added another heart, pierced them with the common arrow of Cupid, and then turned this arrow into \u201cthunder and lightning\u201d. Terribly angry and with pleasure crumpled a sheet of paper with a picture. I suddenly realized that this was not love at all, so I wanted to destroy, trample on everything that was invested in this image. I crumpled the drawing longer than others, and then \u201cdrowned\u201d it in water. I remembered the oriental wisdom &#8220;Let the water carry away &#8230;&#8221;. I watched for a long time how my \u201clove-resentment\u201d and \u201clove-anger\u201d were getting wet, and suddenly I experienced a childish interest: \u201cWhat is there on paper?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She carefully straightened the sheet: the borders of the hearts merged, the lightning arrows lost their energy and blurred into uneven \u201ccrumpled\u201d contours. The anger subsided, as if deflated like a punctured balloon. I realized that I was endlessly tired of the terrible secret, and began to draw it on this crumpled and wet sheet, where the trace of love had completely disappeared, but \u201cSHAME and GUILT appeared\u201d. Now I knew the true feeling, I was able to admit to myself that I was afraid to take responsibility for a new life &#8230; &#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The girl asked to publish this story and drawing, but in the group she did not comment on her work, spoke with restraint about her psychological well-being, saying that now she is better, that she is satisfied with the result and is very tired.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/psy.1september.ru\/2009\/04\/23-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\"><\/p>\n<h5>Rice. 3<\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She called the drawing \u201cWeb\u201d (Fig. 3). While working on the image, she asked for a spool of black thread, cut pieces of 4\u20135 cm, then with concentration, with frantic persistence, carefully glued \u201cthis fringe\u201d onto the drawing. The final stage of the session was going on &#8211; the stage of verbalization and reflection, and the girl continued to stick threads and draw with detachment. When I asked if she had ever done artwork using thread before, she replied that this was the first time she had done it and she didn&#8217;t know why.<\/p>\n<p><b>Comments<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Perhaps this case illustrates the thesis that \u201cthe transition from one type of interaction with materials to another helps to overcome those protective mechanisms that allowed the patient to adapt to trauma and its consequences. Through this, patients can identify and become aware of the feelings they are repressing, form different associations with them, see new meaning in past events, and form new, healthier defense mechanisms.<i>D. Woeller; G. Khulbut<\/i> ).<\/p>\n<p>According to the theory of L.S. Vygotsky, the emotional connection between reality and imagination manifests itself in two ways. Every feeling seeks to be embodied in certain images, that is, emotions, and, as it were, selects appropriate impressions for itself. However, there is also a feedback of imagination with emotion, when images of imagination give rise to feelings. In this case, you can see how the depiction of traumatic experiences caused a sensory response, an emotional switch.<\/p>\n<p>Such sessions can serve the purpose of building a therapeutic alliance based on the subject&#8217;s acceptance of psychological help and support.<\/p>\n<p>With a high degree of probability, it can be assumed that the appeal to the emotional sphere of a person through allegories and metaphors actualizes the emotional and behavioral patterns inherent in the personality. Therefore, the resulting art products are of considerable interest in terms of diagnostics.<\/p>\n<p>The subject of reflection for a specialist can be such characteristics and features as the range of feelings, colors, the overall color of the picture, the relative saturation in the image of positive and negative emotions, as well as the degree of predominance of one or the other.<\/p>\n<p>In the same context, it is important to evaluate the work from the standpoint of the complexity of the drawing process. How energetic was this process, how much effort was spent on creating the intended image? Is the drawing completely painted over, or are there empty spaces? What can be said about the degree of integration of image elements? How long did it take to work on each of the visualized feelings, and what were the difficulties?<\/p>\n<p>If a silhouette of a person is used to depict emotions and feelings, it is important to pay attention to the places of localization of each feeling and the emotions associated with it, emotional states.<\/p>\n<p>For example, according to one opinion, love (as well as hatred, by the way) must be placed in the head, according to others &#8211; in the region of the heart. It happens that the whole silhouette of a person is occupied only by this feeling, or, on the contrary, it is absent altogether.<\/p>\n<p>Fear and horror are often drawn in the legs (\u201cpadded feet\u201d, \u201ctrembling knees\u201d) or in the heels, as well as in the face (eyes, forehead, lips). Aggression, anger are most often depicted in the feet and fists.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/psy.1september.ru\/2009\/04\/24-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"290\" align=\"right\" hspace=\"7\" vspace=\"5\">The authors are more unanimous in the choice of color schemes. The feeling of love is colored predominantly in pink or red; aggression and anger &#8211; in black, dirty brown, dark purple; fear and horror &#8211; in gray, dark gray colors.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to pay attention to the color range. The choice of primarily brown, gray, black colors indicates a state of pronounced stress. This can be an objectively super-difficult situation or a neurotic reaction to life&#8217;s difficulties ( <i>M. Lusher; LN Sobchik<\/i> ). Feelings highlight phenomena that have a stable motivational significance.<\/p>\n<p>Awareness, as you know, is a turning point on the path to &#8220;psychological healing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This is how valuable experience is gradually acquired, the courage to explore and analyze one&#8217;s own emotions, dominant feelings. Help in understanding them is a psychotherapeutic resource of art therapy games and exercises.<\/p>\n<p>In general, the possibilities of art therapy are unusually wide. Among the tasks that can be set and resolved in art therapy work are the promotion of the development of spontaneity, reflection, the manifestation of true feelings, as well as the expansion of the role repertoire and role flexibility; psychoprophylaxis of negative emotional experiences and their manifestations; emotional switching; harmonization of the emotional state as a potential for overcoming destructive personality changes; promoting the awareness of the value of one&#8217;s own personality, the development of the image of &#8220;I&#8221;, self-acceptance and, as a result, the awareness of constructive ways to overcome crisis situations and the development of psychological stability.<\/p>\n<p>It is creative work with visual materials that helps to release feelings of irritation, anger, resentment, guilt, shame. The therapeutic relationship with a specialist (art therapist) creates an atmosphere of psychological security and makes it easier for the client to understand the meaning of visual images.<\/p>\n<p>This, in turn, contributes to the understanding and gradual overcoming of one&#8217;s own intrapsychic conflicts. That is why art therapy techniques are undoubtedly effective in researching and overcoming crisis situations (acute stress, conflicts, primary and secondary psychotrauma), as well as emergency psychological help and support, in the development of stability and resilience of the individual.<\/p>\n<p align=\"CENTER\"><b>LITERATURE<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>Betensky M.<\/i>  What do you see? New methods of art therapy. \u2014 M.: EKSMO-Press, 2002.<\/p>\n<p><i>Vygotsky L.S.<\/i> Psychology of art \/ Foreword. A.N. Leontiev; ed. V. Ivanov. \u2014 M.: Art, 1968.<\/p>\n<p><i>Lebedeva L.D., Nikonorova Yu.V., Tarakanova N.A.<\/i> Encyclopedia of signs and interpretations in projective drawing and art therapy. &#8211; St. Petersburg: Speech, 2006.<\/p>\n<p><i>Rogers N.<\/i> Path to wholeness: person-centered therapy based on the expressive arts. \u2014 Alien Art Studio, 1997.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lyudmil and LEBEDEVA, doctor of pedagogical sciences, Russian State social&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1000],"tags":[1650,2006,1696,1668,1652,1694,1686,1731],"class_list":["post-25735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art-therapy","tag-art-therapist-en","tag-art-therapy-association-en-3","tag-drawing-psychology","tag-isotherapy","tag-nazarevich-victoria","tag-psychological-festivals","tag-psychological-techniques","tag-trainings"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25735\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nazarevich-art.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}