Quote:
Originally Posted by Keggys
I work at a site where untrained people do art with severely mentally ill people, some as therapists and some as artists. I see how their lack of knowledge hurts the clients.
I feel very strongly that persons who are doing art with people with any type of special needs need to understand the process and know what they are doing.
You all know how extremely benefical it is to give a person a safe setting and the right materials. Giving the wrong materials, not providing that safe setting, not understanding the process can have an extreme effect as well, it is not beneficial and can be quite harmful.
|
Keggys, very interesting. Can you write more about this?
Are you aware of any helpful literature, links or manuals/courses for training volunteers? (not just for working with mentally ill, also with kids and kids with special needs)
In some settings, it just seems impossible to have everyone trained 'properly', guidelines on safe materials and safe settings and understanding the process could be helpful in that case.
Art therapists could perhaps provide 'training' and insight and supervision...
Some art can actually be more therapeutic than 'art therapy' because it means 'creating something' (if you read Bono's biography, he was against going to therapy but opened up for writing a book about him), and the act of creativity that means something to other people too can be therapeutic itself.
Maybe some 'anti therapy' sentiments just stem from stigmatizing any 'therapy'... (At least where I live.) This could change if 'art therapy' would be offered in 'non-therapy' settings too..
I do think with YouTube and easy computer recording almost 'everyone is an artist'... People may still need some insight into why things are the way they are or some structure etc.