Art Speak: Creative coping strategies for anger,

depression, and anxiety.

Angela Houseknecht

Millersville University

Introduction

- Art Speak Barak Inc.- American Art Therapy Association

- http://arttherapy.org/

- Literature Review - Anxiety, Depression, and Anger

- http://arttherapy.org/upload/arttherapybibliographyselectstudiesarticlespublications.pdf

Proposal for Art SpeakType of Group:

A. Definition: Art and Life-Skills for students grade 7-12 (middle school/ high school) + exp. Trauma and interest in art.

B. Setting: Harrisburg PA and surrounding area students/ charter students

C. Voluntary Parental/ Care-giver consent and student consent required.

D. Group Format: 8 week closed group. This group will conclude with a jointly constructed mural in the city of Harrisburg.

Proposal for Art SpeakGoals, Objectives, and Rationale: A. Goals/ Purpose: Art-Speak will focus on

improving life skills by learning artistic and expressive coping strategies for anxiety, depression, and anger.

B. Objectives: this group will consist of 3 components:

1. Artistic expression, exploration of media, and acquisition of fine art techniques

2. Group interactions, appropriate communication, and teamwork

3. Real world practice of newly acquired artistic and behavioral skills

Proposal for Art SpeakAssessments: Children’s version of:

- State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI),

- State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2)

- State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI)

Assess anxiety, anger, depression, and curiosity, and the major components of these emotional states and personality traits

Proposal for Art SpeakRights and Expectations of Group Members:

A. Group members will also participate in generating classroom rules that may include:

Confidentiality*

Respect

Actively listen

Participate

No judgments

No labels

Attend and be on time

B. *Confidentiality will be maintained with 3 exceptions:

Report of abuse

Threat to oneself

Threat to others

Pre Screening

1. Explain the type of group and practical applications of the group.

2. Introduce myself and discuss my qualifications.

3. Get to know the student.

4. Answer questions/ build relationship with care-giver

5. Administer pretests to assess anxiety, anger, depression, and curiosity

6. Select students

Session 1Goals: Lean basic drawing tools. Gain personal insight into the self.

Rationale: Scribble drawings access the unbiased memory of the right brain. Art is a right brain activity that provides more honest recounts of experiences because the right brain is not inhibited by the rational or story-telling aspect of the verbal left-brain. Art is best used in conjunction with talking it out (McNamee C.M. 2004).

Session 1Materials: Paper and drawing utensils, music, and a survey.

Introductions:

1. Explain the nature of the group, to use art to learn life skills.

2. Share group rules and ask class if they have questions or would like to discuss adding a rule.

3. Share something about yourself that you believe is unique. (During this phase model and emphasize appropriate group norms)

Session 1Working Phase: Telling our story with scribble drawings (McNamee C.M. 2004)

1. Begin with a scribble warm up to try out a variety of materials (pastels, pencil, crayon, and markers). After a warm encourage students to choose a material that they want to explore.

2. Pass out a fresh sheet of paper to each student. Instruct the students to close their eyes and scribble on the paper. Remind students that they have complete freedom to express themselves through the scribble and don’t worry about making anything pretty.

3. Allow up 5 minutes to scribble and then ask the students to take 5 more minutes to look at the scribble and as they see shapes and themes immerge write on the scribble what you see.

4. Begin group discussion encouraging each member to share what he or she sees about themselves and what they wrote. Each member is to listen and then speak in turn.

5. After each member has shared ask the group, “Whose drawing can you relate to and why?

Session 1Transition Phase:

1. Thank the group for sharing

2. Remind students of outside of group confidentiality.

3. Encourage them to look for other things in their life that represents who they are to discuss during check in for next meeting.

Session 2Goals: Gain a basic understanding of painting materials. Learn to use art to express difficult emotions, thoughts, and events.

Rationale: Drawings used in conjunction with talk-therapy can provide insight in the thoughts and perceptions of children who have been exposed to traumatic events (Clements, Benasutti, & Henry, 2001).

Clients are the expert of their own experience (Solution-focused, De’ Shazer 1985)

Session 2Materials: Acrylic paints, paper, canvas board, brushes, water and cups, palates, and paper towels (smocks optional).

Check in:

1. Thank them all for coming and being on time (if accurate).

2. Remind them of the scribble drawing activity from last week and ask who would like to begin the check in process by saying what’s been on their mind and/ what they were able to discover about themselves.

Session 2Working Phase:

1. Begin painting warm up activity. Allow the students to try different paints and brush strokes, invite students to explore the materials.

2. Ask students to think of a time or event that has occurred in their life that difficult to overcome (offer some self-disclosure of something he/ she might paint)

3. Ask the students to retain the memory that has come to mind but do not yet revel the memory to the rest of the group.

4. When the counselor begins playing music start painting freely your memory. When the music ends, stop painting.

Session 2Transition Phase:

1. Ask: What do you notice about your painting?

2. Ask: whose painting do you notice and why?

3. Encourage discussion relating to what the painting has reveled to them about their memory of the event.

4. Give the students a few minutes of free time to make art and relax before leaving the class.

5. remind them of check in time for next session.

Session 3Session 3: Sculpting from experience.

Goals: Gain insight into the emotions left from the traumatic event (anger, depression, anxiety)

Rationale: Fluid materials enable a gradual shedding of defenses and increase the ability to reflect upon emotions that may arise (Avrahami D., 2008). Artistic tasks proved to be more a more effective and longer lasting impression the student’s than traditional methods alone (Morgan and Johnson 1995). The symbol expressed on paper (or sculpture) enables the client to distance him/ herself from the trauma and the student then has the power to make changes or recreate the symbol. This becomes a metaphor to self (Cohen et al. 1995).

Session 3Materials: 2 balls of clay per student.

Check in: Begin by asking students to reflect upon last week’s painting. What feelings were you left with?

Session 3Working Phase:

1. Pass out clay to each student.

2. The counselor will begin playing music reflective of the emotional experiences the students mentioned (angry, sad, frustration, fear).

3. While the music plays the students will form clay that indicative to their emotional state and can use the music for guidance. The counselor will also sculpt along to model the behavior and will also observe the students.

4. The counselor will turn off the music and ask the students”

What were you feeling in your body as you created?

What did you notice from this experience?

What do you notice about the sculptures or discussions of the other students?

Session 3Transition Phase:

1. Teach students the importance of relaxation as a way to balance their feelings. Briefly discuss ways each student relaxes. Introduce art as a way to relax (Chapman et al. 2001).

2. Counselor will redistribute a new ball of clay to each student.

3. Counselor will play a variety of relaxing music.

Students will sculpt for the duration of the music.

4. The counselor will then guide a discussion to compare both sculptures on representing the difficult emotions and one representing the relaxing emotions.

5. Ask the class to think about healthy ways in which they can relax and to try one of those ways this week.

Session 4Session 4: Hopes for the future

Check in: Which ways did you chose to relax or did you choose not to relax this week?

Goals: Continue to explore feelings and insights and begin to think about the future. In attempt to look for exceptions as described by solution-focused theory (De Shazer 1985)

Session 4Rationale: O’toole (1999) stress that much therapy in child abuse facilities is overly reliant on exploring the past nature of traumas and there is a need to address the child’s hopes and expectations for the future. Students need to skills to look for exceptions to times of being sad, anger, or anxious. This class will focus on understanding as well as creating aesthetics.

Materials: Paints, drawing materials, paper, canvas, and brushes

Session 4Working Phase:

1. Begin discussion looking for exceptions and hope

Ask: the group to consider what they want their future to be like?

2. Ask solution-focused miracle question.

Session 4Transition Phase:

1. Students are prompted to select any materials they wish to work with. Counselor will model appropriate behavior and media sharing.

2. Counselor will begin hopeful-sounding music selected by students.

3. Students will have the remainder of the session to listen to music and create their vision for their future.

4. Counselor will end the music and the students will begin to show work.

5. Counselor will guide discussion of each student’s hope for the future.

6. Students will be asked to generate a list of ideas for what they hope for their community and will come prepared for the next meeting with ideas. These ideas will be used for the mural project.

Session 5Session 5: Begin Mural Design

Check in:

1. Students will be asked to briefly share list of ideas for what they hope for their life as well as their community.

Begin Discussion: hopes for individuals and hopes for the group

Goals: Model appropriate critique and teamwork behavior. As a group plan the beginning design of the group mural. Select a theme and design.

Session 5Rationale: Students can learn appropriate teamwork behaviors, saying I messages, and listening skills. Motor activity associated with creating art also provides a release of stress and tension (Lusebrink, 1990). Students can incorporate themselves including their experiences and their culture into the mural. Incorporating culture is an important piece (Corey and Corey 2013)

Materials: Drawing materials and paper

Session 5Working Phase:

1. Begin discussion by asking the students to saying at least one thing they liked about a group member’s idea including their own. Counselor will model.

2. Counselor will ask the students to then take turns discussing ideas to combine elements from each student’s idea.

Session 5Transition Phase:

1. Counselor will provide parameters for execution of the mural design (size, materials available, equal involvement).

2. Students will be asked to make a second draft of their designs taking into account the discussion.

3. Counselor will guide a discussion:

How did the critique/ praise of your work impact your design changes?

What did you learn from this experience?

Session 6Session 6: Finalize Mural Design

Check In: Students will present their final design ideas.

Goals: Select a final collaborative design

Rationale: Students have the ability to learn from their experiences, share with others, and work together. Children want a sense of belonging (Adler) and this affords them the opportunity. Students can incorporate themselves including their experiences and their culture into the mural.

Session 6Materials: Paints, brushes, tape, towels, and clothing that can be ruined.

Working Phase:

1. Students will collaboratively discuss how the mural should look and choose a final design.

2. Counselor will mediate any issues and model appropriate behavior.

Session 6Transition Phase:

1. Counselor will provide parameters for execution of the mural design (size, materials available, equal involvement).

2. Students will be asked to make a second draft of their designs taking into account the discussion.

3. Counselor will guide a discussion:

How did the critique/ praise of your work impact your design changes?

What did you learn from this experience?

Session 7Goals: Execution of mural

Rationale: Students have the ability to learn from their experiences, share with others, and work together. Children want a sense of belonging (Adler) and this affords them the opportunity. Students can incorporate themselves including their experiences and their culture into the mural.

Materials: Paints, brushes, tape, towels.

Check in: Students will discuss what if any concerns or questions about beginning the mural.

Session 7Working Phase:

1. Students will divide up the work amongst themselves and counselor will mediate.

Students will work on mural the entire time.

2. The counselor will make sure to spend time with each student and will ask him or her, how they are doing.

3. The counselor will also protect confidentiality by talking to any on-lookers and keeping information to a minimum stating when they can come and view the finished product.

Session 7Transition Phase:

1. Students will clean up and join in front of the mural.

2. Generate discussion about the mural process.

Ask the group to think of ways in which the group experience has changed them.

3. Remind students of termination

Session 8

Session 8: Execute Mural Design and Terminate

Goals: Administer post-test. Terminate group.

Rationale: Termination is an important part to ending the group process (Corey & Corey)

Materials: Test and pencils

Session 8Check in: Students will discuss what if any concerns or questions about leaving the group and the finished mural.

Working Phase:

1. Ask: How has this group impacted you?

2. . Praise group and share counselor observations of the group as a whole. Individuals responds well to encouragement and polyocularity (De Shazer, 1985)

Termination

3. How will you explain the mural to people who ask you?

4. Admister post tests

2. Make referrals if necessary.

Discussion

Q: What are any changes you would make to this design or otherwise areas of improvement?

Q: What is something you would like to know about art therapy?

Q: What is something you took away from this presentation?