Art Therapy My Philosophy Stop Motion
Art Therapy
Art Therapy
Art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.
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My approach to counseling and art therapy is rooted in the formation of a strong therapeutic relationship. I follow the needs of each individual client. Integrating client centered, gestalt, and transpersonal approaches, I allow space for the therapeutic process to unfold as our relationship develops. I use grounding techniques that often involve mindfulness practices and psycho-education.
More definitively, I offer empathic presence and contained space for the client to gain awareness and work through issues that arise during the art making as well as talk therapy process. The imagery often awakens insight and has the tendency to open up blocked emotions and levels of creativity that may have never been explored. This can be overwhelming for the psyche at times but if safely guided through, well worth the excavation. I believe we all have, within the wisdom and courage to transform and become more fully who we are meant to be. We all have the potential to discover and fulfill our souls' unique purposes. Change and movement is an inevitable possibility. "In the brush doing what it's doing, it will stumble on what one couldn't do by oneself" - Robert Motherwell |
Stop Motion animation, an animation technique that combines a series of photographs to create a continuous film sequence, is an excellent healing exercise for groups and individuals. Stop motion film making requires the creator to slow down, become mindful of each mark-making moment, and allow the layers of morphing imagery to feel active and full of possibility.
This process becomes a metaphor for transformation and illustrates the way small shifts generate big picture change. This dynamic approach to filmmaking integrates many creative arts modalities: visual art, meditation, movement, and music. It is a directive that relies on both the process and the product of the art making as a way to engage and empower clients. I offer group workshops utilizing this technique for clients as well as for educational purposes. I also integrate this into individual sessions according to what best fits the client's needs. |
© Katie Hall, MA, ATR-BC, LMHC. All Rights Reserved. "The artist expresses things grownups are afraid to admit." - Louise Bourgeois