BETWEEN COGNITION AND FEELINGS

DURING ART THERAPY INTERVENTIONS

The Arch of Arts in Health International conference

Haifa, Israel 2013

Ruth Harpaz Ph.D

Art Therapist and Psychotherapist

Art Therapy Definition

Art therapy “Uses the creative process of art

making to improve and enhance the physical,

mental and emotional well-being of individuals

of all ages“.

(The American Art Therapy Association, AATA)

Art Therapy is, by professional definition, a

cognitive and emotional diagnostic and treatment

process.

The popular assumption is that the main thoughts

and feelings arising from a patient's unconscious

mind are expressed mainly through art, which

serves as a non-verbal means of communicating

various feelings, behaviors, angers and urges, both

conscious and unconscious, abilities and

difficulties.

Creating an embryo visual artistic representation, “paper

pulp” technique by 10 years old blind girl.

In recent years art psychotherapy approaches

have been based on brain science for

understanding therapeutic processes occurring

in the brain during treatment and examination

of the emotional connections between brain

and biological processes and various treatment

modalities.

Brain information processing that occurs in art

therapy sessions has dual significance both in

terms of expression and of the creative

processing (i.e. artistic creative therapy

primarily in visual art). Due to its importance it

has been studied in recent years by art

therapists (Kaplan, 1998; Malchiodi, 1998;

McNiff, 1998).

Furthermore, a growing number of art therapists

claim that art therapists must know and study the

brain structures, information processing and

expression which take part in art psychotherapy

therapy treatments (Malchiodi, 2003; Kaplan,

2000; Menzen, 2001).

Malchiodi (2003) claims that the art therapy

treatment process is an interaction between body

and mind.

Art therapy intervention with a 8

years old boy diagnosed as ADHD

Art therapy intervention with a 8

years old boy diagnosed as

ADHD

Current information on the functioning of the

various brain regions that has accumulated in

recent years allows a better understanding of

therapeutic processes in art therapy.

This information is attained through various

imaging tests such as PET and MRI, and these

examinations contribute to understanding brain

information processing and the importance of

various organs in the brain.

The interventions in Art Therapy are beneficial

in several areas:

1. Construction and rehabilitation of physical

failures (Menzen, 2001; Kaplan, 2000).

2. Promotion of mental, emotional and physical

healing (Malchiodi, 1999a, 1999b; Kaplan,

2000).

3. Improvement of emotional and cognitive

growth ((Kaplan, 2000; Menzen, 2001; Rosal,

1992).

Visual Artistic Representations

Since the processes taking place within the mind in

the art therapy intervention, are not "visible" we can

see them only through different representations the

patient expresses or creates and through the

therapist's interpretation of them.

The discussion of the development and appearance of

visual or verbal artistic representations is based on

two perspectives: one from the field of cognitive and

neuroscience theories and the second from a more

philosophical approach based on the

phenomenological theory in art therapy.

The claims that underlie my researches are that:

1. Representations through art and other images in the

art psychotherapy process develop as a result of

information processing in the brain.

2. The meaning of visual and verbal representations

therapeutic process can be analyzed and understood

through the phenomenological approach to art

psychotherapy.

The interaction between the Neuro-Biological brain

processing approach and the Phenomenological

:approach in Art Psychotherapy

This interaction creates a new language of reference

for understanding the art psychotherapeutic process

and a new "Neuro-Phenomenological"

conceptualization of art psychotherapy, based on an

understanding of cognitive and emotional processing

in the brain and a phenomenological interpretation

for the visual artistic representations that emerge

during therapy.

Brain

information

processing

Perception

Visual

Motoric

Tactile and

Senso -

motoric

Auditory

Executive

Functions:

Attention,

Memory,

Cognitive

Emotional

Information Processing in Art Therapy Intervention

Phenomenological features in decoding visual

artistic representations(betansky,1995):

Visual representation-symbolizing expression

with art materials and art components.

Symbolic expression of Shape

Symbolic expression of Color

Symbolic expression of Line

Symbolic expression of Composition

Examples of line, color, shape and composition visual

artistic representations by children with cognitive

impairment and retardation.

“Feelings”- different artistic visual

representations, polymer clay technique-

group art therapy intervention (adults)

STAGES IN ART THERAPY(BETANSKY,1995):

direct -: Pre Art Play with Art MaterialsSequence One

experiencing.

creating a -:The Process of Art Work Sequence Two

phenomenon.

:Phenomenological IntuitingSequence three

1.Visual Display

2.Distancing

3.Intentional Looking to See(i.e. the visual artistic

representation)

:What Do You See? ProcedureSequence Four

1. Phenomenological Description

2.Study of Structure, Interrelated Components and the

whole-Quality

3. Phenomenological Connecting and Integration

“Aggression and Rage”

visual artistic representation

with Plasticine by a 9 years

old boy (the scissors are part

of the boy art work).

In order to illustrate this new language I have created

" in art Cognitive Processing Model-"Neuroa

psychotherapy.

This model was developed as a tool for assessment and

treatment of children and adults, in individual and

group therapy, in treatment of trauma,

loss and bereavement, using means

of artistic expression.

The artistic expression tools are used for two

therapeutic goals which reciprocally affect one

another:

One is used for diagnosis through the ability to

express (non verbally) a variety of abilities,

feelings and difficulties that overwhelm the

person.

The second is used as a treatment tool by creating

processes resulting in attitude change and by

improving feelings and behaviors through the

"indirect agent" of an artistic apparatus.

The model 1 is based on understanding the brain and

its functioning, information processing and

conceptualization in art therapy, and is illustrated

graphically BRAIN PROCESSING

EXTERNAL VERBAL OR VISUAL REPREZENTATION

BRAIN PROCESSING

SHARING AND MIRORRING PATIENT AND THERAPIST

PHENOMENOLOGIC ART THERAPY APPROACH

INTERNAL REPREZENTAION CHANGE

CREATING NEW CONNECTIONS

1 Based on Harpaz,R. (2010)." Miraculous Brain" – The Healing Factor in Therapeutic and

Growth Processes in Art Psycho-Therapy. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation

Brain

processing

Brain information processing

Therapist Patient

Transitional space

Transitional

space: visual or

verbal artistic

representation

ART THERAPY PROCESS

1 Based on Harpaz,R. (2010)." Miraculous Brain" –

The Healing Factor in Therapeutic and Growth Processes in Art Psycho-Therapy. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation

In summary

The Therapeutic intervention in Art Therapy

1. Cognitive and emotional information processing

in the brain itself.

2. Projection and extroversion of contents which

include difficulties, conflicts and other themes,

through internal representations using visual or

verbal representations expressed as external

representations.

3. Reprocessing of external representations, after

undergoing the interaction process with the

therapist, and turning them into new internal

representations.

4. Creating new connections and representations in

the brain when these are "insights", saving them in

the brain and removing them in a new form that is

more compatible with the new reality.

Thank you

Ruth Harpaz Ph.D

Art Therapist and Psychotherapist

Individual, Couple and Family Therapy.

Snuezlen( Controlled Sensory Stimulation Therapy)

Thantalogy (Coping with Grief Death and

Bereavement Therapy.

Trauma Therapy – EMDR and other Therapeutic

methods.

Member of the T.D.I (Israeli Trauma Organization)

and ESTD (European Trauma and Dissociation

Association).

Member of YAHAT (The Israeli Organization of

Expressive and Creative Therapies)

Web Site: WWW.HEBPSY .NET/RUTHHARPAZ