Experiential therapies are part of the addiction recovery process for a variety of reasons. Not only do these therapies encourage community development, but they’re also sneaky in the cultivation of recovery tools.
Art therapy, for example, uses paints, chalk, and other tools to drive self-awareness. The practice doesn’t advertise as much, though. Instead, it lets participants draw their own conclusions from their sessions, subtly teaching recovery techniques without a sense of self-pretension. It’s that combination that’s made the practice one of the most popular addiction treatment therapies available.
For more information about experiential addiction treatment therapies in California, you can contact Virtues Behavioral Health at 855.579.8599.
What Are The Benefits of an Art Therapy Program in Los Angeles?
At first glance, it’s easy to dismiss art therapy. It’s just as easy to get caught up in the idea of artistic perfection – as though the practice is meant to push a person’s artistic ability instead of helping them recover from a substance use disorder.
In fact, art therapy’s benefits reflect its inherent benefit. How easily some parties dismiss or misinterpret the practice allows it to have more of an impact on their lives. For example, an art therapy program in Los Angeles can facilitate:
Relaxation
When you’re not pushing to improve your art constantly, the process can become relaxing. Allowing yourself to do something like finger paint or playing with color lets you embrace the same joy you got from the practice as a kid.
Someone with substance use disorder who is caught up in their shame or a desire to improve themselves needs to blow off steam. Opportunities to relax will only hasten their recovery. Art therapy in Los Angeles would allow them to do just that, even if they weren’t intrinsically aware of what was happening.
Self-Expression
Even the simplest forms of art encourage people to express themselves. Sketching, for example, lets a person celebrate their individual interests. Painting lets people experiment with their favorite colors. Even individual brush strokes, made in anger or frustration or joy, reflect how a person feels in the middle of their artistic process.
Other self-expression techniques often employed in art therapy sessions include:
- Photography
- Sculpting
- Drawing
- Scribbling
- Collaging
- Scrapbooking
This self-expression is beneficial for two reasons. For starters, certain artistic mediums may help recovering patients feel safer expressing their more negative emotions. Artists who can take their anger with themselves out on a canvas will be safer than those who never had the opportunity.
Similarly, this process lets participants better understand how they’re feeling about certain situations. For example, you may not have known that you were angry at yourself until you expressed that feeling through art. With that in mind, you and your loved ones can walk away from an art therapy program in Los Angeles feeling not only more in touch with yourself but more aware of your internal state.
Opportunities to Connect with Others
Community is essential to a person’s addiction recovery. Without a team of people supporting you, it can be much harder to stick to the goals you’ve set for yourself. However, finding the connections you need to build yourself back up isn’t always an easy process.
This is where art therapy comes into play. You can participate in one-on-one art therapy sessions, but you can also choose to engage with a group. Group art therapy can involve collaborative projects or even just the creation of individual art in a group setting.
During these sessions, you and your loved ones can share tips, talk about your experience with addiction, and help one another move towards a healthier life. You can even retain some of these connections outside of your therapy sessions, effectively recreating the community that a substance use disorder may have otherwise robbed you of.
Explaining Art Therapy’s Popularity
According to the Journal of Addictions Nursing, 36.8 percent of recovery programs have integrated art therapy sessions into their treatments. Although they’re often overlooked, the success of these programs has made them a sleeper success among parties looking to recover from substance use disorders.
Put another way, art therapy doesn’t force you to share how you feel through words. Rather, it gives you and your loved ones the tools you need to work through those emotions on your own. Professionals on-site are only on hand to talk once you feel the time is right to share how you feel.
Learn More About Art Therapy in Los Angeles at Virtues Behavioral Health
Art therapy is one of many experiential therapies made available by institutions throughout California. For more information about the practice and other treatment options available to locals, you can contact Virtues Behavioral Health. Call 855.579.8599 to schedule your initial consultation or ask more questions about art therapy in Los Angeles.
