Art Therapy 1. Basics

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2024-2025

Topic

Art therapy is based on the idea that the traumatic experience may not be accessible verbally but instead is locked in a subconscious form. Metaphoric cues employed in art methods allow the delicate, gentle transformation of unpleasant experiences into conscious knowledge, and turn the emotional or physical pain into a resource. Basic knowledge of art-therapeutic methods will replenish the repertoire of the students with multiple techniques for assistance (to self and others) in critical situations, including state of disease, with the use of creative tools. The course contributes to a better understanding of the psychological aspects of diseases, their causes, management, and prevention. Improvement of awareness in relationships and lifestyle, work with self-esteem, development of creative thinking and problem-solving, training of focusing, generalization, and isolation of the main ideas, and improvement of verbal and fine motor skills,- are the few additional assets of the course which might be beneficial for the future physicians. The methods are designed for persons with ordinary creative skills and thus do not require special equipment or abilities. Students can expect informative and well-structured lectures followed by dynamic, interactive seminar classes. Topics of the first semester cover the basic principles and the main branches of art therapy.

Lectures

• 1. Introduction to art therapy (AT). Basic terms, functions, principles of AT. - Zagorácz Olga
• 2.

  Drawing and painting - the most common instruments in AT.

  - Zagorácz Olga
• 3. Plastic materials in AT. - Zagorácz Olga
• 4. Narrative techniques in AT. - Zagorácz Olga
• 5. Phototherapy and associative cards in AT - Zagorácz Olga
• 6. Innovative techniques in AT. Final test. - Zagorácz Olga

Practices

Seminars

• 1. Fine art as AT instrument. - Zagorácz Olga
• 2. Practices with sketching and drawing. - Zagorácz Olga
• 3. Plasticine, dough, clay as AT instruments. - Zagorácz Olga
• 4. Storytelling, writing in AT. - Zagorácz Olga
• 5. Practices with images in AT. - Zagorácz Olga
• 6. Art-coaching. - Zagorácz Olga

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Literature developed by the Department

The slides will be available.

Notes

Recommended literature

Hogan, S. and Coulter, A.M. "The introductory guide to art therapy"
Malchiodi, C.A. "Handbook of art thetapy"
Malchiodi, C.A. "Expressive therapies"

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Course task (creative assignment with short analysis and conclusions, performed at home)

Mid-term exams

Completed practical tasks.
Written test.

Making up for missed classes

Presentation on topic.

Exam topics/questions

The topics of the lectures.

Examiners

• Zagorácz Olga

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

• Zagorácz Olga