Art for Healing
Julie Cunningham
A R T G R O U P S
Expressive, Creative, and Reflective Processes.
Participating in groups offers social interaction, and, often a shared exploration of themes, issues and creative processes.
In working with groups I draw from my knowledge of art, the art techniques of my own practice, my training in art therapy and my extensive teaching experience in the visual arts.
For Adults
A group can form to engage with a specific focus like creative journalling, relationships, motherhood or even weight issues. I invite, encourage and guide self expression, reflection and exploration through creative processes. Through art, unconscious feelings or unsupportive stories can be uncovered and given form in order to a facilitate reflective process. Emotional pressures on our body/minds can be relieved, so our dials can swing to a happier setting. Through insight and enjoyment the mind and emotions benefit.
Adults with disabilities
As with all adult groups, working with and facilitating Adults with disabilities is a process that requires shaping activities to fit the needs, abilities and wishes of the group.
Activities could range from craft/art processes, to painting, scultpure, storymaking and video.
For Teenagers
For teenagers art provides a way to give shape and form to hard to express feelings. This is beneficial in itself but can also provide a point of focus to springboard communication about something. Art as a channel for creative self reflection is empowering, non judgemental and fun. Its about drawing out the person's own answers so for teenagers who are wrestling with identity or other empassioned feelings about themselves and the world, creativity for wellbeing can be very effective.
Through art we can also focus on what to us, is life affirming. It can draw a person into a highly focused zone where stress level drops and imagination is unleashed to explore and play.
Children 5 -12
This is a time to expand and hold onto the powers of imagination, engage with techniques and have fun. In children imagination is not only a kind of muscle for fun, but aids in making discoveries, solving problems and is the basis of growing a capacity for creative thinking, a vital aspect of living well and flexible career capacities.
For the very Young
From an early age encouraging engagement and play with colour, shapes and stories; imaginative,
expressive activities, makes for happier children.
Working with trauma and the very young is something else. Its a specialized field, one I am not trained in.
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