When Art Becomes Therapy – Dr Liz Giles
How creating art can help with mental health issues
Have you ever considered creating art to deal with a tough period in your life? A doctor who has experienced the therapeutic benefits of art firsthand is GP Registrar, Dr Liz Giles from Tasmania. Art school helped Liz recover from her grief after the sudden and unexpected death of her husband
five years ago.
Liz Giles - Self-portrait 2007
She completed a two-week course in Healing through Art in Findhorn, Scotland. She’s also finished the first year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Tasmania.
Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy, which uses the process of making art to assist people with mental health issues. An Art Therapist records patterns found in their patient’s art. The therapist and the patient will then work together to understand the meaning of their art and to gain insight into the patient’s feelings, thoughts and behaviours.
Liz says
Art Therapy helps people to identify and deal with difficult feelings and emotions and initiate the change that they need.
‘Just as saying something out loud or writing something down helps one to see a thought differently and be able to express it more clearly, so too can painting (or other forms of art) allow the person to develop a dialogue with their emotional pain and thus externalise it rather than internalise it’.
Liz also points out how art can assist GPs in helping to improve the overall health and wellbeing of their patients.
‘As doctors, we can encourage our patients to explore art and creativity, as part of the holistic approach to health, well-being and self-care’.
Art Therapy courses are
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offered throughout Australia. Art Therapists work in therapy clinics, psychiatric hospitals, wellness centres, community centres and outreach programs. For GPs interested in the Visual Arts, Adult Ed runs a wide range of art and photography short courses, which can introduce you to the use of different art materials and techniques. For more information on Art Therapy, visit the Australian and New Zealand Art Therapy Association (ANZATA) website.
