MESOC Serapeum | Where culture meets AI

Id		953
Author		Lee K.L., Mustaffa M.S., Tan S.Y.
Title		Visual arts in counselling adults with depressive disorders
Reference		Lee K.L., Mustaffa M.S., Tan S.Y.; Visual arts in counselling adults with depressive disorders ;British Journal of Guidance and Counselling vol:45 issue: 1 page:56.0
Link to article		https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84953333229&doi=10.1080%2f03069885.2015.1130797&partnerID=40&md5=8231a2a4495ccfcc7f86bcc483a65b17
Abstract		This study provides a better understanding of using visual arts in counselling adults with depressive disorders. Three in-depth case studies were conducted in the counselling unit of a mental health hospital in Malaysia. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied to explore three adult participants’ counselling experiences. They attended six individual counselling sessions, which included four art-making activities, and two after-session interviews, for approximately two months. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. The findings showed that through the therapeutic use of visual arts, the participants were able to explore and express various emotions, face their problems, communicate better with themselves and the counsellor, achieve a deeper self-understanding, and make meaningful progress in counselling, even though some of them experienced a sense of uncertainty at the beginning of some art-making activities. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Results:

Candidate transition variables
And, I have become more confident. .
People from all ethnic backgrounds and cultures will benefit from the art approach if counsellors understand the cultural heritage of their clients visual arts. .
They were encouraged to explore their feelings, thoughts, and behaviour through these art-making activities. .
Through art, they were encouraged to express their emotions and explore some potential solutions. .
This study provides a better understanding of using visual arts in counselling adults with depressive disorders. .
The findings showed that through the therapeutic use of visual arts, the participants were able to explore and express various emotions, face their problems, communicate better with themselves and the counsellor, achieve a deeper self-understanding, and make meaningful progress in counselling, even though some of them experienced a sense of uncertainty at the beginning of some art-making activities. .
The findings were that both in-patients and out-patients could be helped by art therapy in many ways. .
Art-making activities were used to help them explore their concerns and express their feelings related to their mood changes. .
(Amy) Another participant described his counselling experiences as feeling more comfortable, greater pleasure, and less tension when he was able to express himself through art. .
These findings indicated that after attending those sessions, her emotional state improved to a certain degree. .
After the participants completed more artwork in their later counselling sessions, they were able to feel more comfortable and positive in their responses to art. .
Conclusions This study has provided a better understanding of using visual arts in counselling adult out-patients with depressive disorders. .
The outcome showed that the making and sharing of artwork have significant potential in counselling adult clients because they can benefit from this art approach in many ways. .
She found that through art, her clients could move towards clarity, insight, and a sense of achievement by sharing more information about their hidden emotional pains, problems, trauma, and conflicts. .
In summary, all the participants were able to find different ways to explore and express their issues through art. .
What is satisfying is that I was able to express my emotions in certain topics of art activities ... .
In this study, the counsellor was able to use those suggested means to help individual participants so that they could express their feelings through art more confidently. .
In other words, visual arts had become a communication tool for them and their counsellor to achieve further discussion during the counselling process (Lee & Mustaffa, 2011). .
(Potter) Facilitating deeper self-understanding Some participants described the use of visual arts in counselling as a new learning experience to improve their self-understanding, and therefore, it also brought them to another meaningful stage of self-growth. .
Visual arts open up possibilities for adult clients to express and explore their feelings, and for counsellors to understand and communicate with their clients. .
The similar meanings of their experiences were that through art, they were able to understand their inner self at a deeper level and to face their problems more directly. .
For this session, it has introduced some methods and suggestions for me to stabilise my mood swings, and my ways of coping with stress, and the ups and downs in life. .
These findings indicate that for her, most sessions were effective and valuable, and she felt relaxed as well as comfortable during those sessions. .
(Potter) Feelings of satisfaction After completing a few pieces of artwork in their counselling sessions, all the participants were able to feel more comfortable and positive to the art-making activities. .
He even pointed out that this counselling method made him feel relief and lightness in his inner self to a great extent. .
(Shawn) Some participants found that they would feel relieved and cheerful after expressing their negative emotions through art in their counselling process. .
Four art-making activities were applied at different stages of the counselling process in order to help the participants express and understand themselves (see Appendix 2). .
So I find that is possible to be creative.Expressing what the art activity needed or wanted me to express. .
This allowed us to gain an insight into their perspectives and experiences before, during, and after the art-making activities. .

ARTICLE - CANDIDATE TRANSITION VARIABLES

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