Art Therapy

This lecture/lab course introduces students to the therapeutic functions of art. The aim is to familiarize students with the methods and techniques in art therapy whose primary objective is to develop the creative potential whih is present in every human being.During the class meetings the students will use their own personal experiences to help them to understand the function of art within a therapeutical context: students will in effect conduct experiments on themselves. This hands-on experience will then be compared with the theoretical ideas outlined in the required readings. In the laboratory/studio part of the course students will handle a great variety of art materials ranging from the more traditional to less common items such as buttons, boxes, leaves and so on. The aim is to facilitate self-expression on a non-verbal and creative level and in a safe environment, open to the free exchange of opinions and untouched by prejudice or judgemental attitudes.All these essential elements which make up the created image ? space, color, movement and form ? will be examined and put to the test as expressive and symbolic tools of one?s inner world.