Before delving into the heart of the discipline of art therapy, we will examine the basics of psychology. This will allow you to understand your patients’ problems better, how to deal with them, and the inner resources available to them.

In this first module, you will discover :

• The history of psychology
• The principles that guide this discipline
• The link between philosophy and psychology
• A practical exercise: the family portrait

This second module is still mostly theoretical. We will first examine how our brains work and can be affected by various disorders. We will then focus on a broad definition of art therapy: a therapy through art that aims to mobilize the patient’s inner resources.

This module will cover :

• The creation of ideas
• The origin of dysfunctions and pathologies
• The relationship with neuroscience
• The history of art therapy and its origin
• The humanist approach to psychology

Now that we’ve covered the basics, we’ll get to the heart of the matter: art therapy. It is about understanding how art can be therapeutic, the basic concepts that govern this discipline, and how it has changed over time.

Here is what you will see in this module :

• The connection between art and creativity
• The beginnings of art therapy
• When it was first recognized by science
• The Rorschach test
• Expressive art therapy

This module focuses on an essential notion with which you will work throughout the course: color. What it expresses is subjective, which is what makes it worthwhile to us. We will examine the different attributes of color, including its expressive abilities and how it works on emotions and feelings.

In this fourth module, you will discover :

• Conscious art
• Coloring and mindfulness
• Mandalas
• Zentangles
• The theory of colors
• Practical exercises

This module will help you better know your patients by working on the pathologies that may affect them. We will paint a portrait of the primary disorders you may encounter and how art therapy can provide answers.

This module will cover the following points :

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Addiction and art therapy
• Trauma and art therapy
• Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and art therapy
• Depression and art therapy
• Cancer and art therapy
• Art therapy when experiencing stress and negative emotions

Even if some people may have the same objectives because of their pathology, everyone is unique. In addition, specific audiences, such as children and the elderly, require special attention. We will work on the different modalities and how to address each of these groups.

You will discover in this module :

• Individual therapies
• Group therapy
• The aging process
• How you can work with a specific audience
• Precautions to be taken
• Exercises

Now that you have the necessary concepts in mind let’s get down to the practicalities. This module focuses on the four stages of an art therapy session: the beginning, the artistic activity, the exchange that follows, and the end, each giving you the keys to building a successful session.

This module will cover :

• The context and setting of a session
• The notion of routine
• The work to be done before and after
• Relaxation and warm-up exercises
• Your role as an art therapist
• Examples of sessions
• Practical exercises

This last module is, above all, an assortment of activities! It presents one by one the different mediums that you can use, explaining their benefits, and each time suggesting suitable art therapy exercises that you can quickly set up.

In this module, you will discover :

• A catalog of activities by artistic medium
• How to choose your activities
• Painting, drawing
• Sculpture, modeling
• Writing, theater
• Photography, collages, multimedia activities
• Dance and music