In September 2010, the Global ARTery Orphan heART Project made it’s way to the Philippines to offer art therapy and community trainings to various mental health professionals, teachers, para professionals and other people who work with children and trauma. The purpose of the trip was to offer experiential workshops to explore the power of creativity as a healing force. The trip was graciously support by the Children and Youth Wellness Technical and Advocacy Center located in Legazpi City, Albay Philippines.
Because the initial workshop was such a great success, Global ARTery was invited back this past May, 2011 to offer the workshop on a national scale in the capital of the Philippines, Manila. The workshops were incredibly successful and we were able to reach similar aid workers by offering insight and training on the healing capacity of art. All participants engaged in the following topics to various degrees:
- Brief History of Art Therapy: “Art IN therapy v.s. Art AS therapy”
- Art and the Brain : “How does creativity affect the brain and how can it help the traumatized clients you work with?”
- Art Applications : “How can I take what this client is saying and apply a creative intervention?”
- Art Interpretation: “What do I see when I look at this work?”
- Case Studies: “Let’s see this art therapy in action!”
AND Most Importantly…
- Exploring Personal Creativity: “We can’t own something till we do it ourselves”
In the spirit of personal creativity, participants engaged in various art making tasks ranging from tracing their hands and feet to creating a group mural to painting ceramic heARTs, doing self portraits, blindfold drawings and creating mandals to name a few. For a full view of photos taken during both the 2010 and 2011 workshop and videos please visit the heART Gallery or Global ARTery Videos.