Water Color Painting Therapy With Jo Ann Danchik

By Dorothy Hughes


Art is truly an expression of self and truth. Well, that is something that many artists attest to be true, one such form of expression that has gained popularity is the art form of watercolour painting therapy. Yes, according to Jo Ann Danchik, art as a form of expression can be used as a therapy tool for most children and adults. Art is a non-invasive way of posing questions and getting the answers, you need without the individually affected feeling vulnerable or manipulated.

Therapy is a form of treatment that is highly recommended for people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer. At its core, therapy allows the individual a safe place to truly express themselves and their emotions without the burden and the expectation to remember who they are and also recognize friends and family. Therapy allows patients to feel normal as if they are getting to know a new person. This method of therapy does, however, stop working as the Alzheimer stages start to grow.

What then tends to happen is that the patient starts to have outbursts as they grow more and more frustrated with themselves. This is when regular one on one conversation therapy stops yielding desired outcomes and therapists are forced to find various ways of opening communication channels with the patient. A great tool that has become quite popular is the use of art as a source of therapy, specifically painting.

This is quite often found in children who have seen a traumatic action or have been through a traumatic action. In fact, in kids it can go a step further, with some kids completely shutting down after such trauma. In some cases, children may stop talking all together.

When the desire to share one s emotions through art bubbles up it results in those efforts needing to get out and be shared. This means that more and more artists are compelled to share their feelings and emotions through expression. This can result in one or two things those efforts being cheered on or dissed. However, the reward of using art techniques as emotional therapy is that more people than less are going to relate to those same emotions and as such the cycle of inspiration and emotional therapy just continues.

When patients with Alzheimer react to these colors it helps them feel connected to whatever memory that color holds and their minds become more conscious of their own emotional and psychological wellbeing.

The basis for the disagreement stems from the fact that when trauma occurs people react to it in differing ways. While some people tend to want to spill their guts and share all the for details some people prefer to bottle it in. Which within itself is not a healthy alternative. The presentation of art therapy means that those individuals who feel less inclined to discuss their traumas have a fun, less invasive outlet of getting their feeling out.

Art is a form of freedom, and one thing that Alzheimer s patients are in need of is a little freedom from the burden of their condition. Art allows for that escape and gives them something to use to hold on to some of their memories or to access these memories again.




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