First Contact: Introduction to Art Therapy Modality

Youth & Drugs and Mental Health: First Contact

One of the central features of art therapy is its ability to help people communicate better about their issues, feelings, conflicts and preoccupations. Art provides a means for the participant to illustrate his or her various problems and channel emotions, concerns and problems associated with substance use to objectively explore the situation and find more appropriate solutions. Art therapy exercises can facilitate self-reflection. Participants can work constructively on a problem rather than internalizing it in an unhealthy way or acting out in self-destructive ways.

Youth who might benefit most from an art therapy modality include youth:

• who have difficulty focusing or a short attention span (they might benefit from an activity-based art program)
• whose verbal expression is compromised; for example, during a period of vulnerability because of mental illness
• who are withdrawn and have difficulty expressing feelings verbally (they might find art a safer way to communicate)
• who express themselves more easily through visual images, who will, therefore, feel comfortable with this mode of expression.
• who intellectualize and might be able to lower their defenses through art.
• with a language barrier, who might feel more competent in a group where visual communiction is emphasized and pictures are used as a visual aid for discussions.

Goals and Objectives of Art Therapy

The art therapy instructions that accompany each session of First Contact are designed to enhance the learning experience and meet the needs of the youth involved. The goal is to use the art activity to reduce barriers to awareness and facilitate their ability to look objectively at their substance use. This can occur in a number of ways:

• Encourage autonomy and self-determination while lessening dependency. Art is a hands-on activity and there are benefits from active participation. Treatment in art therapy involves doing something - art. This helps participants realize that they can examine their substance use through the process of assembling and forming art. The art itself becomes the means for self-expression around a specific problem or situation as well as the arena for further exploration.
• Accentuate time and the need to focus. Creating artwork is an easy and enjoyable activity that encourages attention; seeing shapes and colours on a piece of paper tends to help people focus. The completed image helps participants separate what is important from what is unimportant. Seeing one’s substance use in this concrete form helps the individual to view it with greater objectivity and perspective.
• Foster individual growth. Art is a non-verbal activity that can overcome verbal resistance. Participants can express and find details in their artwork that they may not usually be aware of or consider. The process of making sense of the imagery, through careful inquiry and discussion, encourages this reflection. There is a sense of accomplishment, which further improves self-esteem and confidence.
• Encourage new and different perspectives through a non-verbal modality. A person’s first response to treatment is often expressed in artwork as anger, confusion, panic, fear or helplessness. The person is encouraged to acknowledge and examine these emotional responses and generate new and healthy alternative views.

Guidelines to Help Facilitators Respond to a Client’s Art in a Supportive Way That Will Advance the Goals of First Contact

Materials

Always use good quality materials that will withstand heavy pressure without breaking and try to have an ample supply of materials so that everyone has a choice. Suggested materials are broad-tip markers, oil pastels, pencil crayons and graphite pencils. Have pencil sharpeners, erasers and rulers available as well as good quality scissors and glue sticks for collage. Provide large sheets of paper (18" x 24") that are strong enough not to tear. Construction or cartridge paper in white or neutral colours is recommended. Have pictures from magazines cut out before the group. Images should include people representing a variety of ages, cultures and races as well as people involved in a variety of activities and expressing a range of human emotions. Include images of animals, places and things.

When looking at art and talking about art:

• Never force a participant to talk if he or she does not want to.
• Try to avoid interpreting the art by having participants describe their own work.
• Have each participant share the experience of making the picture.
• Ask what his or her feelings were about approaching and continuing the task. How would you describe the picture? What would be the title of the picture?
• Promote self-discovery by asking each participant to elaborate on parts of the picture. Ask questions that encourage the participant to project more into the art. What part of the picture do you like best (least)? Why?
• Focus on certain parts of a picture that suggest a theme, or that are distorted or exaggerated. What is the person in the picture doing? What is the person in the picture thinking or feeling? What do these colours mean to you?
• Encourage reflection. Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever do that? Does that fit with your life in any way?

Session 1: Decision to Change

Art Materials

• One sheet of 18" x 24" white drawing paper
• Coloured pencils, oil pastels, chalk pastels
• Magazines for collage, scissors, glue

Getting Started

“Spend a few minutes considering your drug and alcohol use. What are the benefits, the good things about using, and what are the costs, the not-so-good things? If you reduce or stop your use of substances, what are the good and not-so-good things that would result?”

Art-Making Instructions

“Fold the sheet of paper in half. On one side make a picture about the good things about using, and on the other side, a picture about the not-so-good things.

Take a second sheet of paper, folded in half. On one side make a picture of the good things about reducing or stopping your drug use, and on the other side, a picture of the not-so-good things.”

Looking at Art and Talking About Art

“Describe your pictures and what is happening in each picture. How do they differ? What are the good things about using and the not-so-good things about using? What do you like in each picture and what don’t you like?”

Check-in

Art Materials

• One sheet of 18" x 24" white drawing paper
• Coloured pencils, oil pastels, chalk pastels
• Magazines for collage, scissors, glue

Getting Started

“Spend a few minutes to think about a good day and a not-so-good day this past week when you felt like using or you used. Where were you at the time? Were you with someone or were you alone? What was going on? What were you feeling?”

Art-Making Instructions

“Divide the page in the middle and on one side make a picture about a good day, and on the other side, a not-so-good day when you felt like using or used alcohol or drugs. Put as much detail as you can about where you were and what time it was. How were you feeling at the time and what was going on?”

Looking At, and Talking About Art

“Describe your picture. What is happening in the picture? What made you think about using and then what happened? Did you use? What could have been an alternative to using at the time?”

Session 2: Triggers, Consequences and Alternatives

Art materials

• One sheet of 18" x 24" white drawing paper
• Coloured pencils, oil pastels, chalk pastels
• Magazines for collage, scissors, glue

Getting Started

“Spend a few minutes to think about a time when you thought about using this week. Where were you at the time? Were you alone or with someone? What was going on? How were you feeling?”

Art-Making Instructions

“Make a picture about a time this week when you thought about using alcohol or drugs. Put as much detail as you can about where you were and what time it was. How were you feeling at the time and what was going on?”

Looking At, and Talking About Art

“Describe your picture. What is happening in the picture? What made you think about using and what happened? Did you use? What could have been an alternative to using at the time?”

Session 3: Things that Are Important to Me

Art Materials

• •One sheet of 18" x 24" white drawing paper
• •Coloured pencils, oil pastels, chalk pastels
• •Magazines for collage, scissors, glue

Getting Started

“Think about where you would like to be in a year or two. How would you like your life to look? What would you like to accomplish? Is there someone you admire that you would want to be like?”

Art-Making Instructions

“Make a picture of how you would like people to see you in the future.”

Looking At, and Talking About Art

“Talk about the picture: who you are, where you are and what you are doing. What is one thing you could do to get to where you are in the picture?”

Session 4: Stages of change

Art Materials

• One sheet of 18" x 24" white drawing paper
• Coloured pencils, oil pastels, chalk pastels
• Magazines for collage, scissors, glue

Getting Started

“Think about what brought you to this group and what you have learned about yourself.”

Art-Making Instructions

“Draw a line down the middle of the page. On one side, make a picture about you when you came into the program, on the other side, a picture of where you are at right now.”

Looking At, and Talking About Art

“Compare the pictures and describe what is different. What has changed? What other changes do you think there will be in the near future?”

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