The activities of the first edition of the Art Therapy Conference were launched yesterday in Abu Dhabi under the slogan “Empowerment through Creativity,” which is organized by the Abu Dhabi Center for Shelter and Humanitarian Care – Ewaa, affiliated with the Department of Community Development, at the “Erth” Hotel in Abu Dhabi. It is considered the first of its kind in the Middle East. And North Africa, which highlights the great role of art in healing from trauma.
Treatment
The conference attracted a group of experienced experts to talk about the broad applications of art therapy, the techniques used in this type of treatment, and methods of dealing with various types of trauma. The conference comes at a time when the major role of art therapy techniques, music, drama, dance, and movement therapy is highlighted in helping those who are experiencing psychological trauma express themselves. About what they went through in ways other than words. The conference was also accompanied by a special exhibition of arts created by a number of survivors of psychological trauma from members of the Abu Dhabi Shelter Centre, which formed an oasis of hope and the relentless pursuit of moving towards the shores of light.
Strengthen
The conference activities began with an opening speech by Sarah Shuhail, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Center for Shelter and Humanitarian Care – Ewaa, in which she stressed the center’s commitment to working to enhance and develop the therapeutic capabilities of art. She said: “Art is one of the most important forms of self-expression, which is not restricted by cultural borders or language.” Or a person’s background, and art in its various forms has a great ability to convey feelings, experiences, and stories in a way that words may not be able to do.”
The first day’s activities witnessed the participation of many inspiring speakers, who gave a glimpse into the world of art therapy, shared their experiences and expertise in this field, as well as talked about art therapy methods that have had a significant impact on individuals and societies. Dr. Arwad Al-Yami from King Saud University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia spoke about the journey of art therapy in the Arabian Gulf region and the difficulties that stand in the way of developing this field. He said: “The concept of using art as therapy is as old as man, and using art as a tool for healing and improving human life exists in the peninsula.” Arabic, and other cultures, before this field was known as an actual specialty today.”
Egyptian art therapist Carol Hammal presented a program she developed to help abused women, explaining how she worked on this program in Egypt, and the role of collective trauma in establishing this program.
Carol said: “According to the Global Mental Health Survey Initiative, more than 70% of adults in 24 countries report exposure to trauma. Therefore, we developed a four-day focused art trauma intervention program, which combines analytical and existential psychotherapy. Art is used as a means of To understand feelings and deal with trauma in order to reach the recovery stage and accelerate recovery.”
On the other hand, sensory-motor art therapist, Chris Storm, spoke about the role of sensory stimulation through using the hands to create artistic forms in improving a person’s ability to communicate with himself, give him a feeling of comfort, and improve his ability to relieve his stress and take care of himself.
incentivize
Storm confirmed that it is possible to improve sensory stimulation by doing any artistic work with the hands, as this improves a person’s ability to communicate with and care for himself. She gave an example of modeling clay and how it helps calm the nerves.
The first day’s activities also included two workshops on recovering from trauma through guided drawing as a sensory-motor methodology to enhance body awareness, and the role of the client’s spiritual side during art therapy in the process of recovering from psychological trauma. The conference witnessed the display of nearly 100 artworks by survivors of violence, abuse and human trafficking.
On its first day, the activities of the Art Therapy Conference highlighted the possibility of benefiting from art therapy as an effective tool for improving a person’s mental health and enhancing his ability for personal growth, understanding and expressing himself in a better way. The conference explored the significant impact of art therapy in changing the lives of individuals and communities.
2023-10-18 08:37:33
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