Essay: Healing through art therapy in disaster settings

CuidarNos: Art and Social Work to Address Trauma Among Gender-based Violence Advocates After Hurricane María in Puerto Rico

“…With his experience of using drawing in a tsunami-related disaster, points out that facing disasters and building resiliency requires imagination and refers to multi-dimensional communication through art because it makes it possible to rely exclusively on speech and "objective" understandings of safety. As pointed out by Ahmed and Siddiqi (2006), using art as a tool for therapy "provides a medium for communication and might facilitate the healing of emotional scars" (p. 529).…”

Multiple intelligences training for counsellors: reflections on a pilot programme

“…Creative arts activities can involve problem-solving, decision-making, along with opportunities for selfexploration and, in a group setting, awareness of others (Coholic, 2011;Foster, 1992). These skills are generally used in expressive arts therapies, and these abilities are developed, most particularly with those affected by trauma (Ahmed & Siddiqi, 2006).…”

“…A common finding of the application of art in therapy with disaster survivors is the facilitation of emotional expression, as it provides a medium for communication and appears to enhance the resolution of painful emotions (Ahmed & Siddiqi, 2006). For instance, children, affected by a strong earthquake in Kashmir and North-western Pakistan were observed to exhibit increased resilience after working with art in a group setting (Ahmed & Siddiqi, 2006).…”

“…For instance, children, affected by a strong earthquake in Kashmir and North-western Pakistan were observed to exhibit increased resilience after working with art in a group setting (Ahmed & Siddiqi, 2006). In addition, art therapy was found to be effective for providing psychological support for children affected by a tsunami in Sri Lanka (Chilcote, 2007), and Davis (2010) found expressive arts and music highly supportive of children transitioning back to school after a tornado.…”

An Expressive Arts-Based and Strength-Focused Experiential Training Program for Enhancing the Efficacy of Teachers Affected by Earthquake in China

“…As an additional benefit, artsbased activeties promote mental well-being and stress reduction, as it allows for emotional expression and building a sense of satisfaction from the creation process (Walsh, Chang, Schmidt, & Yoepp, 2005;Walsh, Martin, & Schmidt, 2004). Expressive arts therapists have demonstrated how to make use of these processes in the service of therapeutic treatment and healing, specifically for people affected by trauma (Ahmed & Siddiqi, 2006;Jasenka, 1995).…”