Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Benefits and Case Studies in Cyprus
MBAT has been developed quite recently. It was introduced in 2009 by psychologist Laury Rappaport, who defines MBAT as a concept that unifies art therapy and mindfulness techniques within the same framework. According to Rappaport, combining mindfulness and expressive arts will make it easier to live in the present moment. As a result, with the use of MBAT, as compared to mindfulness alone, attention management, body awareness, and regulation of emotions may be obtained. MBAT includes mindful self-exploration while simultaneously focusing on creating art such as painting, drawing, clay painting, marbling, attentional breathing, mild yoga, etc.
MBAT is shown to have a lot of advantages. Just mentioning a few of them, MBAT's benefits may include stress reduction, higher compassion, heightened awareness, decreased negative thoughts, and greater overall well-being. More specifically, it is also helpful for patients suffering from chronic conditions – such as chronic pain, coronary artery disease, breast cancer, and multiple sclerosis. MBAT therapies have been proven to also reduce feelings of anxiety, melancholy, and exhaustion. According to Rappaport, combining expressive arts with mindfulness is predicted to support participation in the present; consequently, attention management, bodily awareness, and emotional regulation may be attained when compared to mindfulness alone. Ongoing mindfulness training reduces the depressive and anxious thoughts and symptoms that are linked to the disease. To promote healthy self-control, the MBAT format is designed to combine both verbal and nonverbal methods of information processing. The MBAT intervention participants receive assistance in creating tools for tracking and assessing their experiences.
In Cyprus, art therapy is a specific type of therapy that is not commonly used. According to CARTA (Cypriot Association of Art Therapists), at the moment, there is no training in Cyprus for art therapists, but only some personal development seminars and workshops. Regarding art therapy on the island, case studies have been conducted for the tasks for MBAT4Seniors project, from which information was gathered about various art therapy activities on the island.
One of the participants was Crystalla Kamenou who runs her private practice and is working with people who struggle with trauma, behavioral challenges, mental health issues, low self-esteem, stress, interpersonal connection issues, and a general desire for creative self-exploration. Additionally, she supervises clinically other art therapists. She also collaborates with the Nea Eleousa Institution, which provides housing for people with disabilities. During the therapy sessions, the main activities that she uses are painting, collage and construction. Working also with children, art therapy is made more kid-friendly by the use of supplies like paint, clay, and construction. A few noticeable benefits of her work, among others, with Cypriot participants, include improved psychological stability, improved quality of life, increased sense of control and ability to share inner thoughts, increased self-esteem and self-acceptance, etc.
Another participant in Cyprus, in this case study, was an art studio and art therapy center called “Mandala”, which mainly focuses on individual or group level for children and adolescents. The workshop provides art psychotherapy, colour therapy, art therapy, or visual arts classes for children and groups for adults. Again, the activities in this facility are more kid-friendly due to the activities' nature (painting, collage, and constructions) and the use of materials like paints, clay, and constructions. These kinds of activities aim to help the child accept the therapist's presence.
A third participant in the case study was “Nefeles” Art Therapy Center (Clouds), which opened in 2018, and it’s the island’s first art therapy facility. For patient care, they employ art therapy and sensory play techniques. Sensory activities are the activities that use the senses of touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight, and hearing. When children play, create, analyze, and explore, sensory activities naturally encourage them to use scientific methods. The therapist constructs a safe space that incorporates art and allows for sensitive examination of the produced artistic imagery. They also seek to incorporate mindfulness practices, such as guided meditations and mindfulness lectures.
In conclusion, the goal of MBAT is to give individuals a sense of control by letting them know that they're able to either accept their disease experience as is or modify how they react to specific characteristics and events. According to the MBAT paradigm, this goal is accomplished by increasing acceptance of oneself via verbal and nonverbal connection and social support (group therapy), as well as by encouraging self-awareness through directed feedback (mindfulness practices) and artistic expression of inner thoughts and feelings. In fact, people who struggle to verbally articulate what they are feeling or thinking can benefit from MBAT and art therapy. The major objective of treatment is to promote each person's externalization of their emotions and concerns. Additionally, more study is required about the use of MBAT in Cyprus, and in the EU in general, as it is shown that it has plenty of benefits.
Find out More at:
https://www.facebook.com/mbat4seniors
Referecences:
http://www.arttherapyandmindfulness.com/about/mindfulness-based-art-the…
https://www.verywellmind.com/mindfulness-based-art-therapy-4588189
https://yellow.place/en/mandala-nicosia-cyprus
https://www.facebook.com/nefeles.artherapy
Anastasios Voskou
Project Manager, STANDOutEDU
Nicosia, Cyprus
