2023-02-28
On 27 February 2023, many specialists in the fields of arts and academics participated in the open discussion held by the International Organization for Media, Creativity and Development via WhatsApp, and through this dialogue they exchanged their views and experiences regarding the role of art in psychotherapy. The president of IOMCD, Dr. Madeleine Kassab, moderated this discussion held in Arabic.
The main results of this dialogue are:
1- Art therapy is not a modern phenomenon, but rather this type of therapy has been practiced in multiple ancient and modern civilizations and cultures.
2- The art therapy approach is based on the connection and influence of the soul on the body.
3- Colors, sounds, tones, and vibrations resulting from each of the constituent elements of matter greatly affect the conscious and unconscious recipient of these elements. And this effect is closely related to the recipient's self-awareness and their individual experience, even if it is within the scope of collective awareness, concepts, customs and practices.
4- Art therapy is linked to the patient's culture, habits, desires, and the different sources of happiness, sadness, and anxiety. These details differ from one culture to another, and for this reason, treatments for the same disease vary from one social environment to another.
5- The role of art in psychotherapy is flexible, as it provides the opportunity for the therapists to show their individual abilities and creativity in generating solutions to mental problems and illnesses.
6- On the academic level, the role of art in Psychotherapy is still weak and requires a lot of experiments and research.
