Living in a fast-paced city like Hong Kong, we encounter stress every day. Regardless of our backgrounds, we feel pressure from our surroundings. No matter if it is from school, work, family or relationship; stress can build up without us noticing and this can be bad for our mental health.

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To relax, you might have heard of methods like yoga and music therapy, but Art Therapy is rarely mentioned. You might feel uncomfortable when you see the word “therapy” because of its implications. In fact, Art Therapy can be a recreational course or a great way to meditate. Along the journey of creating artworks, you can express and explore emotions without saying a word. Drawing, painting, sculpting and other media will do the talking for you. Surprisingly, you don’t need any experience in crafting Arts to join, because the goal is to encourage you to communicate. So, the process is important as well.

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Under a safe and comfortable environment, this process offers a lot of benefits like relieving your stress, boosting your self-esteem, interpersonal skills and self-awareness. Relax and embrace the world of Art, where you can rediscover yourself, learn to observe and feel the surroundings. There are many techniques that you may find interesting, like doodling, Zentangle and filling in colouring books. All these can be very satisfying, helping you to relax and to focus.

 

Art Therapy can be a very powerful treatment as well. The therapist can guide the participants when they are lost. From their creations, the therapist discovers the hidden messages and the mental challenges. This helps the participants to move forward and change for the better. It is a great option to treat a range of mental illnesses with Art Therapy, from minor to severe ones. It also supports traditional medication as well, reducing the side effects. Treating these issues can be a long-term challenge. If people can receive the appropriate treatments, along with the support of their families and surroundings; the recovery process will be a lot more effective.

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The process of Art creation can be an inspiring journey, possibly offering you a life changing experience. Even though there are some arguments of its effectiveness, it works for many people. It is a holistic approach to relieve mental health issues and it should gain more recognition from the public.