Art Therapy — Color and Pathologies

July 19, 2023

Color

Color plays an extremely important part in art making. In art therapy, colors act as revealers or indictors. Everyone has favorite colors or colors that have special meaning. Colors also have a connection with feelings Each color has an historical background also. For example, the color purple in Greek history symbolizes power. In ancient Egypt, blue, made from lapis lazuli, was associated to the divine and eternity.

In an art therapy session, a wheel of emotions may be created to express the feelings a client associates with certain colors. Questions about colors and how a client perceives color may be another approach in therapy. Different types of media, such as acrylic paint, chalk, watercolor, pastels, and colored pencils, may be explored and discussed.

Pathologies and Mental Help

Since art therapy focuses on regaining autonomy, connecting with your self, improving relationships, etc., it can be used with life changes and challenges.

It also works with pathologies that require both psychotherapy, art therapy, hospitalization, and/or drugs. Such pathologies might include: