But did you know there’s also a form of expressive therapy that uses this recreational activity to help guide you in finding resolutions for your mental health issues?

FMT Lifestyle spoke with art therapist Nuramadana ‘Dana’ Kaarina Zainal Abidin, 34, to discover how this works.

“Simply put, it’s a form of therapy where we use visuals and the creative process to explore the client’s emotions with the art therapist,” Dana explained.

Dana added that the main difference between this form of therapy and others, is the creative process. Art therapy involves a triangular relationship between the art therapist, the client and the artwork.

Unlike usual forms of therapy that involve verbally expressing one’s trauma, the process with art therapy is creativity-oriented and heavily focused on visuals.

“For me, I always say it’s 50% self-reflection and 50% art-making.”

Basically, what happens during a session is that the client creates their own piece of artwork while Dana facilitates a conversation with them. She then analyses the visuals they created to explore what they were attempting to express and helps them reflect on it.

In some cases, clients who have not met with success after consulting a clinical psychologist or counsellor, are referred to art therapists like herself as a further attempt to resolve their issues. Self-referral does happen on occasions, as well.

Dana said art therapy was highly effective for those suffering from anxiety or trauma. This is because for them, the conventional form of therapy that involves sitting across from a therapist and talking about their troubles while making eye contact can be rather intimidating.

Art therapy, she said, was “a less ‘threatening way” of engaging in therapy as the art worked as a “mediator” between the client and the therapist.

In a session with a new client, Dana would break the ice by asking the client to introduce themselves. Questions like why they’re here, what issues they face and what they intend to get out of the therapy sessions are crucial at this stage.

After that, it’s time to make some art. This is when Dana will observe how they engage with the art materials provided and how they react when given prompts on what to draw.

An art therapy session typically involves paintbrushes, crayons, water colours and even plasticine. After the first session, Dana will devise a treatment plan as further steps to address their mental health issues.

“In here, they are the ones calling the shots. I’m there to keep tabs on things and identify if they are avoiding a certain issue or topic.”

In fact, art therapy can go hand-in-hand with other forms of therapy, and serve as an extra layer of support for the client.

Dana’s clientele ranges from children to adults. She said being in her therapy room allows them to get in touch with their creative side. She said art was something many never dabbled in again for fun and recreation after leaving school.

“It’s kind of sad that many have lost touch with their creative side after school, because that’s no longer a priority. Working and making money is.”

With art therapy being a relatively new concept here, Dana said she is glad to see it gaining traction in the country. The isolation that many struggled with during the pandemic also helped trigger much-needed conversations about mental health.

“I did a lot of online workshops during that period too.”

Dana encouraged those curious about art therapy to come in with an open mind, adding that it was “more than enough for us to start this journey of self-discovery and healing.”

Follow Dana Kaarina on Instagram.