Why I have added art to the work I do as a therapist…

In a study out of Drexel Univeristy, researchers gave a group of adults 45 minutes with art supplies. No instructions. No skill requirement. Some had art backgrounds, most did not. They measured cortisol, the body's main stress hormone, before and after.

Cortisol dropped in about 75 percent of them.

When they compared the experienced artists0 to the total beginners, there was no meaningful difference in the benefit.

The researcher who ran it said afterward that she believed it worked because there was no judgment and no expectation. Just the process, and feeling safe.

Retraining the brain to feel safe in a world crowded with tension and anxiety is a big part of Pain Reprocessing. And now part of that process involves playing with stuff like paint and glue and even glitter.

Art is not required, simply offered. But for those who do engage in art therapy, we’ll be measuring things like stress reduction and outcome independence, just to see what kind of impact it has.

I love what I do!

Citation: “Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants' Responses Following Art Making”, Girija Kaimal, Kendra Ray & Juan Muniz, Pages 74-80 | Published online: 23 May 2016.