Art Therapy yet to gain popularity in state, say activists

While memories of the abuse continued to torment her, she was unable to express herself to anybody. A team of social activists therefore used Art Therapy to help her overcome her fear and gain more confidence in herself.

Stating that this form of therapy is very slowly growing in Tamil Nadu, Child Rights’ Activist Lalitha S, said, “Sowmya was completely shattered. She was under too much stress and her family had to relocate to help her continue her education. She was completely disturbed. We noticed that and handed her some mandala colouring books for which she did not show much interest. However, after some persuasion, she started keeping herself occupied with colouring.”

“We were therefore able to help her take her mind of the pain and she started gaining confidence in herself again. Alongside, with the help of the colours she used and the art, we were able to provide her with counselling as well,” she added.

While this is a form of therapy that has been in use for a couple of years, it is yet to gain the popularity it deserves, said Sherin Bosco, a Child Rights’ Activist, who has helped a number of children overcome abuses. “This form of therapy helps in the identification of sexual abuse or any form of abuse in the children. Children often avoid speaking about whatever they have been through for various reasons. Through art therapy, they are able to choose colours and different forms of expressions, to get their feelings across.”

Giving an example of the same, she said, “During an interaction with some children in the city, we handed out blank paper and crayons for them to keep themselves engaged. During which, one sheet caught our attention. A boy drew cigarettes and sexual organs. We took him to psychologists and we learnt that he had been through a lot of abuse and that he was living with his father who was ragpicker. We helped him gain confidence and today, he is in a much better place.”

The concept, which is yet to be acknowledged as a useful tool in our country, has served to help many psychiatrists and social workers encourage the children they meet and understand the situation they are in. “Pavithra (name changed), a 11-year-old resident of the city, was a very chirpy child and no one realised she was going through a lot at home. When social workers from a city college who were conducting field visits in the area, got a hint, they used art therapy to learn more about her broken family,” adds Lalitha.

Explaining the concept, Dr G K Kanan, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist said, “When a child is unable to articulate his feelings in words, this form is used. The child tends to feel a sense of achievement and this helps them understand their own problems as well. However, it still has a long way to go before it can be used a tool in our country.”

According to Ratheesh K Ram, Banyan, “We had recently come across a 11-year-old girl who was going through a lot of behavioural disturbances. She was quiet in school and preferred to stay away from any form of interaction and kept indulging in self harm. When face to face with any man, she would express aggression and fear. Using art therapy, we were able to learn of her struggles. We learnt that she had been sexually abused and the trauma remained. We then brought up the issue with her parents and worked closely with them and her teachers to help her grow.”