While Kamp’s class will provide an emotional outlet for those who need it, the use of clinical art therapy to treat disorders has gained stamina in the last 15 years, certified art therapist Dave Gussak said. “I think art therapy is really good for anybody,” said Gussak, who is also the chair of the Department of Art Education and professor for the art therapy program at Florida State University. “We work with everybody from preschool (age) to older adults in hospice care.”Karen Pence, an art educator and wife of Vice President Mike Pence, announced plans for an art therapy initiative when speaking at FSU’s campus last month. Pence named the plan Art Therapy: Healing with the HeART, which aims to explain that art therapy is a mental health profession, show that art therapy is an option for many conditions and encourage more people to get into the field. “Getting out and not thinking about what you’re living through every day is beneficial.”From a medical standpoint, art therapy is the use of art materials to promote health and wellness, Gussak said.

Source: Daily Sun November 02, 2017 12:00 UTC