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Emotional Art & Stealth Healing
At one time or another we all have experienced the creative and personally enriching potential of art. As a child, you probably found enjoyment in making crayon drawings, cut-paper collages, sand castles, or handprints in clay.
As an adult, you may not consider yourself to be “creative” or an “artist” but still may have experienced some therapeutic aspects of art in your daily life. You may paint or take photographs as a hobby, enjoying the process of creation and recognising that creative activities help relieve stress.
You may keep a drawing diary, sketching your dreams, noting symbols, and thinking about their meanings. You may scribble lines on the corner of your notepad on your desk, finding that it helps you think more clearly and relaxed.
All of these simple activities are ways to soothe yourself, release stress and tension, give enjoyment and pleasure, and transcend troubling feelings. They are methods of self-expression that change your state of being and tap your intuitive and creative powers.
Although you have experienced some of art making therapeutic powers, you still may not think of art as related to therapy.
Depending on your personal definition of art, you may think of it as something used as decoration, entertainment, or novelty, or only as those paintings and sculptures that are exhibited in museums and galleries.
You may see art as only child’s play, or perhaps as a diversion or hobby. While art is sometimes difficult to define, you would probably agree that art enhances your existence, but you may not be fully aware of all the ways that art can be life enhancing.
While art can serve as decoration or hang in a museum, there are other purposes for art, ones that are connected to self-understanding, a search for meaning, personal growth, self -empowerment, and healing.
Many of us have lost contact with these purposes or have not realised that art is more than novelty or ornamentation. Drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms are powerful and effective forms of communication, and cultures through the ages have been defined and understood through their art.
While art has been used to record human history, it has also incorporated our ideas, feelings, dreams, and aspirations. Art chronicles and conveys a wide range of emotions, from profound joy to the deepest sorrow, from triumph to trauma.
In this sense, art has served as a way of understanding, making sense, and clarifying inner experiences without words.
Art therapy has grown from this concept that art images can help us to understand who we are, to express feelings and ideas that words cannot, and to enhance life through self-expression.
Despite its acceptance as a viable treatment method and a modality for self-understanding, emotional change, and personal growth, art therapy is not widely recognised and is often misunderstood.
People are often confused about just what the term art therapy means. While it was coined to describe the use of art expression in therapy, it frequently generated some unusual assumptions.
Over the years, I have heard many interesting impressions of what art therapy might be, some of which are quite humorous. I once was asked if art therapy was only for “sick” or “disturbed” artists, providing a special treatment for curing their depressions, anxieties, or creative blocks. I was recently asked if art therapy could help improve one’s drawing and painting abilities.
Another person inquired if I worked with paintings and sculptures that had “problems.” Apparently, he imagined that art therapy could make “bad” paintings and sculptures look better! It is easy to understand that the term art therapy can be confusing when first encountered and especially if one has not had any personal experience with it.
There are several reasons art therapy is not easily understood. First, art therapy is practised with a wide range of people.
The use of art therapy has been documented with a variety of populations including children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly; people with addictions; individuals with serious and sometimes terminal illness; war veterans; people with disabilities; families experiencing difficulties; prisoners; and individuals experiencing a wide spectrum of emotional disorders.
You may have heard of art therapy being used with children who have been traumatised by abuse, with troubled families to explore their problems, or with disabled older adults in nursing homes.
You may know of a psychologist who asks his or her patients to make drawings as part of their therapy or an expressive therapist who uses art to help people deal with chronic pain or other symptoms.
You may have read in the newspaper about an artist who works with paraplegics, helping them paint, or about a therapist who has created an art studio for disabled adults.
There may be an art therapist who works in your local school system with children with learning or developmental problems, or one who works at the medical centre in your community with children and adults with cancer.
These are all common examples of where Emotional Art Therapy is used, demonstrating the vast diversity of the field. Another reason many people are confused about art therapy comes from the experiential nature of art itself.
Art therapy is a dynamic therapy, requiring one to participate in one’s own treatment, in this case through art making. Therefore, truly understanding art therapy requires first-hand experience.
…to be continued
Robert Grimmond-Thompson
In a country like ours in which we are aware of our challenges, all that is required is focusing on strengthening our institutional processes by making them more robust and transparent. In this regard, investment in digitilisation must be prioritised since the human element to cut corners is inherent in the psyche of some people and therefore cannot be trusted to do the right things out of their own volition.
Enforcement of existing laws and regulations must be reviewed to see what is working, which ones have to be tweaked to be able to address current challenges, and those that have become obsolete and must be discarded.
One issue that needs to be given priority attention is remuneration. A former President is alleged to declare that we pretend to pay workers and they also pretend to work. This indeed sums up the quandary facing government after government. Workers’ salaries are crucial in the fight against corruption. A realistic living wage must be given to workers; otherwise, they will seek avenues to address their personal budget deficit.
On day one, what should engage the attention of government is Energy, making it available and affordable. The industrialisation agenda cannot be successfully executed without power that is readily available, reliable, and affordable. Solar energy must be factored in the quest for affordable and reliable power for industry.
The fuel sector issues must be urgently addressed so that it can impact positively on the transportation sector, which plays a key role in the supply of goods and services. The railway infrastructure plan linking places like Boankra Inland Port to prolong the lifespan of our roads and to fast track distribution of goods from the Capital City to the inland areas of the country should be a top priority item.
A well-structured system linking industry to academia must be quickly established to serve as a catalyst towards the industrialisation drive. Research findings from the universities must be channelled to captains of industry in a timely manner. Effective channels of communication should be established to facilitate shorter product-to-market times.
An effective mechanism for fishing out needy but talented children must be established, as well as a sponsorship package for talented individuals who are needed for certain critical areas of the economy — what I term critical investment in education.
Certain changes must be made in the constitution, particularly the appointment of the heads of certain constitutional bodies or institutions. This is to ensure that the Executive arm of government does not wield too much power to ensure accountability and checks and balances really work.
The Attorney General’s Office must be detached from the Executive arm of government. The Nolle Prosequi provision must also be amended to compel the Attorney General to give an explanation of why he or she is declining to prosecute a particular case or discontinue it. The provision that protects sitting Presidents from prosecution must also be reviewed.
The punishment for some of our laws needs a review. We must review the removal of CJ provision to ensure the independence of the Judiciary.
Above all, there must be a mindset of change, i.e., a paradigm shift from inability to capability. Inferiority complex must give way to a pacesetters mentality, and all will be well. God bless.
NB: KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
BY LAUD KISSI-MENSAH
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Features
The impact of emotional surgery and emotional elysium on neurological and neurosurgical procedures
Abstract
THIS comprehensive review aims to explore the impact of emotional surgery and emotional elysium on neurological and neurosurgical procedures. We examine the scientific literature on these approaches, including their definitions, theoretical frameworks, and applications. Our analysis highlights the potential benefits and risks of these approaches and discusses their implications for practice.
Introduction
Neurological and neurosurgical procedures are complex and delicate, requiring precision and accuracy to achieve optimal outcomes. Emotional surgery and emotional elysium are two innovative approaches that have the potential to enhance the success of these procedures. Emotional surgery involves the use of art and other creative techniques to promote relaxation and reduce stress, while emotional elysium focuses on cultivating positive emotions and promoting emotional well-being.
The Role of Emotional Surgery in Neurological and Neurosurgical Procedures
Emotional surgery has been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and stress in patients undergoing neurological and neurosurgical procedures. By promoting relaxation and reducing stress, emotional surgery can help patients prepare for procedures, leading to improved outcomes and faster recovery times.
The Role of Emotional Elysium in Neurological and Neurosurgical Procedures
Emotional elysium has been shown to be effective in promoting emotional balance and resilience in patients undergoing neurological and neurosurgical procedures. By cultivating positive emotions and promoting emotional well-being, emotional elysium can help patients cope with the stress and trauma associated with these procedures, leading to improved outcomes and enhanced quality of life.
Benefits of Emotional Surgery and Emotional Elysium
The benefits of emotional surgery and emotional elysium in neurological and neurosurgical procedures are numerous. These approaches can:
- Reduce anxiety and stress: Emotional surgery and emotional elysium can help patients manage anxiety and stress, leading to improved outcomes and faster recovery times.
- Improve emotional regulation: Emotional surgery and emotional elysium can help patients regulate their emotions, leading to improved mental health and well-being.
- Enhance patient experience: Emotional surgery and emotional elysium can improve the patient experience, leading to increased satisfaction and improved outcomes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, emotional surgery and emotional elysium are two innovative approaches that have the potential to enhance the success of neurological and neurosurgical procedures. By reducing anxiety and stress, promoting emotional balance and resilience, and improving patient experience, these approaches can lead to improved outcomes and enhanced quality of life for patients undergoing these procedures.
Recommendations
- Further research is needed: More research is needed to fully understand the benefits and risks of emotional surgery and emotional elysium in neurological and neurosurgical procedures.
- Integration into practice: Emotional surgery and emotional elysium should be considered for integration into practice, as they may offer a valuable tool in the treatment of a range of neurological and neurosurgical conditions.
By exploring innovative approaches like emotional surgery and emotional elysium, we can improve patient outcomes and enhance the quality of life for individuals undergoing neurological and neurosurgical procedures.
BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON
