Monday, June 2, 2008
Music to Your Ears (and Mind, and Body)
Music to Your Ears (and Mind, and Body)
When you think of music therapy, what do you think of? Perhaps you think of a person sitting quietly on a park bench listening to their MP3 player. Or maybe you think of a sterile laboratory environment where a patient listens to different types of music and a technician or researcher uses electrodes to observe the patient's physical changes. While both of these things are not out of the realm of possibility, they are neither of them exactly true.
Music therapy is much more serious a practice than just giving a patient an MP3 player and turning them loose in a park. But it isn’t as impersonal as many types of therapies performed in hospital-like conditions. Music therapy is actually a way of using music to help a patient's mental abilities by producing calm, concentration, and comprehension. The therapy is applied by a professional music therapist and can be done in a variety of settings – such as a hospital or a home – for almost any illness, physical or emotional.
Therapeutic Processes in Art Therapy
Therapeutic Processes in Art Therapy
Art therapists, like other therapists, use several different therapeutic processes to analyze and treat emotional problems in their patients. Unlike other therapists, however, art therapists' have therapeutic techniques that center on having the patient create and interpret art pieces. This can help the patient gain personal insight as well as help them to address personal issues.
Some of the techniques used are interpreted by the art therapist instead of the student. In these techniques, the patient's art is analyzed according to the colors, shapes and designs used. Some techniques are used to determine the current psychological state of the patient; these techniques generally involve the patient choosing geometric shapes and then recreating them. Other techniques involve the patient drawing specific pictures and then explaining the pictures; these techniques give the art therapist clues to the personality of the patient.
Art therapists, like other therapists, use several different therapeutic processes to analyze and treat emotional problems in their patients. Unlike other therapists, however, art therapists' have therapeutic techniques that center on having the patient create and interpret art pieces. This can help the patient gain personal insight as well as help them to address personal issues.
Some of the techniques used are interpreted by the art therapist instead of the student. In these techniques, the patient's art is analyzed according to the colors, shapes and designs used. Some techniques are used to determine the current psychological state of the patient; these techniques generally involve the patient choosing geometric shapes and then recreating them. Other techniques involve the patient drawing specific pictures and then explaining the pictures; these techniques give the art therapist clues to the personality of the patient.
Who Is The Art Therapist?
Who Is The Art Therapist?
The profession of art therapist is not a new one, but it is one that is not familiar to many people. Art therapists are professional therapists who have extensive training in both art and psychotherapy. In order to be an art therapist, a person must hold a master's degree in either art therapy or a similar field. This knowledge and education allows an art therapist to help patients identify emotional problems through artistic mediums.
Most patients of art therapy are able to cope with their problems like stress and personal trauma. Art therapists can bring out in a patient the ability to gain insight into their own minds and feelings, as well as boosting the patient's ability to establish and maintain healthy relationships. All of these things are important parts of healing, and art therapists are trained to use the artistic processes of the mind to bring these results out of their patients.
The profession of art therapist is not a new one, but it is one that is not familiar to many people. Art therapists are professional therapists who have extensive training in both art and psychotherapy. In order to be an art therapist, a person must hold a master's degree in either art therapy or a similar field. This knowledge and education allows an art therapist to help patients identify emotional problems through artistic mediums.
Most patients of art therapy are able to cope with their problems like stress and personal trauma. Art therapists can bring out in a patient the ability to gain insight into their own minds and feelings, as well as boosting the patient's ability to establish and maintain healthy relationships. All of these things are important parts of healing, and art therapists are trained to use the artistic processes of the mind to bring these results out of their patients.
Markers and Crayons: Not Just for Kids
Markers and Crayons: Not Just for Kids
Have you ever watched a young child drawing with markers or crayons on a blank piece of paper? They seem to be able to let go and scribble with an abandon rarely matched by an adult. And why would an adult want to doodle for no reason? Because there might be a practical purpose to art after all.
Art therapy is a widely used form of therapy using both the creative process and psychotherapy to elicit a healing response in the patient. By using simple tools like the ones found in any child's craft box – crayons, markers, colored pencils and paints – a professional art therapist can help a patient discover and deal with internal emotional turmoil. Art therapy is frequently used in mental health clinics, but can also be found in more casual places like art studios.
Have you ever watched a young child drawing with markers or crayons on a blank piece of paper? They seem to be able to let go and scribble with an abandon rarely matched by an adult. And why would an adult want to doodle for no reason? Because there might be a practical purpose to art after all.
Art therapy is a widely used form of therapy using both the creative process and psychotherapy to elicit a healing response in the patient. By using simple tools like the ones found in any child's craft box – crayons, markers, colored pencils and paints – a professional art therapist can help a patient discover and deal with internal emotional turmoil. Art therapy is frequently used in mental health clinics, but can also be found in more casual places like art studios.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Subjectivity in Homeopathy
Subjectivity in Homeopathy
Few people know that the practice of homeopathy is actually very subjective. This means that homeopaths use their own judgment and opinions to choose the correct treatments for a patient. This means that the same patient could get two completely different treatments for the same ailment from two different homeopaths.
So how do two practitioners of the same medical profession come up with completely different treatments? Homeopaths take the entire patient into consideration, from the patient's physical medical history to the patient's emotional medical history. Homeopaths use this information in different ways depending on their personal opinions on what is affecting the patient. And since the treatments prescribed are dependant on the symptoms the homeopath focuses on, a patient can get different treatments for the same thing. The homeopath simply decides which symptoms are closest to the patient's character and uses those to diagnose and treat the illness.
Few people know that the practice of homeopathy is actually very subjective. This means that homeopaths use their own judgment and opinions to choose the correct treatments for a patient. This means that the same patient could get two completely different treatments for the same ailment from two different homeopaths.
So how do two practitioners of the same medical profession come up with completely different treatments? Homeopaths take the entire patient into consideration, from the patient's physical medical history to the patient's emotional medical history. Homeopaths use this information in different ways depending on their personal opinions on what is affecting the patient. And since the treatments prescribed are dependant on the symptoms the homeopath focuses on, a patient can get different treatments for the same thing. The homeopath simply decides which symptoms are closest to the patient's character and uses those to diagnose and treat the illness.
The Usage of Homeopathy Here and Abroad
The Usage of Homeopathy Here and Abroad
Because most practitioners of Western medicine view homeopathy in a negative light, there are not many homeopaths in the United States and other Western countries. This negative opinion of homeopathy comes from the fact that homeopathic medicine is not scientifically proven to work, nor is it tested thoroughly by the governmental agencies – like the Food and Drug Administration in the United States - that regulate medication in Western countries.
In the United States, for example, homeopathic medicine and treatments are only practiced by about 2% of the population. In Great Britain there is also a very small few who practice homeopathy: again, approximately 2% of the population. However, in countries like India, the numbers are much higher. Because homeopathy makes up a large part of the standard medical practices and traditional medicine in India, approximately 15% of the population uses homeopathic treatments and medicines.
Because most practitioners of Western medicine view homeopathy in a negative light, there are not many homeopaths in the United States and other Western countries. This negative opinion of homeopathy comes from the fact that homeopathic medicine is not scientifically proven to work, nor is it tested thoroughly by the governmental agencies – like the Food and Drug Administration in the United States - that regulate medication in Western countries.
In the United States, for example, homeopathic medicine and treatments are only practiced by about 2% of the population. In Great Britain there is also a very small few who practice homeopathy: again, approximately 2% of the population. However, in countries like India, the numbers are much higher. Because homeopathy makes up a large part of the standard medical practices and traditional medicine in India, approximately 15% of the population uses homeopathic treatments and medicines.
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