(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Doha: Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) a Qatar Foundation partner university, has announced the second edition of Foundation in Art Therapy course which will run from March 15 to 25.
The course is accredited by the British Association of Art Therapy (BAAT) and is tailored for those considering a career where they can use art to support the wider community.
Launched in the spring of 2020, the program is being conducted by Sara Powell, a VCUarts Qatar alumna, and the founder of ATIC, a psychological and counselling center in Dubai. Powell has an MA specializing in Art Psychotherapy from LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore, and is a member of the professional association for Creative Arts therapists in Australia, New Zealand and Asia (ANZACATA).
'We are excited to open registration for the Foundation in Art Therapy course approved by the British Association of Art Therapy, for March 2021. The course takes into consideration cultural diversity and the needs of our community. The benefit of the course is that it offers opportunity to add onto one's professional framework or alternatively be used as a means to further explore art therapy as a potential future profession, said Powell.
Michael Perrone, a faculty member at VCUarts Qatar and one of the participants in the first edition, said, 'The course was really enjoyable and was a thorough introduction to the concepts and history of Art Therapy. We had both lecture-based presentations and hands-on art activities - which reinforced concepts discussed in the presentations.
Art therapy in all its varied forms performing, visual, literature, cultural, online and so on has a range of therapeutic applications in addressing conditions, syndromes, diseases and social situations including dementia, strokes, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, child abuse, depression, bipolar disorder, suicide, schizophrenia and substance abuse.
And it's not just patients who benefit studies have shown that health care givers gain from taking part in art courses. Improved communication, collaboration, self-awareness, sensitivity and empathy, were just some of the emotional benefits reaped by participants all of which were factors that prompted VCUarts Qatar to take the lead on initiating the course in the region last year.
Aysha AlKooheji, Program Manager for Community & Continuing Education, VCUarts Qatar noted, 'The inaugural art therapy course was quite successful and proved to be beneficial for our participants.
The positive feedback from them prompted us to offer the program this year again. Aside from the therapeutic benefits, learning the skills to be an art therapist demonstrates the different pathways open to art and design graduates. Additionally, the course also equips professionals with techniques that can be used in their own jobs.
Globally, art therapy is increasingly being acknowledged as an effective tool to promote well-being. The 2019 WHO report on the effects of art on human health cited how in the UK an initiative called Arts on Prescription has been used for around two decades, as part of broader social prescribing schemes.
Individuals who approach their primary care doctor with nonmedical problems such as isolation, anxiety, loneliness and mild depression - which is the case in 2030% of all visits to doctors in the United Kingdom - or who require additional psychosocial support for their physical or mental health, are seen to benefit from this program, as well.
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