Art Therapy

Art therapy can help people express those thoughts, emotions, and experiences that may be difficult to speak about. In a 2004 study, thirty-two women with heart disease were first interviewed and then asked to individually illustrate the illness. The resultant drawings were grouped into three categories: (1) the heart at the center, (2) the heart in the lived body, and (3) heart disease as a social illness. The use of color, spatial arrangement, and composition were analysed, and the drawings ultimately helped health care professionals better appreciate how each woman understood her condition and provided insight on how to best to approach each case.