Art therapy workshop, a journey of self-discovery
Experience the beauty of music and art and their positive effects on our mood, when everything around you is dictated by uncertainty about the future. With this objective Pro Terra Sancta wanted to support in Lebanon “Art therapy workshop”, an initiative aimed at discovering music therapy and art therapy. The heavy economic crisis that has been weighing on the country of the cedars for some years now has not stopped the desire of the participants to get involved and embark on a journey to discover these new educational techniques still undervalued in Lebanon.
The desire to get involved
The initiative, which lasted five days, was attended by about fifteen young people. During the interactive lessons, participants were able to discover the benefits that music therapy and art therapy bring to our state of psychophysical well-being. Art therapy workshop took place under the expert guidance of Dario Benatti and his son Tommaso, two professionals in the field of art-therapy, who immediately won the sympathy and attention of those present. Georgina Bahi, participant in the project, says: “The workshop was very rich and enlightening, the energy of Dario and Tommaso was very beautiful, they know very well how to attract the attention of the participants and the exercises were very useful”. As evidenced by those who took part in the initiative, the strength of these lessons was the working climate that had been established, light but at the same time favorable to learning. In addition, the relationship of trust created between teachers and students has ensured that the lessons took place in the best way.
Discovering the emotions between art and music
The initiative was divided into two initial days of music therapy only and three final days in which the latter was alternated with art-therapy. Several topics were addressed: during the music therapy lessons the meaning of the word music itself, the role of our body and its movement as a musical instrument, the effects of music on pregnancy and its benefits on the baby were discussed. Aspects of humanistic psychology such as self-acceptance, empathy and aspects of neuropsychology were also touched. Georgina continues in her story: “We started singing a song written by Dario, the instruments used in addition to drums, guitars and rattles were objects that we had at hand at that time such as tables or pens”.
The art therapy sessions were a journey to discover human emotions. Through games and interactive activities, participants have become real protagonists of this initiative. They were able to learn more about themselves and their emotions through drawing and representation. Depicting the chaos that everyone carries inside and identifying negative emotions as a sort of inner monster allowed them to live a journey of discovery of themselves and their sensations. “They were very enthusiastic about the teachers – concludes Georgina – with whom they developed a strong harmony so much so that they wanted more time available with them to deepen even more the knowledge of these techniques that unfortunately in Lebanon are not yet valued as they deserve”.
The beauty that does not die
Pro Terra Sancta with Art therapy workshop has opened a gap in the discovery of the beauty and benefits deriving from music therapy and art therapy, so that they can become positive tools for sharing and aggregation within Lebanese society, harshly tested by current political and economic circumstances.