International Art Therapy Workshop

The Department of Psychology at Loreto College, Kolkata, in collaboration with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), hosted an International Art Therapy Workshop for the Semester V students of Psychology on December 10, 2024. Conducted by Dr. Saoni Banerjee, Lecturer at La Trobe University, Melbourne, the session provided an immersive exploration of the therapeutic potential of creative expression.

The workshop began with a mindfulness exercise, encouraging students to ground themselves by becoming acutely aware of their bodies and surroundings. This instilled a sense of calm and readiness for the introspective journey ahead. Students were then invited to close their eyes and visualise their current worries, focusing on condensing these into the centre of a blank piece of paper. Next, the students were asked to “enclose” their troubles in the paper in any manner they wished—crumpling, folding, or even crafting them into abstract shapes. This exercise transformed intangible burdens into tangible objects, offering a surprisingly cathartic facilitation of control.

The session transitioned into guided visualisation, where participants imagined themselves in a serene, comforting space by a stream. In the warmth of this imagined environment, coupled with Dr. Banerjee’s gentle instructions, students felt tension leaving their minds and bodies. A symbolic token envisioned in this safe space—a stone, a flower, a leaf—became a reminder of the calm they had cultivated. Soft modelling clay was then distributed, and students created physical representations of their tokens. Following this, participants drew or painted the spaces they had envisioned. The creative variety—oil pastels, watercolours, sketches—was as diverse as the emotions these activities evoked.

The session concluded with a reflective conversation, where students marvelled at each other’s creations. This workshop was not just a testament to the therapeutic value of art but also an inspiring reminder of the strength found in self-expression and shared experiences.