Art therapy in the corporate scenario

By on February 13, 2013

Art therapy represents an integration of art with the medical science. Art therapy or ‘Therapeutic Art’ as it is often called refers to the use of art for therapeutic purposes. The basic idea behind art therapy is to heal patients through the employment of art. Art therapy utilizes various forms of art like drawing, painting, music, drama, sculpture, weaving, poetry and dancing etc. to bring out the inner emotions and trauma of individuals. The art therapy is mostly used under clinical settings but it can also be used well under non-clinical settings. The growing stress in human lives gives enough reason for the adoption and advancement of the field of art therapy. Though it is used widely in many other nations, the concept is still in infancy stage in India. The art therapy utilizes a holistic approach to healing as it not only cures the body but mind also. Usually art therapy is adopted by hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and family welfare societies; but the concept can also be well adopted in the corporate arena.

Benefits of art therapy in the corporate scenario

The increasing complexities and competition in the corporate scenario, along with the changing demographics result into high stress levels among employees. Designing strategies for employees to strike a perfect balance between work and home and reduce stress is a major challenge for organizations today. The organizations have started adopting measures like work from home facility, yoga and meditation sessions, and counseling services for the employees to relieve them of stress. But art therapy is still new to the Indian corporate arena. Art therapy can emerge as an effective tool of employee welfare if adopted properly. It will help the employees to express their feelings and grievances which they would never express verbally. It is said that art has the potential to change lives as it helps to understand the underlying meanings of words. Art therapy would not only help in stress management but would also lead to better team building and creating a healthy work environment. The benefits do not end here rather extend to facilitating smooth communication and fostering creativity and innovation in the organization. Today’s business environment is recognized with change and challenges, and art therapy is a way out to motivate the workforce to accept change in a positive way.

Art therapist in an organization

Art therapy is a growing concept in the medical field. Recently, the reputed Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon adopted the art therapy to heal the patients. The hospital is first of its kind to take such an initiative and integrate painting with medicines. But the concept also needs to be adopted in business houses. The appointment of art therapist into organizations would be a good decision. Mostly the HR managers are overburdened with all such responsibilities of employee welfare. But they are not experts in the areas of stress reduction and therefore the problem mostly remains unsolved and the employee dissatisfaction, absenteeism and turnover keep rising. But using these creative art forms to bring out the basic reasons for employee resentment can help the management to draft policies accordingly. Art therapy can be adopted for individuals or in groups also. The companies investing in mental and physical well-being of employees can definitely expect a better return on their investment in the long-run. If we see the long-term perspective, art therapy is rather a cost-effective tool for stress management in business organizations.

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