ART FOR ALLEVIATING MENTAL HEALTH: HISTORY, THEORY AND APPLICATION

Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It allows expressing the inner battle of the individuals by means of painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, or a variety of other types of visual art expression which are nonthreatening. Art therapy is acquiring its prominence because it subdues all the boundaries of verbal expression and can be applied in various fields and with various age groups as well. In this paper, researcher tries to give a brief introduction including history and theories involved in art therapy, with special focus on the Indian scenario. The paper also tries to argue the clear paucity in research and literature in the particular area.