By: Talia Singer – Mental Health Counsellor & Art Psychotherapist
Wait. Waiting. Wanting. This is the stressful process of planning a pregnancy with fertility interventions. The stress of this waiting game can be a gloomy source of anxiety impacting both the likelihood of pregnancy and the pregnancy itself. Sometimes the pain is too abstract to put into exact words. Sometimes your body feels like a battle ground where you fear to tread.
Art therapy combines art activities with verbal expression to explore those feelings that are trapped under the emotional burden of fertility treatments. No artistic ability is required to benefit from this powerfully creative outlet under the guidance of a registered art therapist. In a group of 21 women undergoing fertility treatment, art therapy was found to increase positive mood, increase feelings of self-efficacy, and relieve stress. All of these positive emotions are beneficial to quality of life and coping.
Know that the initial fear of creating art can be overcome quickly for those who had bad experiences in school with a crabby art teacher. Art therapy is not about creating something museum worthy, but rather a unique way for you to express yourself in a safe environment with a caring therapist. It is about voicing those moments that simply have no words!
If you are curious about art therapy come and book a 30 minute trial consultation with our art therapist today.
Reference
Hughes, E. G., & da Silva, A. M. (2011). A pilot study assessing art therapy as a mental health intervention for subfertile women. Human Reproduction, p.l -5. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deq385
