Arts Based Therapy uses all forms of arts like music, dance, drama, painting, story-telling and poetry for therapy.

No. The process entails the use of these art forms only as a medium for therapy.

Example: If I, as a therapist am working with a child who fears an imaginary monster, I will subtly delve into his world by asking him to draw about it or I will facilitate a story around it and will use drama to enter into his world and address the fear in the creative space.

It completely depends on each individual case. At the outset, it takes longer time in persons with gross/ global developmental delays/ disorders, than in persons with psychological needs. However, this is a very relative term.

In her practice-

Example 1- I have seen positive results in an adopted child with sleep disturbances and coughing within 2 therapy sessions.

Example 2-Also, have seen nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting) completely go away within 3 weeks in a child with low intellectual functioning slow learner.

Example 3-On the contrary, I had a child with Dandy walker Syndrome who showed significant positive results in vocalisation and gross motor development (gross hand movement) after 3 months of therapy.

Population with Special Needs: Children, adolescents and adults with special needs; with a range of intellectual disability, mental retardation, autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, physical disabilities, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and such others.

In her practice-

Health/Chronic Disease: Children, adolescents and adults suffering from chronic diseases like Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, cardiac disorders, cancer etc. on treatment, survivors or on palliative care.

Population At-Risk: Children, adolescents and adults with psycho-social needs, in orphanages, in government institutions, living in at-risk economic or social zones, girls and women who are victims of trafficking, survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, adults who need rehabilitation or after-care for substance abuse and such others.

Mental Health: Children, adolescents and adults with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), body image issues, adjustment and behavioural problems, bedwetting, eating disorders and such others.

No, she has used ABT for children with broken families/ no family / parental discord, clinical depression, bed wetting, hyper sensitivity, behavioural issues, dyslexia.

Dr. Shruti practices exclusive ABT for people with either gross developmental or gross emotional needs. However, whenever appropriate and possible, she incorporates certain techniques of it into my counselling sessions as well.

She has done a 9 month long course in Arts Based Therapy from World Centre for Creative Learning Foundation, Pune). Post that, she has also participated in one of their research based projects.