FAQ
Should you have any questions not answered below, please contact welcome@redpencil.org to enquire.
General Questions About Art Therapy
What is art therapy?
Art therapy is an evidence-based mental health profession, using art media and the creative process as a medium for personal transformation and healing through self-expression, emotional awareness and regulation, communication, self-discovery, empowerment, and hope towards a new future.
What are the benefits of art therapy?
Some benefits of art therapy are:
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- Reduce stress and trauma,
- Affirm positive coping strategies and mental resilience,
- Boost self-esteem and self-awareness,
- Regulate emotions,
- Improve memory and attention span,
- Develop social skills and interpersonal skills,
- Create positive contributions to the community.
What can I expect in an art therapy session?
You will be supported by a credentialed art therapist who will guide you in art-making activities, tailored to your needs and therapeutic objectives of the programme. The art therapist may facilitate discussions or reflections on your artworks and encourage exploration of your thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Who is art therapy suitable for?
Art therapy is suitable for people of all ages and can be tailored to different populations including children, youths, adults, and seniors.
Will I need to share about my artwork during a session?
The decision to talk about your artwork during the session is ultimately up to you depending on your comfort level and therapeutic goals. The art therapist will guide you in reflecting specific elements in the creative process and artwork, which can be valuable in processing and integrating your experiences.
The therapist will aim to create a safe and supportive environment for you to express yourself freely. While they will provide opportunities for reflection and discussion, they will respect your boundaries if you are not comfortable to disclose or discuss what you’re not ready for.
How does art therapy differ from traditional talk therapy?
Both art therapy and traditional talk therapy can be effective forms of psychotherapy. Art therapy utilises expressive medium of visual arts as a mode of communication and non-verbal expression while talk therapy relies on verbal and cognitive approach.
Through the arts, unconscious and subconscious processes are tapped into to explore deeper layers of emotions and memories. The art therapy approach also allows for the creative expression through symbols, metaphors, and imagery to represent inner experiences and narratives to facilitate processing and meaning-making.
The choice between the two modalities depends on individual preferences, therapeutic goals, and the individual needs.
Do I need to have artistic skills or experience to participate in art therapy?
No artistic skills or prior experience is required in art therapy.
What types of concerns or issues can art therapy help me with?
Art therapy is a mental health profession that can help with various concerns and issues, including but not limited to trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues and emotional regulation.
What art materials are typically used in art therapy?
Art therapy utilises a wide range of art materials to facilitate self-expression, exploration, and therapeutic processes. The choice of materials may vary depending on the goals of the therapy, client preferences, and the specific techniques being employed. Here are some commonly used art materials in art therapy that ranges from dry to fluid materials:
Oil pastels, coloured pencils, markers, collage, fabrics, yarns, found objects, clay, acrylic paints, and watercolour paints.
FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
I am interested in arts therapy sessions for myself / my ward. How can I sign up?
We welcome you to email welcome@redpencil.org. Our Programmes team may arrange a meeting to understand your needs, share with you our programmes, and guide you to complete our Comprehensive Needs Assessment Form. This form will contain a Financial Needs Assessment to complete if you would like to request for financial subsidies for the programme.
Where will art therapy sessions be conducted?
We offer art therapy in-person at our Creative Arts Therapy in Redhill.
Do you offer art therapy for individuals only?
Not only do we offer individual art therapy, but we also provide art therapy for groups, duos, and families as well.
I know a person / a group of people who could greatly benefit from arts therapy. What can I do?
Individuals and organisations can get in touch with The Red Pencil (welcome@redpencil.org). Each request will be individually assessed. Then, our team does its best to find the most suitable programme depending on the needs of the individual.
Local organisations with a psychosocial programme implemented and interested in incorporating arts therapy can contact The Red Pencil (welcome@redpencil.org) for more information on possible ways to collaborate.
What is the cost and format of art therapy with The Red Pencil (Singapore)?
Typically, our sessions range from $150-$200 per hour, with an additional $30/pax fee for art materials to be used during the programme. For our clinical art therapy programme, it is a series of 8 weekly sessions, with each session being 1-1.5 hours.
As a charity, we do provide partial or full subsidies for service users who are experiencing financial difficulties, upon review of their financial needs assessment.
Do you offer virtual art therapy sessions?
Yes, we offer virtual sessions via Zoom. However, before proceeding, we assess the client's needs and consider any potential risks involved.
Do you offer option to pay by instalments for art therapy?
Yes, we do. Service users may request to pay in instalments every 2-3 sessions.
FOR Corporate partnerships
I would like to organise an art therapy programme for my staff. How can I reach out to The Red Pencil (Singapore)?
Thank you for your interest in partnering with us. Please kindly send an email to welcome@redpencil.org and our Programmes team will revert to you.
You may wish to provide this information if you have it on hand, so we can smoothly facilitate your request:
- Intended programme objectives and themes
- Target audience (how many participants, occupation, etc)
- Desired programme duration
- Venue
- Intended programme dates and timings
We will arrange a meeting and guide you to complete our Partner Needs Assessment Form.
FOR partners
I would like to refer my clients for art therapy. How can I reach out to The Red Pencil (Singapore)?
Thank you for your interest in partnering with us. Please kindly send an email to welcome@redpencil.org and our Programmes team will revert to you.
You may wish to provide this information if you have it on-hand, so we can smoothly facilitate your request:
- Intended programme objectives,
- Profile of client(s) and reasons for art therapy,
- Intended programme commencement date.
We will arrange a meeting and guide you to complete our Partner Needs Assessment Form.
FOR Art Therapists and Students Pursuing Art Therapy in LASALLE
I am an art/music/dance therapist. How can I contribute to The Red Pencil (Singapore)?
- Take part in our programmes:
- You may send an email to welcome@redpencil.org with your resume/CV, MOE registration record, membership certificate with your therapist association (e.g., ANZACATA, ATAS), and languages you are comfortable to facilitate sessions in. We will add you to our database of therapists, which will grant you access to our local and international programmes that you may express your interest to facilitate.
- Help us promote The Red Pencil and its missions to fellow arts therapists:
- If you are participating in an arts therapy conference or event, you can mention The Red Pencil and encourage people to join our network.
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin and invite your friends, arts therapists or not, to do the same!
- In your email signature, include a link about The Red Pencil with a link to our donation page.
- Help us promote and contribute to the development of arts therapy:
- If you come across any relevant and important information (e.g., event, study) on arts therapy, you can notify our Marketing and Communications team who may showcase it on our news or social media channels.
- Working on an arts therapy research project involving themes or beneficiaries that are similar to The Red Pencil’s work? We’d love to hear about it and see if we could collaborate. Drop us an email on welcome@redpencil.org.
- More information here.
How do I become an arts therapist?
To become a licensed therapist, you must earn a master’s degree and fulfil post-graduate arts therapy experience requirements.
The Red Pencil partners with arts therapists who are credentialed, meaning that they have a degree in the fine arts, psychology or social work and have completed a master’s in arts therapy.
Here is a list of Arts Therapy Master’s degrees around the world.
I am a student pursuing a master’s in art therapy (MAAT) in LASALLE. Does The Red Pencil (Singapore) offer scholarships?
Yes, we offer scholarships to MAAT students in LASALLE. Please see more info here.
FOR Internship
I’m interested to intern in The Red Pencil (Singapore)! How do I apply?
We provide internship opportunities in programmes, marketing & communications, and fundraising. You may keep a lookout for our internship opportunities via our LinkedIn page, job advertisement sites, and our social media channels. If any of our available job openings interest you, please submit your resume/CV to us for our review. Shortlisted candidates will be notified.
Please note that we do not allow our interns to facilitate clinical art therapy sessions with our clients.
Is it possible for my internship to be counted as part of my school’s requirements?
Please inform us of your school’s requirements for our consideration. kindly send an email to welcome@redpencil.org.