VISUAL ART AND STORYTELLING THERAPY: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO FOSTERING SOCIO-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES IN STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
VISUAL ART AND STORYTELLING THERAPY: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO FOSTERING SOCIO-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES IN STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the integration of visual art therapy and therapeutic storytelling as a comprehensive approach to developing socio-emotional competencies in students with special needs. The paper highlights the distinction between visual art education and visual art therapy and the contrasting perspectives of "art in therapy" and "art as therapy," underscoring the therapist's role in facilitating creative expression and personal and emotional growth. A fifteen-week group intervention program is presented, incorporating visual art therapy techniques alongside therapeutic storytelling. The program targets specific social and emotional goals, utilizing an integrative approach between visual therapy and storytelling therapy, which considers four steps for each visual art therapy session: a. storytelling, b. art-making process, c. reflective discussion, d. sharing and reflection. A detailed intervention plan is presented, including weekly themes for each session, art techniques, and therapeutic goals. The presented program offers a structured framework that can be adapted and tailored to specific needs and contexts, promoting the development of social-emotional competencies such as: self-awareness, empathy, social relationships, emotional self-regulation. This article provides a valuable resource for educators and therapists seeking practical visual art therapy interventions for students with special needs.

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