Integration of art therapy into counselling programmes in Ghanaian tertiary institutions

Abstract

The study explored the integration of art therapy into counselling training in Ghanaian universities to improve counselling services. The objective was to investigate the views of educational stakeholders in Ghana regarding the integration of art therapy into counselling education. The interpretivism paradigm of qualitative research approaches and case studies was employed to address the problem of the study. A Sampling size of seventy (70) participants (categorized into A and B) was utilized. The study employed the thematic analysis procedure to analyze the data. The findings revealed that the integration will open avenues for minors (children), the deaf, and the dumb to express themselves and request needed assistance. Integrating art therapy into counselling will help counsellors access the unconscious minds of clients by revealing secrets that may be difficult to find out when using only talk therapy. Art therapy is seen as effective in transcending language and cultural barriers, making it suitable for individuals from diverse backgrounds. Educationists highlighted the importance of a cross-disciplinary approach that combines knowledge from the arts and counselling fields to fully harness the therapeutic potential of art therapy. The study recommended that art therapy be incorporated into counselling training programmes. This integration will equip counsellors with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively utilize art therapy as a valuable tool in their practice. The study further recommended prioritizing the therapeutic aspects of art therapy in counselling education, exploring cross-discipline programmes between art therapy and counseling, and encouraging collaboration between art therapists and counsellors.