THE IMPORTANCE OF ART, ART THERAPY AND ART EDUCATION IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

Abstract

Creativity, artistic sensitivity and art therapy should be an essential instrument of social workers in the social work practice, planned intervention process, interviews, record keeping and reporting, policy and program development, all areas where the profession of social work renders service and all instruments it uses. Collocation of knowledge, skills and value bases of social work which is an applied science also requires a creativity and an artistic sensitivity. This creativity and artistic sensitivity reveal the artistic aspect of social work. The studies being carried out suggest that art and creative process will be useful for the client to sort out her/his emotional conflicts, increase her/his social skills, awareness, creative thinking and self-respect, decrease her/his anxiety and develop her/his coping mechanisms and problem solving skills. In the study, it is aimed to stress the importance of including art, art therapy and art education in preparing curricula in the social work education.