Contribution short abstract:

This paper describes the use of art and dance therapy in Armenia for women and child survivors of domestic violence, veterans of war, and LGBTQ. We will talk about how the arts facilitate self-acceptance, heal relationships, and activate social change in the Armenian community as a whole.

Contribution long abstract:

This paper describes the use of art and dance/movement therapy by psychologists from Armenia in the treatment of trauma for individuals and families (e.g., women and children who endure domestic violence, veterans of the war with Azerbaijan, and members of the LGBTQ community). We will show how techniques of creative arts therapy are integrated seamlessly into the therapeutic process, without a self-consciousness sometimes evident in medical systems where the borders between art and medicine are monitored and differentiated. The comfort and trust in the arts therapies seems to arise from two main sources: the keen awareness among psychologists that their patients experience emotional pain as an embodied drama, at the individual and social levels; and, art and dance are part of the everyday life of Armenians.

A relatively new area of healthcare for a very under-served population, the mental health system in Armenia has not firmly established a governing body that oversees the development of professional and ethical standards, criteria for evidence-based treatment, payment procedures, and documentation of continuing education. Yet, mental health specialists in Armenia actively and independently seek training and education opportunities, offered by international NGOs and professionals, and see their degrees and certificates as valid measures of their competency and authority. In addition to discussing the influences from Russian, European, and American approaches, we will also emphasize how psychologists use creative arts experiences as forms of resistance to discourses that stigmatize patients, and in this way promote social change for the community as a whole.

E-paper: this Contribution will not be presented, but read in advance and discussed