Possibilities of art therapy in Education as a grief management technique

Abstract

Teaching-learning process is influenced by multiple factors and events, including the grief process. It becomes necessary for education professionals to offer a response to this event. Through this research, it is intended to explore the value of art therapy and art education as grief management techniques in the educational setting. Using a qualitative approach, has been developed a technical participant observation process to analyze art therapy experiences carried out in three discussion groups composed of university students graduated in primary education who have experienced representative grief processes. The results achieved offer the opportunity to view different artistic compositions in which color, strokes, symbols or shapes help to understand the verbal message which goes with the description of the grief process (stages) and the level of knowledge of the participants about the topic. In conclusion, this research contributes to highlight didactic and pedagogical properties that art therapy presents for managing the grief process and strengthens the idea of enhancing this topic in the daily of the classrooms.