Con?icted Identities and Art Therapy: Practices and Case Studies in Kolozsvar/Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract

Introduction . Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Roman ia, has a historically multiethnic population who maintain their langu age-based cultural identities. In order to harmonize interethnic relat ions in our multicultural society, art-therapeutical methods depend on the need to establish a sensitive relationship between the cultural h orizon of individuals, thus increasing self-confidence, tolerance, res ilience. Objectives The objectives are : to de velop social skills, which facilitate the social and professional inte gration of children and adolescents belonging to ethnic groups living together, including those with disabilities. Methods Clinical art therapy have unfolded within interdisciplinary teams: a neuropsychiatry doctor, a psychologist, a pedagogue, a social worker, an art therapist– each one having a specialized role. A medic al project was transformed into an artistic project: E xperimenting wi th complex relationships: shape of the human body – shape of man-made objects and the creation of personal shapes conduct to harmonize inter ethnic relations in a multicultural place. Resul ts Focus on several objectives: - practicing the a bilities to express one’s feelings - the consolidation of self-respect and of confidence - the training of empathy - the development of pers onal problem and conflict solving strategies -the breaking through the emotional blockages - the improvement of cognitive abilities -the rel ease of tension, frustrations, anxieties, stress -the development of s ocial skills Conclusions Benefits arise from experiences based in artistic creativity: materia lizing ideas and coping with unexpected outcomes. Disclosure No significant relationships.