Emotional Umbrella: an Art therapy Toolkit that protects your inner self

Our goal was to offer a different way of addressing the problem of stress which is often addressed in an analytical way that helps understand the causes. This is only half of solution. Also neede...

Our goal was to offer a different way of addressing the problem of stress which is often addressed in an analytical way that helps understand the causes. This is only half of solution. Also needed is a way to deal with stress and built resilience. Here Art therapy is useful. It allows people to unlock hidden emotions and confront them through introspection and discussion. In this way it is closer to transformative learning that relies on achieving positive change (way of thinking about and coping with problems). We aimed to present this ability of art therapy in a practical toolkit that can be used with only short-time preparation by adult educators with at least basic motivation to address topics of mental well-being. We aim to: - improve the capacity, skills and knowledge of partner organizations, adult educators and stakeholders to address negative effects of stress and other negative effects of daily life on mental health and well-being of adult learners. - offer a high-quality resource suitable for informal/non-formal learning, accessible to all as artistic talent is not needed - strengthen resilience to stress and crisis coping mechanisms of (vulnerable) adults and improve their mental health and well-being as a result