Artistic masks depict the suffering of army troops.
United States military veterans are successfully using art therapy to cope with the trauma of war.
At the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, veterans who are having a hard time adjusting to civilian life are counseled in a variety of ways including painting masks.
The veterans are told to use the mask to symbolize how they feel, and the therapy is proving to be effective.
Donna Betts, an art therapy professor from George Washington University said: “When trauma is experienced, it tends to be stored in the nonverbal part of the brain. Art therapy helps them retell their story through art. It translates that trauma from the nonverbal part of the brain to the verbal part so they can start dealing with it.”
There are many effective treatments to deal with the psychological problems that military veterans face like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, or depression.
Another form of therapy that has shown to be effective for veterans is water therapy.
The Freedom Waters Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Florida that takes veterans on boating, sailing and fishing trips.