CREATIVITY IN PSYCHOTHERAPY: THE POSSIBILITIES OF ITS UTILIZATION

Although many studies on creativity have been conducted, issues related to utilizing creativity as a child's ability and therapeutic tool in different social contexts still remain. How can creativity be classified and utilized in various psychological studies in relation to children and what are the possibilities of creativity use in psychotherapy considering social factors? This paper is aimed at exploring creativity in terms of abilities which potentially may be used during treatment. Clinical psychologists and psychotherapists have been considering use of patient abilities to think independently, to create original and novel ideas or to solve problems in non-stereotypical ways. Creativity in psychotherapy encourages patients to use their imagination and skills to help express their problems, difficulties and beliefs in a natural way, after which it is possible to plan efficient treatment, find appropriate solutions and additionally to develop highly important personal, cognitive and other skills and capabilities. Next, child's play was developed in the frame of humanistic psychology as an efficient tool for the exploration of the child's life, culture, and problems in a natural and accepting atmosphere without judgment creating the possibility of rehearsing and mastering some skills or patterns. The active use of creativity in psychotherapy can be applied in treatment of adults, but is especially effective with children. The significance of creativity in therapy opens up wide possibilities for both therapists and patients to explore this problematic field more freely. (c) 2017 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK