ART THERAPY AS MEANS OF STUDYING AND OVERCOMING COMMUNICATION BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION OF ADOLESCENTS

The article is concerned with studying visual art therapy as a means of solving diagnostic problems and removing psychological barriers in communication of adolescents. It is emphasized that visual art therapy is a kind of therapy, in which painting is used. Apart from solving diagnostic tasks, visual art therapy activates emotional sphere, removes psychological barriers of communication. Nonverbal expression, including graphic one, is natural for adolescents. Adolescents are more spontaneous and are less capable of reflection of feelings or actions. Therefore, their emotions, reflected in art, are easily perceived and analyzed. In the course of empirical research we have distinguished three levels of adolescents' communication skills: high, medium and low. We have found out that most of the tested teenagers, both girls and boys, have the low level of communication skills. The low level is a direct result of psychological barriers of communication, which has the connection with social status in the class, results in low level of students' confidence, creativity, and academic performance. It has been established that the artwork helps teenagers identify and estimate their feelings, memories, find time to recover their vitality and find a way to communicate with themselves. In art therapy teenagers discover their inclinations, abilities, capabilities, forget about difficulties and failures. Art therapy programs provide conditions for overcoming depression. Education and training by means of art help adolescents get along with their agemates, feel confident and improve themselves. Art therapy plays the role of a diagnosis method: all adolescents try to express themselves when painting pictures in their own way. Participation in art therapy stimulates their wishes to be the first, the best, stimulates their self-improvement, formation of reasonable self-esteem and development of volitional qualities; helps find themselves in the world of hobbies, professions, and overcome barriers of communication.