ZTA Poster 2015

ZTA (ZAMBIA THERAPEUTIC ART) TRAININGS          OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

ZTA training is in the use of art as a mode of communication and relationship building for health and social care professionals and trainees as an-add on skill to enhance their practice. This year’s training was based on the evaluations of training conducted over the last three years in Chipata and at UTH and Chainama. 

The outcomes of these pilots showed benefits in building good trusting therapeutic relationships, enhancing communication and creating positive attitudes towards the patients. Practice-based training was run at UTH for Neuropsychology students and MMed Psychiatrists and at Chainama for 20 staff, Nurses, COPs, Psychosocial Counsellors, Ward Assistants and OT staff. The training involves theoretical input, experience of art making with suggested techniques for working therapeutically and guided and supervised work with patients. At UTH this was done with 1/1 patients, in Chainama the patients worked in a group in the OT building. Trainees are given guidance in observing and recording the work.              The training ends with a reflective evaluation to reinforce learning and to inform the shape and content of future training.                           
  The first analysis of the 2015 evaluation findings shows that using therapeutic art

•      Improves practice by quickly and effectively building rapport

•      Breaks down barriers

•      Gets quickly to hidden stories

•      Reduces anxiety for both patient and therapist

•      Increases  positive attitudes to patients

•      Rebalances the power dynamic

•      Being non- verbal lets the hidden things emerge

•      Allows the therapy to be patient led – patient as expert.