59-05-032 Proceeding

298 Proceedings of the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Congress however, a growing private sector offering short courses or workshops in creative art and play therapy has increased, particularly in the major cities of Malaysia (Mey & Kok-Mun, 2010) such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang Island. Creative arts practices here and now and future development for Malaysia Practically, I discovered that counsellors in Malaysia working with diversity of clients might need to explore, and be able to try using, a variety of methods, techniques or approaches rather than depending only on verbal therapy. I also believed that counsellors working with a variety of complex issues needed alternative non-verbal approaches that may be less threatening, more enjoyable, and might be able to facilitate a deeper level of communication. Following the increasing need and wider use of creative approaches, I felt it was crucial to explore wider creative practices to extend and expand within a Malaysian context. With regards to the development of creative arts practicewithin aMalaysian context, existing study provide important and comprehensive information to address the need for practitioner skills and training programmes (Azizah, 2015). The finding offers a frame of reference for developing and establishing practice and training in a range of work settings, as creative interventions are considered relatively new, with limited knowledge and expertise in Malaysia. Thus, the findings offer a good grounding for therapeutic work and practice, particularly for children and young people, or for applying to adult clients too. Moreover, existing study can also be the basis for suggesting and bringing innovation when counselling children and young people, which is a shift from conventional talking therapy to a more interactive approach (Azizah, 2015). Although creative arts practices are originally from Western culture, the basic core approaches remain applicable, with some adaptations, to Southeast Asian culture as practice by some Asian art therapist. For example, some clients may not be familiar with certainmaterials and activities proposed, or these may be bound up with different lifestyles, carry social stigma, or even offend religious values and faiths; therefore, they might need some modification. For instance, methods of emotional expression through artistic media is something difficult to practice in some cultures in Malaysia, as well as dance, body movement, music or sound, especially for some of the Muslim people. However, through promotion and education it could be made clear that these approaches can be adapted and are not contrary to the tenets of Islam such as the use of materials, ‘nasyid songs’ (Islamic song), as well as dance or movement used only for therapeutic value in therapy. In addition, there is a need to explain and to help clients have a better understanding of creative arts therapy, so that they are aware that sometimes words alone do not help, and these are additional or alternative to talking therapy that work well for them. Nevertheless, it is still worth developing these approaches, to extend and expand research and practice within different cultural backgrounds. As creative arts therapies can be consider as new disciplines in Malaysia that somehow can be integrated into helping profession, educations, human resources, as well other mental