In the process of children's growth, stimulated by fierce competition in modern society, heavy study burden, high expectations of parents, high pressure of study competition and other factors, some children's emotions and behaviors are inevitably influenced by the environment, showing some abnormalities, such as lack of security, learning disabilities, strong dependence, anxiety, introversion and so on. Among hundreds of modern treatment methods, most of them use speech as a medium to carry out psychological counseling. Although these methods are effective in correcting adults' irrational cognition and thinking, they are hard to solve children's psychological problems, especially those with emotional distress as the main symptom. Using painting therapy, with students' paintings as the medium, we can easily enter students' hearts and guide students' psychological problems such as emotional disorders and traumatic experiences in time, and achieve certain results. Painting therapy is an important and effective method to promote and improve children's mental health.

First, the theoretical basis of painting therapy

As a form of psychotherapy, painting therapy is based on the division of labor between the two hemispheres of the brain and the theory of psychological projection.

1. Brain lateralization theory. Neurophysiologist Sperry's split brain experiment confirmed that the left hemisphere is related to abstract thinking, symbolic relations and logical analysis of details, while the right hemisphere is pictorial, related to perception and spatial positioning, and has spatial discrimination ability. This shows that psychological functions such as music, painting and emotion are controlled by the right hemisphere. Psychologist Ley believes that "one can't open the lock of the right hemisphere with the key of the left hemisphere". Therefore, painting therapy believes that painting art activities controlled by the right hemisphere can influence and treat emotional disorders.

2. Projection theory. The basis of painting therapy is projection. In analytical psychology, projection is regarded as an unconscious activity to express oneself actively. The product of projection exists not only in the form of art, but also in dreams, hallucinations and delusions. Art psychology believes that painting is naturally a tool to express oneself and a symbolic tool to express the subconscious content of oneself. Therefore, painting can be used as a psychological projection technique. It is more convenient to analyze one's inner world and explore oneself by unconsciously expressing one's inner feelings, emotional feelings, subconscious and motives in the form of painting and presenting them with direct and vivid characteristics.

Second, the necessity and feasibility of painting therapy in school-age children's mental health education

The primary school stage is a critical moment for a person's personality development and character formation, and an important period for the gradual formation of moral quality. The psychological status of primary school students makes painting therapy play a prominent role in the mental health of primary school students.

1. Analysis of pupils' psychological state. Due to the development and opening up of society, the physical development of primary school students is much earlier than in the past. Compared with physical development, primary school students' psychological development level is low, and they are often unable to express their emotions and emotional experiences in words. In life, some students are not closely related to their parents and are alienated from their teachers. Modern families live in a high-rise environment and lack playmates and friends. When there is psychological trauma or abnormal emotional behavior, because of shyness or self-esteem, I am unwilling or embarrassed to talk to my parents and psychological teachers. These bad psychological emotions have affected their healthy growth.

2. Advantages of painting therapy in mental health education of primary school students. Painting is the expression of the subconscious mind. Painting has a natural attraction to children, and with the help of color, it can effectively release the psychological function of regulating and guiding children. One stroke, one painting and even the choice of color can project the anxiety, joy, anger and desire that children can't express in words in painting, and the hidden or depressed psychological emotions will naturally be released. The painting language is rich and the content is clear. Because the information conveyed by pictures is far richer and more expressive than language, the process of painting is actually a process of self-examination, self-understanding, self-reflection and self-exploration. The advantages of painting therapy are also reflected in its daily life, flexibility and operability. With a brush, you can get instant peace of mind and vent your repressed feelings at will.

Third, the application of painting therapy in children's mental health consultation

The application of painting therapy in mental health consultation of school-age children mainly includes three aspects:

1. The role of painting therapy in dealing with children's emotional disorders. Modern psychotherapy with language as the medium cannot solve all psychological problems. Langer believes that "there is an important fact that the influence of language cannot be achieved in some places, that is, the so-called' inner experience' field, that is, emotions or emotions ... The basic function of art is to objectify emotions so as to think and understand them". As early as the 1920s, Freud suggested that painting could cure mental trauma. Painting can play a very good role in regulating people's state and releasing people's emotions, such as anger, fear, jealousy, tension, depression, madness, laxity, fatigue, inferiority and so on.

2. The role of painting therapy in improving children's self-concept. Self-concept is an important part of personality structure, and its development is closely related to children's mental health. However, the formation of children's self-concept is often influenced by many factors, and the formation of positive self-concept is inevitably restricted by some conditions. The study of children's painting therapy found that painting therapy can improve children's self-esteem and self-concept and promote the construction of their harmonious personality.

If primary school students know how to take care of their emotional consciousness from an early age and learn some ways to take care of themselves, it will be beneficial to gradually form a healthy personality. To this end, we specially arranged psychological counseling classes to let students know their "inner children". Tell your classmates that if your normal needs are not met in childhood, many natural feelings will be suppressed (especially feelings of injury or anger). Although your body has grown up, there are still fragile, injured and naive children in your heart that need attention. This is your own "inner child". "I" will grow up with this injured "inner child". How to make students feel their "inner children"? Learn to take care of your "inner child"? I first ask each student to "draw" his "inner child" after relaxing his thoughts. Students feel their "inner world" when painting;

Some students drew their own lonely "inner child". He said: my "inner child" is alone in the depths of the forest, alone, very lonely;

Some students drew their angry "inner children". He said: my "inner child" is very angry because of being wronged;

Some students drew "inner children" who were timid and afraid of being wronged. He said: My "inner child" is often criticized by others and has little courage.

Draw your own "inner child", help students feel and perceive that they really need to take care of themselves in painting, and lay the foundation for learning to take care of themselves. Next, the teacher guides the students to learn how to take care of themselves: look at the picture and talk to yourself ―― talk to your "inner child" and get to know your "inner child";

What do you like? What do you like? Afraid of what? How do you feel? What do you need? How can I make you feel safe? How can I make you happy?

Let each student share this feeling with the partners around him, and communicate with each other in pairs.

Through "seeing, speaking, feeling, perceiving ……", students learn how to take care of their "inner children". It can be seen that the application of painting technology really plays a unique role in making students know themselves better and pay attention to their own growth.

3. The role of painting therapy in promoting children's social skills.

Drawing can improve social skills. Grader and Patis also believe that painting, a spiritual medium, has magical functions. "Painting can not only enhance communication and expression, but also provide fun, a sense of control and a sense of accomplishment. The process of drawing also contributes to the improvement of mental illness. The interaction between painting and therapy can evaluate the process of therapy, clarify the intrinsic motivation of personality and reveal hidden conflicts. Painting catalyzes children's spontaneity and helps blocked teenagers stay away from personal development obstacles. Painting can also help adults identify recurring themes in their behavior and focus on the most prominent problems. " Practice shows that painting is the most appropriate way for people to express aggression and hostility. For children and adults with intense and uncontrollable emotions, there is no better alternative strategy than painting. The advantage of painting is to let patients control themselves, that is, self-reinforcing behavior.

It can be seen that painting therapy plays an important role from emotional disorder to self-concept to social skills, even for children with special speech disorders. From the application of painting therapy in children's psychological counseling, we all agree that painting therapy is an important method to promote children's mental health. It is believed that with the deepening of research, the application scope and groups of painting therapy in children will become larger and larger.