Last Wednesday (2/11), UGM Faculty of Psychology had the privilege to be visited by Prof. Dr. Evelin Witruk, an educational psychology professor from University of Leipzig. For the next two days (2-3 November), Witruk taught an open class which took place at A203 and was attended by Magister Program of Psychology students.
On the first day, Witruk presented a lecture with the topic “Dyslexia: Assessment and Treatment.” The class started at 09.00 A.M. and ran for the duration of three hours, during which students learned how to assess and cure dyslexia with both old and new forms of intervention. Witruk named four interventions that can be used to handle dyslexia with primary causes, namely colored glasses, colored books, reading windows, and kinesiological training. Interventions for dyslexia with secondary causes were also discussed, the methods being visual perception training, training of integration function, and visual perception and visual working memory (Lesefit – PC program).
On the next day, Witruk delved into the theory and practice of painting therapy. Painting therapy is a form of art therapy, which is a form of expressive therapy that utilizes the creative process of making art. Art therapy assumes that human thoughts and feelings are all rooted in the unconsciousness, and that they can be more properly manifested through creative products, images, and movements than through verbal means. Art therapy is seen as a viable method to assess and cure anxiety, depression, addiction, family and romantic issues, disability-related social and emotional problems, trauma, as well as a variety of physical, cognitive, and neurological problems.
It is hoped that Prof. Dr. Evelin Witruk’s class had succeeded in giving the students the information needed about dyslexia and painting therapy in psychological healing.