What is Art Therapy?

Art Therapy is a combination of art and psychology. Art materials are incorporated into sessions to enhance expression, communication, and insight. Art is helpful when you can’t find words to express feelings. Using art materials in sessions is also a release or a form of catharsis. Clients feel a sense of calm after using various art materials to paint, draw, and work with clay. The final art products can also be analyzed in sessions. Often clients will be able to express deep seated feelings and experiences in their artwork through the use of metaphor and symbolism. In this way, the artwork is a tool for communication.

According to the American Art Therapy Association, Art Therapy is defined as “an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship”.