Art Therapy

Art Therapy

Art therapy combines the creative process and psychotherapy, facilitating self-exploration and understanding, to treat psychological disorders and enhance mental health. Using imagery, color, and shape as part of this creative therapeutic process, thoughts and feelings can be expressed that would otherwise be difficult to articulate. Art therapy is a technique rooted in the idea that creative expression can foster healing and mental well-being. Doctors noted that individuals living with mental illness often expressed themselves in drawings and other artworks, which led many to explore the use of art as a healing strategy. Since then, art has become an important part of the therapeutic field and is used in some assessment and treatment techniques. Other types of creative therapies include:

  • Dance therapy
  • Drama therapy
  • Expressive therapy
  • Music therapy
  • Writing therapy

What can Art Therapy help with?

Art therapy can be used to treat a wide range of mental disorders and psychological distress. In many cases, it might be used with other psychotherapy techniques such as group therapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Some conditions that art therapy may be used to treat include:

  • Children experiencing behavioral or social problems at school or at home.
  • Children or adults who have experienced a traumatic event.
  • Children with learning disabilities.
  • Individuals living with a brain injury.
  • Aging-related issues.
  • Anxiety.
  • Cancer.
  • Depression.
  • Eating disorders.
  • Emotional difficulties.
  • Family or relationship problems.
  • Psychological symptoms associated with other medical issues.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • Adults experiencing severe stress.
  • Substance use disorder.

Benefits of Art Therapy

People do not need to have artistic ability or special talent to participate in art therapy, and people of all ages including children, teens, and adults can benefit from it. According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, less than an hour of creative activity can reduce your stress and have a positive effect on your mental health, regardless of artistic experience or talent. Our art therapist may use a variety of art methods, including drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage with clients ranging from young children to older adults. Clients who have experienced emotional trauma, physical violence, domestic abuse, anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues can benefit from expressing themselves creatively. 

Effectiveness

In studies of adults who experienced trauma, art therapy was found to significantly reduce trauma symptoms and decrease levels of depression. Also, one review of the effectiveness of art therapy found that this technique helped patients undergoing medical treatment for cancer improve their quality of life and alleviated a variety of psychological symptoms. Art therapy reduced depression and increased self-esteem in older adults living in nursing homes.

References 

Kaimal G, Ray K, Muniz J. Reduction of cortisol levels and participants’ responses following art making. Art Therapy. 2016;33(2):74-80. doi:10.1080/07421656.2016.1166832 

Regev D, Cohen-Yatziv L. Effectiveness of art therapy with adult clients in 2018—what progress has been made? Front Psychol. 2018;9. doi:10.3389%2Ffpsyg.2018.01531 Ching-Teng Y, Ya-Ping Y, Yu-Chia C. Positive effects of art therapy on depression and self-esteem of older adults in nursing homes. Social Work in Health Care. 2019;58(3):324-338. doi:10.1080/00981389.2018.1564108

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