This blog has been updated from the original September 2020 post.

Art therapy is a type of mental health therapy that goes beyond words. It enables a client, working with a trained Art Therapist, to address issues and experiences in ways that can feel safer and more empowering.

Creative expression can also be used to help integrate traumatic experiences. It's an active, engaging therapy that incorporates creativity and image-making to move you toward healing.

Why Art Therapy?

Some clients, especially children may not have the words for what they are going through. They seem to shut down or they don’t want to talk. And sometimes there are just no words for what a person is experiencing.

Grief, loss, and depression can rob us of the ability to express ourselves. Literally, steal our words. And anxiety can be so difficult to articulate. If trauma is part of your or your child’s story, art therapy can be a gentle healing approach that allows the expression of what seems inexpressible.

Art Therapy is about letting creative expression speak louder than words about your truth, deep feelings, and experiences.

The thought of making art might make you feel anxious. Many adults have not created art since elementary school, and have lost the freedom of expression they once enjoyed. While a client’s skills may be underdeveloped, the focus of art therapy is not on skill level or the beauty of the finished product.

There is no critique or interpretation, only validation, and curiosity to understand.

Frequently the role of an art therapist is to be an empathic guide and witness. While art therapists often demonstrate to clients how to use certain materials, the art therapy session is not an art class. There is a goal for therapy and a plan that involves creating art in some form to address issues and/or mental health symptoms.

Sometimes the art therapist may have a specific directive that will be the focus of a session. Other times, you may be encouraged to be more self-directed. Sessions usually include some verbal processing about what you have created and how it is meaningful to you. In my experience, creative expression can shine a light on wounds that have remained invisible for years, allowing them to heal.

How Does Art Therapy Work?

According to the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB):

• “Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone".

• "Kinesthetic, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic opportunities invite alternative modes of receptive and expressive communication, which can circumvent the limitations of language".

• "Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation.”

For more information about the profession of art therapy please visit the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) and the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) websites.

Free consultation for Art Therapy in San Diego

As a Therapist in San Marcos, CA, and an Art Therapist, I use Art Therapy processes with my clients to help them feel more at ease and to facilitate change. Over the years, I’ve helped children and adults tell their stories, and share their emotions in powerful ways using creative expression.

Click here to visit my contact page where you can check my availability, and book a free, phone consultation about Art Therapy.

I encourage anyone interested in participating in Art Therapy to seek out an art therapist credentialed through the Art Therapy Credential Board. The ATCB credentialing ensures the educational and professional standards needed to be a qualified art therapist are met and maintained.  This is essential in any mental health field to provide an ethical standard of care and improve treatment outcomes.

Thank you for visiting my website. If you found this blog helpful, please share it within your networks.