How art therapy benefits you
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a type of psychotherapy involving creative self expression. Through the use of various visual arts materials (such as paint, clay, pencils, and oil pastels) clients can practice non-verbal and symbolic self-expression for the purposes of healing and restoring wellness. In an Art Therapy session, art-making occurs within a specially attuned therapeutic relationship and is rooted in evidence-based research which indicates that creative expression can foster healing and mental well-being.
During an art therapy session, clients work with a licensed art therapist to explore emotions, engage in and the non-verbal practice of art-making to process otherwise difficult/uncomfortable topics. Through the art making process, clients can connect through metaphor, and symbolism within to help discover resolutions and insights.
Art therapy utilizes many techniques such as collage, drawing, painting, photography, and sculpting to promote mental health and wellbeing. This practice, as a profession, began in the mid 20th century. The term Art Therapy was first coined by a British artist named Adrian Hill, who discovered the cognitive and somatic benefits of art-making while recovering from tuberculosis in a sanatorium. It has since been widely practiced and researched as an effective therapeutic modality which can benefit people of all ages regardless of ailments.
How can art therapy help you?
Art Therapy builds resilience, increases healthy coping skills, resolves unhelpful behavioral patterns and heightens self-esteem. Art therapy is useful in its unconventional approach using nonverbal cues to treat a variety of mental and physical illnesses.
It is an effective therapeutic intervention which helps to cultivate self-esteem and awareness, improve cognitive and motor abilities, supports the resolution of conflicts or stress, and inspires resilience in patients. The tactile nature of working with various materials in art therapy also invites somatic, kinesthetic, perceptual, and sensory symbolism to aid in the process of addressing difficult issues that verbal psychotherapy simply cannot reach.
One goal of art therapy is to help the patient practice mindfulness and relaxation through the act of creating art, which then allows individuals to feel safe enough within their body and mind to focus on being attuned with their emotions. Practicing mindfulnes is a skill that can be especially helpful in treating symptoms of anxiety and trauma. Engaging in any level of creative process in Art Therapy as simple as coloring or as complex as painting can impact stress levels to drop exponentially in patients. Helping the patient learn to relax ultimately frees up internal real estate enough so that they can focus on other things in therapy like processing more challenging emotions, improving their independent capacity for emotional release, and prepares patients to be able to face the exploration of their traumas safely. To learn more about how art therapy can help, click HERE.
Who does art therapy help?
Are you wondering who art therapy can help? Art therapy can help children, teens and adults dealing with anxiety, depression, mental illness, substance abuse, family or relationship issues, (and more) regardless of age, gender, and cultural differences.
You might benefit from therapy if:
You have a feeling that you might be over-imposing on your friends or family members with excess venting
The advice you receive from friends and family doesn’t feel validating
You’ve tried hard to cope with certain issues for months (or even years) and are not seeing the improvements that you want
You’re worried about yourself, or your future
You notice unhelpful behavioral patterns, but can’t seem to identify effective ways to change your behaviors on your own
You feel misunderstood, alone, or isolated
You feel overwhelmed
Your relationships with friends or a partner is suffering
You find yourself repeating unhelpful cycles
You feel disconnected to your emotions and needs
Signs that Art Therapy Might be Right for you:
Are you wondering if art therapy might be right for you? Art therapy works best with those that are feeling motivated in their self-improvement journey and are seeking alternative approaches to therapy. If talk therapy hasn’t worked for you, it might be time to give art therapy a try!
Art therapy might be right for you if:
You're looking for new ways to self-improve and wanting to try a creative and holistic approach to therapy.
You are inspired by or appreciate the “arts” ( galleries, music, writing, ballets, theater, etc).
You’ve been frequently invalidated throughout your life and you feel misunderstood or mislabeled.
You feel that traditional “talk” therapy has fallen short and you want to try a different approach to therapy.
You’re interested in expressing yourself non-verbally and you have trouble accessing or expressing emotions verbally.
You want to tap into a deeper connection with yourself and build a more authentic version of yourself.
You want to improve self-compassion and practice self-love.
You want to improve self-esteem and build confidence.
Work with An Art Therapist
Feeling ready to try Art Therapy? Check out our website HERE. We are teamed with highly effective and empathic Art Therapists with immediate availability that can offer free consultations and services for adults, children, and teens. Now is the time for you to begin reconnecting with yourself and benefit from the healing potential of creative arts therapy!