What is Art Therapy?
Throughout time and across cultures, art has served as a powerful means of communication and celebration, uniting people and sharing stories. Today, art therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses visual art making as a channel to communicate our experiences and bring them into our consciousness, particularly where words fall short. Engaging with art materials gives us information on how we interact with the world around us and provides an opportunity to try new ways of being
Art therapy can be viewed on a continuum ranging from art as therapy to art psychotherapy. Art as therapy is where the simple act of being creative and engaging with various art materials can support in increasing connection to ourselves and others, problem solving, resilience and self-esteem. Art psychotherapy on the other end, describes the use of art-making as a deeper dive into one’s thoughts, feelings and experiences, set within a therapeutic relationship. This process serves as a catalyst to safely self-reflect, gain insight and explore our internal world. The therapist may ask questions and gently explore what arises for the individual.
Art therapy sessions can move along this continuum depending on the needs and goals of the participants. This could involve using a variety of materials, such as paint, clay, poetry, or collage, to create a piece that reflects their emotions or experiences. Other times, the focus may be using art materials to calm, experiment, and balance the self and nervous system, without an end product.
