What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a practice that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Useful to clients of all ages, art therapy is based on the belief that process of creative expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight.

Art therapy combines theories of human development, visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other media), and the creative process with models of counseling and psychotherapy. Art therapy is used with children, adolescents, adults, older adults, groups, and families to assess and treat such issues as: anxiety, depression, and other emotional problems and disorders; mental illness; substance abuse and other addictions; family and relationship issues; abuse and domestic violence; social and emotional difficulties related to physical disability and medical illness; and trauma and loss.

You do not need to consider yourself an "artist" to benefit from the art therapy process! You only need an open mind and a willingness to express yourself in new ways.

For more about the art therapy profession, visit the American Art Therapy Association website: www.arttherapy.org.