What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a creative form of psychotherapy that uses art, art materials, and the creative process as the primary way of communicating thoughts, feelings, and experiences, alongside talking with the art therapist.

The aim of art therapy is to offer a non-judgemental space where individuals can explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, reduce stress, and improve social, emotional, and mental health by promoting insight, self-compassion, and a sense of agency and worth.

You do not need to have any previous experience of art, have any particular skills, or be ‘good’ at art, to make use of art therapy, just a willingness to explore with art materials. Art Therapy focuses on the process of making an image or object, not the quality of the final product.

How can Art Therapy help me?

Art Therapy can be useful for a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, and trauma. Art Therapy can bring about understanding and insight into feelings, and behaviours that occur when we experience loss, bereavement, and grief. Working visually can bring clarity to situations we are facing, improve our relationships, our sense of ourselves, our self-esteem, and self-worth.

Using images, objects or even simple marks can be helpful when finding the words is hard. Creating an image, object, or using a metaphor, can act as a bridge to communication for those who find it difficult to talk about their feelings.

Art materials can be used to explore and contain difficult emotions such as anger, frustration, or pain, and these feelings can then be safely explored and understood.

Below is a list of some of the things that Art Therapy can be useful for:

 

  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Depression
  • Bereavement
  • Chronic illness
  • Life transitions
  • Improving mental health
  • Low self-esteem
  • Family challenges
  • School phobia
  • Trauma
  • Grief and Loss
  • Panic attacks
  • Post traumatic stress
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