What is Art Therapy?

​Art Therapy is the process of using the therapeutic qualities of art to foster self-awareness and cope with life experiences. Art in the therapeutic setting is used as a tool to work with clients in a variety of mediums. Drawing, painting, doodling, sculpture pottery, photography, etc. can all be employed as a vehicle for self discovery, working on problems, and fostering communication. The ground work for the discipline of art therapy was laid in the late 1930’s by a diverse group of professionals such as psychologists, social workers, nurses, educators, and psychiatrists who were gaining an understanding of the therapeutic implications and uses of art as a modality.

The process of Art Therapy is one that is done through the guidance and support of a professional therapist and is a type of psychotherapy. Art Therapy incorporates a non-verbal means of expression, which can be less threatening to the client than traditional therapy. The central concept important to art therapy is that all the marks made on paper, all the colors and graphic gestures chosen, are extensions of oneself and what the individual is thinking and feeling. Therefore, a therapist can use any drawing as a projective technique. When using art as a vehicle for psychotherapy, both the product and the associate references may be used in an effort to help the individual find more compatible relationships between his or her inner and outer worlds. The process of working with art rather than initial verbal communication is what makes art therapy valuable as an adjunctive therapy and especially helpful for those for whom words are too easy or too hard. When we use words we often censor ourselves. The use of art in therapy can be an accelerated route to the unspoken conflicts often involved in family or individual crises or dysfunctions. The process itself of using art materials has been shown to have inherent therapeutic effects. Through graphic or sculptural expression of feelings such as anger, guilt, or fear, emotions may be explored safely and may at the same time be resolved and/or integrated. Sequestered energies may be released and destructive impulses channeled, all without the use of words. Art can be symbolic speech for an individual; this in turn acts as a stimulus, which often leads to an increase in verbalization. Through the process of making art, clients develop greater self-awareness, increase verbal and listening skills, better cope with stress, improve self-esteem, and gain social skills. There are two ways that art may be used therapeutically:

I. Art as therapy

Art as therapy is concerned with art expression for academic, aesthetic, or cultural aims. This approach may be provided by individuals who are art therapists, therapeutic art educators, or therapeutic artists who help individuals use art as an outlet for creative expression. This approach implies that producing artwork is an end in itself–that the creative process can be a means both of reconciling emotional conflicts and of fostering self-awareness and personal growth. This approach is more product-oriented.

II. Art in therapy

Art in therapy is used as a vehicle for psychotherapy. Both the product and associate references may be used in an effort to help individuals find more compatible relationships between their inner and outer worlds. This approach is provided by a certified/registered clinical art therapist or a certified/registered art psychotherapist. Art is used as a vehicle for communication for the purpose of developing insight and for resolving emotional conflicts–the art is used to symbolically understand what is happening within an individual. It is art expression that lends itself to exploration and as a result, to the adjustment of individuals to life. In this approach the art therapist is more concerned with an individual’s inner experience and in assisting individuals to make connections to help resolve emotional conflicts. Process, form, content, and verbal associations become important for what each reflects about personality development, personality traits, and the unconscious. The approach is process-oriented.

Why Art Therapy?

Behavioral issues often arise because an individual did not get to fully process a life event, in turn adaptation to his or her environment can be challenging. I use my training in Art Therapy to gain perspective as to what is occurring in a child’s world. Children tend to express themselves in a non-verbal way often using metaphors instead of direct language, Art Therapy provides an environment where a child can safely reenact issues in order to form new responses. This therapeutic process is one that helps a child overcome obstacles in order to bring about awareness and understanding.

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Benefits of Art Therapy

Anyone can benefit from Art Therapy. It has been shown to be beneficial for children, teens, and adults – in individual, family, or group sessions. Art therapists work with people of all ages with varying degrees of functional or organic impairment. They may practice in the following clinical, educations or rehabilitative settings: schools, growth centers, hospitals, community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals and clinics, geriatric centers, drug and alcohol clinics, private or public institutions for emotionally disturbed or physically handicapped persons, and family service agencies.  Art in a therapeutic setting is used as a tool to provide exploration and communication and to foster healing. The art process is able to access areas of the brain that are not available through verbal communication, which is an important asset of this modality. Some of the benefits of Art therapy are:

  • It is a less threatening approach than direct methods of confrontation. Graphic images become the “scapegoat” in dealing with threatening feelings, i.e., “the person in that picture appears as if they are no longer alive.”
  • Clients can metaphorically release issues, often without words. Feelings and emotions can be expressed non-verbally.
  • Puts actions into own hands – encourages self-initiation and helps clients claim space. The therapeutic art making process is an “active” not passive process.
  • Greatly enhances learning and promotes creative problem solving.
  • Encourages self-nurturing, reaching out, and asking for help.
  • Encourages self-expression and improves self-esteem.
  • Increases motivation and a sense of industry/accomplishment.
  • Provides a shared experience – encourages interaction and a sense that one is not alone in the world.
  • Helps to develop social skills.
  • Provides a way to “see” self. Process and product are the self — the way in which a client goes about putting his/her creation together, tells as much about the client as the final product does.
  • Ego strength building – provides structure, containment, and safety to strengthen the “self.”
  • Provides stimulation for the senses, relaxation, and helps to reduce tension, stress, and hyperactivity.
  • Encourages responsibility.
  • Increases verbal skills, listening, and attending.
  • Provides a bridge to the outside world.
  • Helps to organize during times of crisis and transition.
  • Is a gentle way to heal and repair from trauma.
  • Useful for depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, and more.
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How Will I Be Part of my Child's Therapy?

After each therapy session your child may invite you into the therapeutic space to show you what they have created; this is a normal part of the self-empowerment process. If your child does not share their work they may still need time and space to work through the mastery of obstacles. On occasion specific directives will be given to be working at home in between sessions; this is where you can support the therapeutic process.

Throughout the therapeutic process I will communicate with you and your child to discuss what themes are addressed during the sessions. I am available to answer any concerns or questions that may come up along the way. I am here to support you and your child during this journey, you will not be alone during this process.

Castle Rock Child Counseling specializes in art therapy and is a child therapist near me if you live in downtown Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Sedalia, or Roxborough.