Art Therapy

The main premise of art therapy is that art is healing. Although there is a difference between art therapy and expressive arts therapy, this article will include both to give you a more general sense of the available services available. Art therapy in its purest form refers to the use of techniques from the visual arts in therapy (e.g., drawing, painting, sculpting, finger painting, carving, making collages, etc.). Expressive arts therapy is inclusive of all the arts, also extending to music/rhythm, dance/movement, drama, and ritual.  

Some art therapists may approach art therapy as a type of depth psychology, believing that the unconscious contents of the psyche are symbolized in the art and projected onto the relationship between the client and the therapist through the art. The two primary types of depth psychology include psychoanalysis (Freudian) or analytic psychology (Jungian). In these approaches, the focus is on the therapist’s interpretation of the client’s process and art. Other art therapists may approach art psychotherapy from a more client-centered perspective and instead focus their interpretation on the client’s verbal descriptions of their artwork. Lastly, other art therapists are less focused on analyzing the art and instead focus more on the creative process as healing. 

Regardless of the form or approach, art therapy is used to help various psychological and psychosomatic disorders, such as:

∙ Depression

∙ Anxiety

∙ Trauma/PTSD

∙ Substance abuse and addiction disorders

∙ Eating disorders

∙ Psychotic disorders

In additions to reducing symptoms associated with mental health disorders, art therapy is also used for alleviating subclinical ailments such as:

∙ Reducing stress/tension

∙ Reducing self-harming behaviors

∙ Improving self-esteem

∙ Improving social skills

∙ Promoting relaxation and wellbeing

Art therapy can also improve symptoms associated with physical and medical conditions, such as:

∙ Alzheimer’s disease  

∙ Pain management/physical tension

∙ Head injuries

∙ Developmental and intellectual disabilities

∙ Physical disabilities

∙ High blood pressure/heart rate

Because art therapy is so diverse in form and application, its benefits and how it works may vary. Most generally, whatever the form, it can reduce stress and agitation, and it can be a mindfulness practice that helps bring one’s attention to the present moment. On the other hand, it can be a great distraction technique for chronic conditions that can reduce the experience of pain. Although art can be relaxing, it can also be energizing, as when using dance/movement therapy, for example. It can also promote motivation toward physical therapy goals by making the exercises more fun. Art therapy is also often used in group therapy settings, which can help to improve self-esteem and social skills.         

Art therapy can be beneficial to individuals working through trauma. The act of coloring, for example, can help a person to stay grounded and present while talking about difficult experiences so that they can process traumatic memories. Moreover, art is an excellent tool for projection, so clients can manipulate artwork symbolic of their traumas as a means of working through it. This externalization of the trauma can also help clients feel safe in their own bodies while accessing and working through traumatic memories.   

Trauma is often at the root of substance abuse and addiction, and art therapy can also be a powerful tool for treating these struggles. The combination of art and therapy facilitate self-exploration into denial, compulsive behaviors, depression, or other factors that perpetuate substance abuse and addictive behaviors. Clients also find other means to feel good without using mind-altering substances. 

Art therapy, especially music therapy, can help to improve memory in dementia patients. Music therapy was studied in this way by Dr. Oliver Sacks. The following video illustrates the seemingly miraculous recovery of memory and sense of self, at least temporarily, by patients with dementia: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HLEr-zP3fc&t=185s

If this video interests you and you would like to see more, these video clips were taken from the documentary Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory.

Although art therapy sessions may not have any specific structure or rules, here is an idea of what a few types of art therapy might be like:

 Visual/tactile art:  This might include drawing, painting, coloring, doodling, creating collages, sculpting, woodworking, ceramics, or using some other medium. There might be a prompt or theme, or clients might be encouraged to create freely from their imagination and feelings.

Music therapy:  Clients might create a playlist of their favorite music and explore thoughts, memories, feelings, or other evoked associations. Alternatively, a client might play an instrument, such as a drum, to create sounds representing their feelings.       

Movement/dance:  The body stores memories and traumas. Dance or other types of movement can allow for the processing and releasing of memories stored at the somatic level. The movement can be choreographed as in a dance or acting, or it can be free form, letting the body take the lead to express itself in whatever way feels right.      

Creative writing:  This might include writing poetry, autobiographical narratives, or other storytelling forms. 

Art therapy can combine any or all of these techniques with various other therapeutic approaches and modalities. For example, an art therapist might have a client make a mask that expresses feelings they are working through and have that client wear that as they pretend to speak with people in their lives to whom they wish they could express this part of themselves (a technique borrowed from Gestalt therapy). Or, they might make several masks that represent different parts of themselves and wear these masks as a means of allowing different, possibly conflicting, aspects of themselves to communicate (this concept is adapted from Internal Family Systems therapy).  

In addition to the improvements in symptoms and psychological wellbeing, there are physiological benefits of art at the neurological level. Creating art promotes whole-brain thinking, and functions are more widely distributed throughout the brain. This has been shown to be beneficial in stroke survivors. For example, artists (who often engage in whole-brain thinking) were less affected by the stroke and recovered more quickly than non-artists. Dance not only promotes cardiovascular health but can also improve coordination and balance. Playing an instrument or drawing can fine-tune motor skills.

Art therapy has even been shown to help people manage chronic pain and recovery. Although it may not eliminate the pain or need for pain medication, it can help reduce the stress and anxiety it often causes by shifting the focus from the painful stimuli to something more relaxing and enjoyable. Thus, engaging in creative activities can empower individuals who suffer from chronic or temporary pain to improve their mood, emotional state, and quality of life.

It’s important to emphasize that no artistic skills or talents are required to benefit from art therapy. It’s about the process, not the product. Sometimes words aren’t adequate to communicate a feeling or memory. Sometimes a feeling or memory isn’t even consciously accessible. Art provides the body and the unconscious mind a medium to communicate things that might be preverbal, repressed, or somaticized.     

Ultimately, the philosophy underlying art therapy is that artistic self-expression has therapeutic value, and an art therapist can assist their clients in understanding the deeper meaning in their art as a means of healing and self-discovery. An art therapist is trained to interpret how color, texture, form, and other visual components of one’s art relate to their thoughts, emotions, personality, symptoms, or other psychological phenomena.