What is art therapy?
Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone.
No artistic skill or ability is needed to participate in art therapy.
It's about the process, not the product.
"Art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem." (AATA, 2013) One goal of art therapy is improve well-being and functioning- through the creative process.
Art therapy can be practiced in any mental health setting, school, community center under a trained licensed professional in service of treating a variety of individuals, couples, families, groups of people to effectively support the healing of medical, emotional, educational, developmental, psychological, social, traumatic impairment.
Art can help illuminate your internal world.
When you engage in communicating and engaging in a creative process, both the left and right hemispheres of the brain are stimulated promoting interconnectedness.
Art Therapy helps people resolve conflicts, improve interpersonal skills, manage problematic behaviors, reduce negative stress, and achieve personal insight. Art therapy also provides an opportunity to enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of art making. (AATA, 2013)
