What Is Art Therapy?
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Art therapy can be a helpful method of therapy for various forms of mental illness, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. Many people may find healing through expressing themselves with different art mediums such as painting, clay modeling, and even dance in art therapy. This article will describe what art therapy is, how art therapy works, and how you can get art therapy online.
Whether you're a prospective art therapy patient or considering a career as a credentialed art therapist, this field of therapy can be exciting and deeply fulfilling. It can promote self-expression, self-exploration, emotional release, increased self-esteem, stress relief, and the development of positive coping skills, and it may be beneficial for those who are experiencing intense emotional responses to past trauma.
Art therapy is defined by the American Art Therapy Association as, “a mental health profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.” According to the American Psychological Association (APA), it generally involves using artistic activities in psychotherapy and rehabilitation.
Art therapists often believe that patients can improve their psychological well-being by expressing emotions, feelings, and experiences visually. Active art-making and creative art activity can be messy and unexpected, and the creative arts process is generally more important than the end product.
Art therapy vs. expressive arts therapy
The International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) defines expressive arts therapy as combining the visual arts, movement, drama, music, writing, and other creative processes that can foster profound personal growth and community development. In a single art therapy session or throughout several meetings, an expressive art therapist works to integrate different therapeutic processes that can flow into one another, depending on the client's needs and goals.
Within the framework of expressive arts therapy, some therapists may receive more education on a specific form. If you're looking for an art therapist with an exceptionally creative background, you may seek out dance, drama, poetry, or music therapy, for example. It is sometimes beneficial to review each therapist's education and professional credentials before committing to working with them.
Benefits of art
Art therapy may have several mental health benefits, including:
- Emotional release: Art therapy is potentially able to provide a healthy outlet to express and work through difficult emotions and to let go of emotions and beliefs that don't serve you.
- Self-esteem: While the outcome or piece of art isn't necessarily the goal, you can develop renewed confidence as you discover new abilities through the process of creative expression.
- Self-Exploration: Making art often allows people to explore feelings or themes that may be tricky to express in words.
- Stress relief: Recent research indicates that art therapy can improve stress and emotional control. When we make art, scientists believe we can achieve a trance-like "flow" state that reduces levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
An average art therapy session
During an art therapy session, you might engage in some of the following activities:
- Making collages
- Starting a sketchbook
- Taking and discussing photographs
- Sculpting
- Experimenting with textiles
Patients and therapists shouldn't feel limited to "traditional" modes in art therapy. The art therapy approach is able to empower patients to uncover new strategies to enhance their mental health and creative practices.
How to get trained as an art therapist
More art therapists are seeking additional training to become board-certified in art therapy to meet the demand for creative therapy. The road to becoming an art therapist can vary depending on the artistic focus. Still, at a minimum, professional standards and educational requirements to practice art therapy even in an entry-level practice typically include both a bachelor's and master's degree.
According to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), art therapy students must take a range of psychological courses and complete at least 600 hours of a supervised clinical internship, in addition to 100 hours of supervised practicum, which usually involves both observation and practice for course credit.
Students may also take courses in studio art, such as drawing, painting, clay sculpting, and other forms, depending on their interests. In most programs, art therapists are trained in both psychological treatments and artistic methods, so an art class is an action you can take to help define these skills.
The American Art Therapy Association education
If you're interested in pursuing art therapy as a trained professional, the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) offers a convenient list of schools that offer accredited art therapy programs. After completing a master's degree in art therapy, most people pursue licensure, a process whose requirements can vary by state, and national credentialing, which will allow these therapists to serve patients in a variety of diverse settings, from independent practices to work with wellness centers.
The Art Therapy Credentials Board usually administers the following national credentials:
- Provisional Registered Art Therapist (ATR-Provisional)
- Registered Art Therapist (ATR)
- Certification (ATR-BC)
- Art Therapy Certified Supervisor (ATCS)
The AATA provides a helpful overview of art therapy credentials and licensure. Expressive arts therapists usually complete separate but similar training. You may visit the IEATA Education and Training Directory for more information. This resource is potentially beneficial in helping prospective therapists identify graduate-level programs in this growing field of therapy.
Settings that include treatment from art therapists
Art therapists work in various settings with people of all ages, from young children to older adults, and with varied mental health goals. Art therapy settings can include:
- Crisis counseling centers
- Inpatient mental health clinics
- Community clinics
- Schools (may require additional training for work with children)
- Hospitals
- Long-term rehabilitation and care facilities
- Own practice
Online therapy
Online art therapy is an increasingly popular option for therapists and patients. Working with a licensed art therapist through a digital platform allows patients to find creative inspiration from the comfort of their homes. After working through the pandemic, many art therapists now have the tools to adapt art-making to the virtual world.
Whether you prefer video calls to showcase your artwork or phone calls to read a poem, an online therapist can honor your communication preferences and help you integrate creativity into a busy schedule. Research and various peer-reviewed studies have indicated that virtual art therapy is an effective tool for some patients and professionals. Online therapy platforms such as BetterHelp are a great place to start searching for an online art therapist.
Takeaway
Commonly asked questions about art therapy:
Art therapy is an applied psychological theory that often uses creative production to improve the client’s mental well-being, boost their self-awareness, promote healing, and cope with various symptoms of mental health disorders.
Peer-reviewed studies have found that seeing and appreciating art can promote health and support a healthier, more adaptive response to stress. The flow-like state that some people may enter while doing art has often been linked to improved cognition, enhanced creativity, and mindfulness.
Activities for art therapy
Any activity that involves the creative process of making art for therapeutic purposes can be considered art therapy, and art therapists are usually trained to identify which types of activities may work best for each client. For example, a session could include any of the following art therapy exercises:
- Finger painting
- Drawing
- Coloring or painting
- Sculpting
- Carving
- Pottery
- Photography
Like other types of therapy, art therapy can improve a person’s mental health and well-being. According to the Art Therapy Credentials Board, treatment services can be useful for:
- Coping with serious medical diagnoses and health challenges
- Those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- People with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, substance use, bipolar disorder (bipolar art therapy), and more.
- People coping with grief and loss
- Those who want to develop better social skills
- Those who want to improve self-esteem, self-awareness, and personal insight
How do you do art therapy?
Art therapists are usually trained in both art and psychology, so they can use a variety of tools during art therapy sessions. To become an one, you may need to fulfill a number of education requirements, including a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field, a master’s degree in this field or a related field, and various professional credentials.
These professionals can work in many different settings, including non-public practices, outpatient rehabilitation centers, community organizations, and home visits for people with mental health disorders or disabilities who could benefit from creative and arts therapies.
Can art therapists diagnose?
Only licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, and medical doctors can diagnose mental health disorders.
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