What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy combines talk therapy and the artmaking process to help individuals make
connections with their internal experiences and the external world. It can be a powerful,
non-threatening way to communicate when words fall short or cannot quite express the
depth and breadth of our experiences.
Art therapy involves exploring the art process through colour, shape, form, texture, and
imagery using fluid and controlled art materials such as coloured pencils, pastels,
watercolour, paint, collage, mixed media, and 3d/found objects.
By exploring thoughts, feelings, values, strengths, and identities in a comfortable,
contained space with a qualified art therapist, individuals can explore their personal goals
and build self trust through the creative process.

Who is Art Therapy for?

Art therapy can be beneficial for individuals of all ages who would like to connect with their
creative side (everyone has one!) to help explore and meet their unique needs and goals.
There is no need to be an artist or to even create art regularly to benefit from art therapy;
The focus is more on the creative process than the completed product, alongside the
therapeutic relationship.

Art Therapy Myths & Truths:

• Myth: You have to be an artist to engage in art therapy.
• Fact: You do not need to have any experience with artmaking, just an openness to
  the creative process and its therapeutic potential! This can come with time as you
  learn to work with the ‘inner critic’ that might initially come up. Art therapy rests on
  the belief that all individuals are inherently creative and expressive.
• Myth: Art therapy is just artmaking in a session.
• Fact: Art therapy involves the therapeutic relationship at its core. A trusted
  relationship with the therapist is key to exploring thoughts and feelings. Art therapy
  does not always involve artmaking – other therapeutic tools are always used to help
  support the client and guide the sessions.
• Myth: Art therapy replaces other existing therapy techniques.
• Fact: Art therapy can complement other therapeutic modalities such as Cognitive
  Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectal Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and
  Committment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness, as well as Narrative, Somatic, and Play
  Therapy approaches.

Benefits of Art Therapy

• Identity exploration
• Build self-expression, self-esteem, and self-compassion
• Process/cope with trauma (grief, loss, separation)
• Improve symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Support neurodiverse ways of thinking & learning
• Explore holistic mind-body connections and bottom-up processing
• Compliment mindfulness, distress tolerance, and self-regulation tools
• Build coping skills through the creative process