A Brief Description of Art Therapy

Art therapy is different to an art class and a little like counselling. Art Therapists are trained to listen and support people in expressing themselves through artwork.
Like counselling, everything you create and talk about during the art therapy session is confidential.
You do not have to be good at art to enjoy doing art therapy because the emphasis of the therapy is on experimenting with the art materials and beginning to feel safe to try new things out.
The art therapist helps to demonstrate how the various art materials can be used.
Each art therapy session, you will be given a wide range of art materials to choose from.
Each art therapy session goes for one hour. During this time, the art therapist supports you as you create art. Sometimes it is helpful to talk about the art work and sometimes it is helpful to just look at it together with the art therapist.
Every clients’ art work is stored safely for them and kept confidential.

Benefits of Art Therapy

Doing art therapy opens up opportunities to express yourself both verbally and visually. The art therapist listens to you and supports you to explore ways of expressing yourself through art media.
Art therapy can help to externalise problems. It can feel good to put painful thoughts and feelings into an artwork and this can be seen and thought about by the art therapist.
Working with art materials can be refreshing and open up new ways of seeing things and creative solutions.
Sometimes trauma is processed in a gentle, nonverbal way, using art therapy.
The enjoyment of becoming absorbed in creating art can distract from pain and build upon a sense of achievement and satisfaction.
Choice is encouraged during art therapy. This promotes self agency and confidence.