What is Art Therapy? The Basics
When most people think of art, they think of something used to decorate a home or something that can be viewed in a gallery. They think of great artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci or Vincent van Gogh. But what about a different use of art: art therapy? The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as “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.” Wow, that’s a lot. Let’s break this down a little bit. Typical therapy is called “talk therapy,” also known as psychotherapy. A patient speaks to a therapist about what is bothering him or her as a way of resolving conflicts and expressing feelings. Art therapy is an alternative or supplement to talk therapy, and is especially beneficial if a person cannot find the words to express a feeling or problem. The patient creates a piece of art that is typically based on a personal experience, emotion, or thought, and the art therapist helps the patient interpret the artwork. It’s very important that the therapist does not do the interpreting for the patient because of how easy it is for a person to project their own beliefs and feelings onto an image. Instead, the therapist helps the patient reflect on their own work in order to process and understand a problem.