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WHAT IS ART THERAPY?

Art therapy is a technique that combines traditional psychotherapy with the healing and transformative aspects of art and the creative process.

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WHY THIS COMBINATION?

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The process of creating art within the context of therapy allows participants a way to express feelings and experiences that seem bigger or more complex than they can fully communicate verbally.

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In essence, where we struggle to explain ourselves using words, art can be used to fill in the gaps and enhance communication of feelings, thoughts, and ideas.

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WHAT IS AN ART THERAPY SESSION LIKE?

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The layout of an art therapy session depends on:

1. The art therapist’s training, and
2. The client’s needs.

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Typically, a session will include a combination of conversation (aka traditional talk therapy) and making something using art materials.

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WHO IS ART THERAPY RIGHT FOR?

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Art therapy is not just for kids and “good artists.” In fact, art therapy can be helpful to almost all therapy clients and for a variety of concerns and diagnoses. It may be especially helpful for:

• People who tend to be naturally creative and/or artistic
• People who enjoy making things
• People who prefer to avoid direct eye contact, keep their hands busy, or keep their body moving, to be comfortable during tough conversations or with new people
• People who find themselves searching for words when they are talking about emotional concerns or emotionally-charged experiences
• People who get choked up when they try to talk about problems
• Visual and hands-on learners
• People who need a healthy outlet for strong feelings
• People who don’t know the terminology to describe their difficult or traumatic experiences, and need another way

AND MOSTLY: People who think a story is more complete and understandable with pictures and words, rather than with words alone.

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HOW ARE ART THERAPISTS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER THERAPISTS?

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Training: Art therapists are often trained as psychotherapists and counselors, with required additional education specific to art therapy. Art therapists have a Master’s Degree from an American Art Therapy Association (AATA) accredited therapy program, which is a two-year graduate level program and requires working with clients in art therapy while supervised during the graduate program.

In Minnesota, art therapists will have the notations AT, ATR-Provisional, ATR, ATR-BC, or ATCS following their name, possibly in combination with other degree or license credentials.

As a result of their training, art therapists are competent with a wide variety of art media and have an understanding of the specific therapeutic uses for each type of art-making.

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Outlook:

• Art therapists are helpers and guides. They can help select the right type of art, can help with art creation and interpretation, and can provide loose guidance for self-directed clients.
• Art therapists are holistic and integrative. They are inherently open-minded, often work collaboratively, and understand that there are many great ways to help people heal and grow; art therapy is just one item on a much larger menu.
• Art therapists are nonjudgmental about the art-making process. They don’t draw conclusions about a client’s art without their input, and they are not concerned with art being subjectively “good” or “bad.” THEY CARE ONLY THAT THE ART IS USEFUL TO THE CLIENT.

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For more information about art therapy, visit www.arttherapy.org.
Read the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) definition of art therapy at https://www.arttherapy.org/upload/2017_DefinitionofProfession.pdf

Information Provided by: Julie McGhee, MA

Art Therapy is available at our Burnsville office. To schedule an appointment for you or your child, please call us at 952-224-8990.

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