Art therapy, sometimes called creative arts therapy or expressive arts therapy, is a form of expressive therapy, which encourages people to express and understand emotions through artistic expression and through the creative process to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
The creative process involved in expressing one’s self artistically can help people to resolve issues as well as develop and manage their behaviors and feelings, reduce stress, and improve self-esteem and awareness.
You do not need to be talented or an artist to receive the benefits, and there are professionals that can work with you to dive into the underlying messages communicated through your art, which will aid in the healing process.
Art therapy can achieve different things for different people. It can be used for counseling by therapists, healing, treatment, rehabilitation, psychotherapy, and in the broad sense of the term, it can be used to massage one’s inner-self in a way that may provide the individual with a deeper understanding of him or herself.
Art therapists are trained in both therapy and art, and have studied and mastered both psychology and human development. They can help an individual, a couple, a family, or groups of people and depending on the situation, there may be numerous therapists working together as a clinical team.
Art therapists are trained to notice nonverbal symbols and metaphors that are often expressed through art and the creative process, & concepts that are usually difficult to express with words. It is through this process that the individual really begins to see the effects of art therapy and the discoveries that can be made.
If interested in becoming an art therapist visit American Art Therapy Association’s website for more information: https://www.arttherapy.org