Art therapy offers an effective approach by tapping into your own ability to solve problems and articulating visually that which is difficult to express in words. 

The creative and art making process can provide insight, improve self-awareness, build self-confidence, cultivate problem-solving skills and provide a meaningful and transcendent experience that can improve mood and reduce distress.

The type of artwork done or reviewed in an art therapy session is tailored to each individual’s strengths, interests and therapy goals. The art therapist does not judge or analyze the artwork, rather helps each individual find personal meaning in their own expressions. Art materials can include painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, sculpture, photography, writing, poetry, mixed media and more. As needed, the art therapist will support you in choosing materials and learning what you need to know to use them. No art experience or talent is necessary to experience benefits from art therapy, and the process of creation can be as therapeutic and rewarding as the completed piece.

Art therapy offers opportunity to:

• Build self-esteem and reduce feelings of not being “good enough”
• Develop coping skills for managing anxiety and depression
• Process and integrate traumatic experiences
• Process and explore transitions
• Explore future goals
• Discover and define your sense of self
• Develop confidence and a sense of mastery
• Foster a sense of play, experimentation and exploration
• Expand your comfort zone and develop a more expansive sense of self
• Explore difficult feelings and emotions symbolically in a non-confrontational way
• Work with metaphor and symbolic language, which can offer some distance and be less threatening than directly speaking about a particular issue
• Have an experience that inherently lowers anxiety and relieves stress
• Have fun!

You might benefit from art therapy if:

• You have felt stuck in traditional talk therapy
• You’ve had an overwhelming experience that you can’t process with words
• You are open to an alternative approach to therapy
• You’d prefer to express yourself non-verbally
• Art has always been a natural way of expression for you OR you’ve never done art before 

Art therapy sessions are usually 50 minutes long and involve a combination of talking and making art. Some people like to talk and make art at the same time, while others prefer to focus on their artwork and speak about it afterwards. It depends on what is most comfortable for you.

"Art therapists support creative processes for decision-making and problem solving, as well as, meaning-making and healing." -The American Art Therapy Association