A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

Why art therapy helps us illustrate our emotions when we can’t find the words.

What is art therapy?

Art therapy is a creative and expressive therapeutic modality that is used by trained art therapists to support individuals in expressing their feelings, emotions, and their true selves. Art therapists work to support those who struggle with medical and mental health problems, as well as those that want to grow emotionally, creatively, and spiritually. They work with individuals of all ages, diverse populations, and in a variety of settings by engaging with different art forms to increase and foster self-expression!

Art therapy has many benefits

Art therapy is a way to help clients tap into their inner thoughts, feelings, and experiences through creative expression. Therapists can use kids’ art to encourage them to talk about the images to promote insight and think through the meaning behind their work. Art therapy has shown to be very cathartic because it can provide a great sense of relief: engaging in art therapy can reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of stress, and improve overall functioning. Believe it or not, there’s science behind art therapy! When kids engage in the creative process, it can enhance their brain function by impacting brain wave patterns and emotions while increasing serotonin levels.

Art therapy is great for our population of clients

Many of the youth we serve are unable to provide words to describe how they’re feeling. By utilizing art therapy techniques that engage their body and minds through visual and symbolic expressions, it provides them a way to give a voice to their creations – which can be so empowering for them. Art therapy can improve communication, concentration and promote motor and sensory functions that help stimulate the brain – which helps our youth get more out of therapy.

Many of the kids we work with experience strong emotions that stem from trauma – art therapy can be an outlet. Whether it’s through drawing, painting, coloring, or sculpting, art therapy empowers us to tap into our inner thoughts, feelings, and experiences through creative expression.