Highlights
  • Art therapy uses various art forms (e.g., drawing, painting, photography) to help clients process emotions, confront trauma, and enhance cognitive and emotional functions in a safe, non-judgmental space.
  • Art therapy is tailored to the individual’s needs and preferred artistic mediums, focusing on the process of creation rather than the quality of the artwork.
  • Art therapy is often used as a supplemental or follow-up approach to enhance emotional processing, complementing techniques like EMDR, cognitive processing therapy, or other talk therapy approaches.
  • It has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, improve self-esteem, elevate mood, enhance sleep quality, and help clients develop coping skills, while promoting mindfulness, resilience, and emotional healing.

Creative outlets can be a helpful way to channel and process inner thoughts. Whether through music, drawing, painting, writing, or other artistic mediums, art can provide focus, improve clarity, and inspire honesty—valuable tools in the context of psychotherapy. 

Art can be used to advance cognitive functions, boost self-esteem, confront emotions, improve social skills, and reduce stress. Read on to learn how art can be applied in therapy when implemented by a qualified mental health professional.

Therapist and male clients sitting and doing art.

What Is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a therapeutic intervention that uses different forms of art—such as photography, painting, mixed media, drawing, coloring, constructing, or even playing with legos—to help clients identify and process their feelings in the therapeutic environment. 

This approach draws strength from its adaptability, allowing therapists to tailor activities to each client’s unique needs and preferred modes of expression. Art therapy is not performance-based. It focuses on the process of making the art rather than the quality of the outcome.

At its foundation, art therapy integrates principles from humanistic, psychodynamic, systemic, and cognitive behavioral therapy approaches.

How Does Art Therapy Work?

Art therapy is facilitated by a trained art therapist who helps clients express themselves through art. The approach offers clients a structured and tangible way to identify, process, and communicate feelings, particularly for those who may struggle with verbalizing emotions.

For individuals affected by trauma, art therapy can provide a sense of control and a safe space to navigate the impact of past or present events. By externalizing thoughts and emotions through art, clients can begin to process their experiences in a constructive and empowering way.

What Is the Difference Between Trauma Therapy and Art Therapy?

Trauma therapy and art therapy are both effective tools for trauma recovery, but their processes and uses are largely different. 

  • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is a specialized form of trauma therapy focused on reprocessing distressing memories. EMDR involves revisiting traumatic events while using visual stimuli (e.g., a moving object or therapist’s fingers) to help clients desensitize and reframe their experiences. EMDR is often recommended as a first form of trauma processing therapy due to the intensive nature of re-processing trauma in this way. 
  • Cognitive processing therapy (CPT): CPT is a type of CBT used specifically for treating PTSD. The approach focuses on evaluating and changing unhelpful thoughts and beliefs related to trauma, helping to adjust their perspective on the event and reduce symptoms of trauma.
  • Accelerated resolution therapy (ART): ART is a specialized form of trauma therapy focused on processing distressing memories so that the negative symptoms and sensations associated with them are gone. It is an outgrowth of EMDR, and similarly involves revisiting traumatic events while using visual stimuli (e.g., a moving object or therapist’s hand) to help clients desensitize and reframe their experiences.

Art therapy, while beneficial, typically works more gradually. It is considered a supplemental or follow-up approach and is often used alongside more intensive forms of trauma therapy. 

Common Art Therapy Activities 

Art therapy’s multidimensional approach to healing and wellness works best when the artistic activities are matched with the client’s strengths. Some common art therapy activities include: 

  • Painting, drawing, or sketching self-portraits
  • The “house-tree-person” activity
  • Using mixed media to create a self-image
  • Sculpting or modeling scenes that represent past trauma
  • Creating masks to explore emotions or identities
  • Designing personalized coping skill flashcards

Benefits of Art Therapy

Art therapy has been proven to offer numerous mental health benefits across a variety of clinical presentations, including:

  • Decreasing anxiety and depression
  • Elevating mood
  • Enhancing self-confidence and self-esteem
  • Improving sleep quality
  • Increasing motivation and engagement

Additionally, art therapy fosters mindfulness and acceptance, building resilience in the face of life’s stressors. It has been shown to directly and indirectly help clients resolve past traumas, conflicts, and stressors. 

The Bottom Line

By offering a creative, non-verbal avenue for self-expression, art therapy empowers clients to process their experiences in a meaningful way.