You often hear people say that a certain hobby is therapeutic for them, but it’s unlikely that said activity is an actual clinical treatment. Well, it turns out that creating artwork like painting, drawing, and coloring is truly therapeutic.
Art Therapy is an integrative treatment that helps individuals develop self-esteem and clarity of thought. By encouraging visual, symbolic, and kinesthetic expression, art therapists empower individuals to speak with more than just verbal language. By expressing themselves through various artistic utensils and processes, people can gain greater insight into how their minds work.
Individuals work with different media of expression (clay, canvas and collages; drawing, painting and coloring), and discuss how the process feels. The treatment encourages individual and communal transformation and improves prospects for personal growth.
Art therapy has presented as an efficacious treatment for many mental health conditions.
Let’s take a closer look.
What Can Art Therapy Treat?
Art therapy treats a broad spectrum of mental health disorders, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Psychosocial conditions
- Stress-related problems
- Substance use disorder
Art therapy is also used to treat pain by directing mental focus away from the painful stimulus. This helps people relax and better manage their emotional state. Harvard Health cited a study from The Arts in Psychotherapy of 200 people hospitalized for a medical issue or surgery, noting, “The researchers found that participating in art therapy for an average of 50 minutes significantly improved their moods, and lowered levels of pain and anxiety.”
Additionally, art therapy is used with other serious medical conditions and as an ancillary treatment for cancer.
Where Can An Art Therapy Session Be Conducted?
Art therapists treat patients in different settings, including individual, couples, families, and groups in a variety of locations:
- Community clinics
- Crisis centers
- Hospitals
- Private practice
- Psychiatric and rehabilitation centers
- Schools
- Senior communities
- Veterans clinics
Who Can Be An Art Therapist?
Art Therapy is an emerging discipline and requires practicing professionals to have a masters-level education in art therapy or a similar degree. Some states may also require that individuals be accredited by a national art therapy board (such as the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB)).
A masters-level qualification is required for entry-level practice in art therapy and is a prerequisite for board certification. There are also undergraduate majors, but these don’t qualify you to practice, according to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA).
Chicago Mind Solutions Art Therapy
Chicago Mind Solutions provides a multifaceted approach to art therapy that offers patients diverse forms of expression. For more information on this treatment, as well as all of our therapeutic services, please contact us at (224) 723-5050 or email info@chicagomindsolutions.com.
