What Is Art Therapy? Ways Creative Expression Supports Mental Health and Well-Being

Where Art Therapists Work

Art therapists practice in a variety of health care and community settings, such as:

• Hospitals and psychiatric units (including psychiatry departments)
• Rehabilitation and trauma centers
• Cancer treatment centers
• Veteran services for post-traumatic stress
• Correctional facilities and reentry programs
• Private practice
• Schools (including services for students with autism or behavioral issues)
• Senior care centers supporting older adults with dementia

Art therapy can serve as a standalone treatment or as part of group therapy or multidisciplinary teams. Programs often use creative art therapy to increase quality of life and foster social skills in clients with complex needs.

How Art Therapy Works

Art therapy sessions are structured environments where clients engage in creative tasks with therapeutic guidance. A session might involve:

• Drawing your safe place
• Painting a memory or dream
• Using sculpture to represent emotional states
• Creating a visual diary

Clients reflect on their artwork with the therapist to uncover meaning, process trauma, or shift perspective. It is often the process—not the product—that leads to healing.

The therapeutic impact of creative expression is grounded in neuroscience. Engaging in art-making activates sensory pathways and helps regulate the nervous system. This supports trauma resolution and emotional processing.

Dr. Cathy Malchiodi, a prominent figure in the field of art therapy, highlights the sensory nature of the arts and their role in trauma work, stating that the arts involve “visual, tactile, olfactory, auditory, vestibular, and proprioceptive experiences,”¹⁰ which can be crucial in processing traumatic reactions that are experienced on a sensory level by mind and body. ​

Neuroscientific Foundations of Art Therapy

Art therapy engages multiple brain regions¹¹ involved in sensory processing, emotion regulation, and memory. By stimulating these areas, artmaking can facilitate the integration of traumatic memories and promote healing.​

• Regulation of the Nervous System: Creating art can help modulate the autonomic nervous system, leading to reduced stress responses. This regulation is crucial for individuals who have experienced trauma, as it aids in restoring a sense of safety and control.​
• Support for Trauma Resolution: Art therapy provides a non-verbal outlet for expressing and processing traumatic experiences. This form of expression can be particularly beneficial when verbal articulation of trauma is challenging.​
  

Art therapy’s engagement with sensory pathways and its capacity to regulate the nervous system are instrumental in supporting trauma resolution and emotional processing.

Art Therapy as Trauma-informed Practice

As awareness of trauma’s lasting impact continues to grow, the importance of trauma-informed care in mental health treatment has become undeniable. Art therapy stands out as a particularly powerful trauma-informed practice because it engages the senses, offering pathways to healing beyond traditional talk therapy.

Unlike trauma that lives only in memories or thoughts, many traumatic experiences are stored somatically—felt deeply within the body. Art therapy provides a non-verbal outlet to access and express these sensory experiences in a safe, supportive environment. As Dr. Cathy Malchiodi, a leader in the fields of art therapy and trauma intervention, explains:

Neurobiology research has taught us that we need to “come to our senses” in developing effective psychotherapeutic approaches. In working with trauma, one quickly realizes that traumatic reactions are not just a series of distressing thoughts and feelings. They are experienced on a sensory level by mind and body, a concept now increasingly echoed within a variety of theories and approaches by trauma experts.

Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, ATR-BC, LPCC

Through the creative process, art therapy invites individuals to safely explore emotions, sensations, and memories that may be too overwhelming or fragmented to verbalize. It aligns with trauma-informed principles by prioritizing safety, empowerment, and the healing potential of sensory engagement.

How NOT to Refer to Art Therapy

It’s important to distinguish between recreational art activities and clinical art therapy. True art therapy work must be guided by a qualified therapist with proper credentials. Many well-meaning programs label their services as art therapy without meeting ethical or clinical standards.

The ATCB and AATA emphasize that the term “art therapy” should only be used by credentialed professionals. When seeking help, confirm your provider has valid credentials and meets educational and clinical requirements.

What are some of the most powerful or surprising outcomes you’ve witnessed through art therapy?

The parts of you that feel awkward or self-conscious are the parts that might need a voice that doesn’t use perfect sentences. Sometimes the process of using creative expression, says more about your heart than crafted words could. Most of us get stuck because we stay in our heads trying to reason and logic our way out of things and to things. Creativity has the power to help us tap into different parts of ourselves in ways that go beyond cognitive understanding. Which can be an extreme gift, if we allow it to be.

Blake Roberts, LMFT, Three Percent Co.

Examples of Activities

Art therapy is a flexible and adaptive practice, tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual. Therapists select activities based on a client’s age, emotional goals, and presenting challenges. Whether working with children processing anxiety, veterans living with PTSD, or older adults navigating memory loss, the art-making process serves as both an assessment tool and a healing intervention.

Below are examples of art therapy activities often used in clinical and community settings:

• Substance Use Disorder(s): Combining visual arts, music, movement, and writing to provide nonverbal ways to process trauma, shame, and emotional pain.

• Autism: Creating visual routines or feelings charts to support communication and sensory regulation
  
• PTSD: Constructing trauma timelines or “safe boxes” to externalize experiences and build resilience
  
• Depression: Engaging in expressive journaling using mixed media to explore and release difficult emotions
  
• Children: Storyboarding fears through drawing to help process and verbalize anxiety
  
• Older Adults: Making memory books with collage and family photos to strengthen identity and connection
  

These creative practices allow individuals to express themselves in ways that words often cannot, promoting emotional regulation, interpersonal connection, and insight.

How have you seen art therapy make a difference in the mental health or emotional well-being of your clients, patients, or yourself?

Art therapy allows us to access feelings that often live below the surface. By giving form to those emotions through creative expression, we’re better able to understand and put words to them. There’s also a deep sense of accomplishment that comes from creating something with your own hands—something that resonates with you, which can be healing.

Jenna Parfitt, M.S., JENELLEN Glass

Examples of Works of Art Therapy

In art therapy, the final product is more than just an image, it’s a reflection of inner experience, symbolic meaning, and personal growth. The focus remains on the process of creating, rather than the visual perfection of the artwork. Still, the resulting pieces often reveal powerful narratives, insights, and themes that can guide the therapeutic journey.

Here are a few common examples of works produced in art therapy sessions:

• Personal symbols or mandalas to promote mindfulness and emotional grounding
  
• Emotional masks or self-portraits that reveal hidden aspects of identity or emotion
  
• Vision boards for recovery that illustrate hopes, goals, and steps toward healing
  
• Collaborative murals used in group settings to foster community, cooperation, and shared expression
  

Each piece becomes a tangible record of an individual’s internal world and progress over time. These works are often revisited in later sessions to spark reflection and deepen the healing process.

Healing Through Creative Expression

Art therapy reminds us that healing doesn’t always start with words, it can begin with a brushstroke, a song, or the simple act of choosing a color. In a world that often demands explanation, creative expression offers a different kind of freedom: one that welcomes the messy, the unspoken, and the deeply personal.

Whether you’re navigating trauma, managing anxiety, or simply longing to reconnect with yourself, art therapy opens a door to self-discovery and transformation. You don’t need to be an artist. You just need to be willing to explore.

If you feel hesitant or self-conscious, you’re not alone. Many people begin with uncertainty but often leave feeling surprised by what they uncover and empowered by what they create. With the guidance of a credentialed art therapist, your creative journey can become a path to insight, connection, and lasting well-being.

FAQs

Q: What is art therapy and how does it work?

A: Art therapy is a mental health practice that uses creative expression—like painting, drawing, or sculpting—as a therapeutic technique. It helps individuals explore emotions, resolve conflicts, develop self-awareness, manage behavior, and increase self-esteem.

Q: What is an example of art therapy?

A: An example of art therapy could be creating a collage to express feelings during a therapy session, helping someone process grief or trauma through visual storytelling.

Q: Is art therapy just drawing?

A: No, art therapy involves many forms of creative expression, including painting, sculpting, collage-making, and photography. Drawing is just one medium among many.

Q: What happens during an art therapy session?

A: During a session, the therapist may guide the client in creating art that reflects their emotions or experiences. Discussions about the artwork often help deepen insights and promote healing.

Q: What is Art Therapy?

A: Art therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy that integrates psychological theory and the creative process to enhance mental health and well-being.

Q: What does an art therapist do?

A: An art therapist helps clients use artistic activities to process feelings, improve coping skills, and promote personal development. They are trained in both art and clinical therapy techniques.

Q: How does art therapy work?

A: Art therapy works by giving individuals a non-verbal outlet for expressing thoughts and emotions that may be difficult to articulate. Creating art can tap into subconscious feelings, foster self-exploration, and facilitate psychological healing.

Q: What can art therapy help with?

A: Art therapy can help with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma recovery, grief, addiction, and stress management.

Q: What materials are used in art therapy?

A: Common materials include paints, clay, colored pencils, markers, collage supplies, pastels, and photography equipment. The choice of medium depends on the client’s preferences and therapeutic goals.

Q: Can art therapy benefit mental health?

A: Yes, art therapy has been shown to improve mental health by reducing stress, fostering emotional resilience, promoting mindfulness, and enhancing self-esteem.

Q: Can art therapy be used for stress relief?

A: Absolutely. Engaging in creative activities in a supportive environment can significantly reduce stress levels, allowing individuals to relax and reconnect with their emotions.

Q: Who can benefit from art therapy?

A: Art therapy can benefit people of all ages and backgrounds, including children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. It is effective for individuals experiencing mental health challenges as well as those seeking personal growth or stress relief.