Art Therapy: isn’t it just arts and crafts?
Guest Blog Written By: Lindsey Keyser Ball, LPC, ATR-BC, mental health therapist and board certified art therapist. Lindsey practices virtually in Arizona and Michigan.
When I was going through grad school and having conversations with people about becoming an art therapist and my future career, I often had the experience of people responding with “oh, isn’t that just for kids?” or “oh, like doing arts and crafts?” I’m sure the comments were offered from a place of sincerity, and/or naivety, but I also sensed an unsaid minimization of the potential of art therapy. So, this blog is an effort to clear up these misconceptions.
What art therapy is and isn’t
Art therapy can be used in a couple different ways. Art as therapy, is the engagement in your creative process, where the act itself is the therapy. This often takes place in community art studios, or other non-clinical settings. Art in therapy occurs when working clinically on specific mental health treatment goals, where the art therapist will use art to help facilitate the therapeutic process and address specific treatment goals. This often takes place in counseling centers, agencies, or other clinical settings. And needless to say, art therapy can be useful to all ages, and a wide array of treatment issues, ranging from trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.
For clarity when seeking services, art therapy is a mental health service provided by a clinician who has completed a Master’s degree in Art Therapy. I encourage clinicians and clients to engage in whatever creative process calls to you, but for true art therapy, the credentials to look for are ATR or ATR-BC.
And yes, arts and crafts is beneficial and can be art therapy, when working with an art therapist. Certainly there is benefit to engaging regularly with your creative side, getting into the flow state to help reduce stress, letting go of time and hopefully of the inner critic. Adding the benefit of the guidance of an art therapist, adds a trained professional’s feedback (we don’t analyze or tell you who you are), where they can work with you on specific goals using your creativity for building insight, problem solving, and increased self-expression and awareness.
Can art therapy help me?
YES!... and no? I don’t proclaim that art therapy is for everyone. One of the only pre-requisite’s is having an openness to the idea, much like engaging in any type of therapy. After that is met, then yes, I haven’t found a person that couldn’t benefit from it in some way. Oftentimes, one of the roadblocks that I hear from people is “but I am not creative”. This often stems from early childhood experiences where a person’s innate creativity may have been judged by a teacher, parent, peers, or even themselves when starting to notice differences between self and others, in which they then internalized the message that art and creativity as something that needs to be shut down.
How does it help me?
Art therapy can help by using the art process to slow things down, and disconnect from technology (unless you are into digital art); engaging in the senses through paint, fibers, color and texture; using metaphor to work through and convey ideas and feelings that words can’t quite capture, and finally feeling seen and heard through your imagery when you didn’t have to say a thing. That’s the feeling that I love witnessing in my work as an art therapist; helping others connect at their core to their creative process, using it as the vehicle to their transformation and healing. The creative process is a part of you that has never left you, and will be with you for the rest of your life.
Can it help my relationship? Can can it help with neurodivergence?
As adults, we all need more play in our lives, and making art does this. It helps to have the experience of allowing mistakes to be okay; to create a practice of rewriting your inner narratives with your inner critic, and create a space of calm to hear your inner voice and wisdom. For a person with neurodiversity, it can help to quiet the overwhelm, or alternately engage a space for seeking sensory information for self- soothing. For couples, art-making can help build reconnection and learn to work together and create shared positive playful experiences. Ways to engage in your creative process on your own, and integrate creativity into your life:
Create an art journal (new post on this coming soon), using simple materials that you enjoy.
Schedule a weekly appointment with your art journal and have a small dedicated space to leave it out so that its easy to access.
Create an inspiration board, either in tactile form, or digitally so that you have starting
points to draw from (pun intended haha).
Work from a prompt book - one of my favorite authors is Lucia Capacchione
Walk the halls at your local art supply store and see what creates a spark in you
Remember, art and creativity come in all forms, not just drawing and painting. Although I started this post writing about art therapy, it generalized and I hope that you feel encouraged you connect to your creative spark. If you love that idea, and want support by working with an art therapist, visit my page here to schedule a consultation.
The content of this blog is for education purposes only and is not therapy or advice. Reach out to a licensed professional for specific support or call 988 if you are having a mental health crisis.
