What is Art Therapy? A few questions and answers about art therapy.

Before I started my diploma at Kutenai Art Therapy Institute (KATI), I took an arts media class. Near the end of the class I wrote what I thought art therapy would be like. “Art Therapy will be like being the wind. No one can see the wind, but we can see the effect of the wind. As an Art Therapist I can never see the mind of the client. I can see what the art does to the client based on how much they share. I wonder what to do with clients who don’t say very much.” 

How do you see the wind? How do you see the effects of Art Therapy?

Art Therapy is a method of working with people to help them grow, heal, and get unstuck. The exploration that happens with an Art Therapist involves creating art then looking at it with curiosity to see what has been put in the art. Often the body, the physical part of the person, that makes the art can put information into the art that would not be accessible if someone was simply trying to talk about what is happening to them and what has happened to them. The information can be in the form of symbols, metaphors and themes. Art pulls hidden information up from the unconscious (Rubin, 2016). The Art Therapist looks at the art with the client with openness and curiosity. The Art Therapist also uses his/her knowledge of the client to help guide the questions and remembers to not get stuck or overly focussed on what he/she already knows. 

What are some helpful ideas about art therapy that would be good for new clients to know?

First, there is no skill required to make art. The art made does not have to be pretty or depict anything. A simple line or mark on a page is adequate to start. The art therapist uses the information provided in the art and what you share with your words to help guide you to understand what your next steps of exploration and life choices will be. This will be done in a gentle way at your own pace. Using different ways of making art can also be helpful in accessing different parts of the brain. Types of art are varied and accessible to all. Visual art activities can include drawing, painting, collage, and molding clay. Expressive art activities can include drama, dance, poetry, and music. Sometimes an activity might be more sensory in nature that explores the physical sensations that occur while making art in that way. When you start therapy your art therapist will listen to your goals and what problems you are experiencing and collaborate with you about what art materials and processes to use. A time period for the number of sessions will be established at the beginning of therapy. At the end of that time period, you might be finished working on your goals and will end therapy. If you need more time for art therapy, then another time period will be decided upon. 

References

Rubin, J. A. (2016). Approaches to art therapy: Theory and technique. Routledge.