Art Psychotherapy involves using visual and tactile media such as drawing, painting, collage, colouring, or sculpting to help people express themselves artistically and examine and communicate the psychological and emotional undertones of their art. With the knowledge and guidance of a registered art psychotherapist, clients can interpret the nonverbal messages, symbols, and metaphors often found in these art forms. This should lead to a better understanding of complex confusing feelings and behaviours so they can move on to resolve deeper problems and foster self-awareness understanding and growth.  An art therapist is trained to hold the relationship at the forefront of the therapy, ensuring a safe predictable environment consistent with their HCPC proficiencies. 

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Art therapy's goal may differ for everyone depending on your clinical need, your hopes, what you want to gain from therapy and the overall assessment. The creative process itself will help you to gain self-awareness and self-reflection to gain personal ​insight and develop self-control over emotions. Artwork is a visual documentation of thoughts and feelings. These mental images can offer solutions to problems and insights into the cause of these feelings. These insights provide a starting point for accepting those feelings and learning how to create new responses to emotions. The long-term benefits of this process include improved self-esteem, richer self-empowerment, and the development of skills that can be used in the future to deal with life's challenges.

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​​Who is art therapy suitable for?

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Art therapy can help people of all ages and at all stages of life, including those whose lives have been affected by difficult and traumatic personal or cultural experiences, illness, and/or disability. You do not need to be skilled in art to benefit from art therapy. Sometimes finding the words to express how you feel may often be hard and you can feel stuck in being able to even make sense of what you may be experiencing internally.

 

If you suppress difficult feelings and traumatic life experiences those experiences will greatly impact your mental health and physical health. The body keeps the score and by suppressing and failing to allow yourself to express and make sense of your internal unconscious processes will eventually take its toll and show itself in other unhealthy ways. Adopting negative coping strategies and developing physical illness within your body can all be manifestations of living with unprocessed trauma.

 

Expressing through the media of art is a multi-sensory experience that allows you to explore and express safely with the guidance of a highly trained professional Art Therapist. Art Therapists work within many specialist mental health services and often practice at a band 7 within the NHS forming part of a multidisciplinary team where they will provide input through assessments and formulation followed by art therapy one-to-one and group sessions. Art therapists are also working with organisations offering reflective practice sessions to support organisations within healthcare services where institutional dynamics and the nature of the work can greatly impact the wellbeing of staff.

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Art Therapists may be found practising in the following services:

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Eating disorders 

Mainstream and Specialist school provisions 

Acute mental health services

Prison service 

Substance misuse services 

Community mental health services 

CAMHS 

Refuge

Palliative and cancer care

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Art therapists will often specialize in a client group this may be within adult services, children's services, or due to interest in a certain illness or disability such as trauma or neurodiversity, eating disorders, substance misuse, or acute mental health care in primary and secondary and tertiary health care services.  ​

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How is art therapy regulated?

In the UK, the title art therapist and art psychotherapist are protected by law. All UK art therapists must be state-registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). All registered art therapists can be found on the HCPC’s register. Art Therapists have a postgraduate qualification (usually at MA/MSc level 7) in art therapy and their professional body is the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)

 

The Masters level study is an in-depth course at a high academic level whereby trainees will undertake their therapy each year followed by placement provision in various Health and Education settings for the duration of the course. Art Therapists then continue with CPD training after qualification to maintain up-to-date knowledge and skills in Art Therapy and to professionally develop in line with HCPC requirements. 

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What to expect when you start Art Therapy and

where will I meet the art therapist?​​​​​

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You will meet in a private room where you won’t be interrupted, such as an art room/ therapy space or a meeting room.  Alternatively, you may meet your art therapist in an online meeting room, using software like Zoom. You are likely to have an initial meeting which provides an opportunity to ask questions. The art therapist will discuss confidentiality, boundaries within therapy, the contract set out between yourself and the therapist and a day and time that works for you both. This initial meeting allows you to see if you feel comfortable and ready to start therapy.

You may not always get a feeling that you have found the right therapist for you. This is completely fine and natural we are all human and it must feel right for you, your therapist should be very understanding allowing you to lead on the decision you make. 

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Who will be there?​

Depending on your needs, you will either join group therapy or individual therapy. 

In group therapy, you will be with the art therapist and a small group of participants. In individual therapy, it will just be you and the art therapist.

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Do I have to be good at art?

No, you do not need to have any previous experience or expertise in art. Art therapy isn’t a recreational activity or an art lesson or class where you are critiqued on your artistic ability, the process is not about the aesthetic quality of the artwork this is often a misconception about art therapy.

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What will we do in an art therapy session?

You will make art and talk (which may be done at the same time) or you can make art in silence if that’s your preference. When making art, you can choose materials that best suit you e.g., paint, pastel, or clay, or you might make a collage. 

The art therapist may sit quietly and pay attention whilst you make art or they may make art alongside you, depending on your needs during each session. You and the art therapist will also talk and think together to make sense of the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that come up during your art-making or when you look at your artwork. 

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