You really are feeling overwhelmed and you don’t even know if you can put into words how you feel. You don’t even understand how or what to think about what is going on right now. And you don’t think you’ll be able to express all that to a therapist.
That’s exactly when Art Therapy can be helpful. Many people find doing art as a part of their therapy helps them realize things they never considered before. They say it helps them resolve old issues and put those issues to rest. It also helps them become really clear about what they need to do next. Most people feel that after doing Art Therapy they are more relaxed, calmer and not nearly so scattered.
Art Therapy is used it treating all ages: children, teens and adults. Art Therapy is known to move talk therapy along by as much as 6 months faster. For that reason, it is good for treating
- Trauma and PTSD
- Grief and loss
- Anxiety and Panic
- Depression
- Relationship struggles and conflicts
- Anger
- Addiction issues
- …And much more
With children and teens Art Therapy, like Play Therapy, is using a tool that children and teens naturally use. Unlike many of us adults, children use art and creativity to express their feelings and thoughts. They often don’t have the language to really say what they are experiencing. Art for them is another language, another way to communicate.
For some adults, it can be tough to get past that feeling that what you created doesn’t “look good”. We all have that way of comparing what we see professionals do and putting ourselves down that we can’t measure up to that.
Art Therapy is different than being an artist
Art Therapy isn’t about how good you are at drawing or how great the drawing looks. It’s about how you feel while you’re creating it and how you feel when it’s done. It may “look” like a hot mess, but when you get all that hot mess out of you and onto the paper you can look at it and feel better.
Art Therapy can also be relaxing, like enjoying an adult coloring book. Just the act of drawing, painting or using clay helps to calm our brain and relax our body. There are so many benefits from Art Therapy.
It’s time to give Art Therapy a try! Click here to get started.
