Imagine if Art and Psychology had a baby. You could name the baby, Art Therapy. Combining the two disciplines creates an exciting modality for healing and personal growth. You don’t have to be an artist or have any art experience. What’s important is that you’re able to be creative, playful, and spontaneous.

Art therapy is about expressing your feelings, emotions, hopes, wishes, and dreams. It isn’t about imitating Claude Monet or Vincent Van Gogh. Art therapy works best if you allow the magic to happen.

Art Therapy was developed in the 1940s by a woman named Margaret Naumburg. She and her sister Florence Cane started The Walden School for children. They practiced the belief that, “the emotional development of children, fostered through encouragement of spontaneous creative expression and self-motivated learning, should take precedence over the traditional intellectual approach to the teaching of a standardized curriculum.” (Frank, 1983)

“She was forever pointing out that art therapy, with its use of symbolic language and imagery, was often a more effective road to the unconscious than the usual verbal approach of psychoanalysis and dynamic psychotherapy.  She was influenced by Eastern thought and philosophy. The direction of her teachings focused on the growth of the child’s soul through play and self-discipline involved in painting.” (Frank, 1983)

There are two main types: art as therapy and art in therapy.

Art as therapy is used in open studios and group settings. Art making is seen as therapeutic because it relieves stress and builds confidence. The process is valued over the product, although the art is often good enough to sell. There’s something quite magical that happens when we allow the art work to come through us rather than forcing a preconceived image.

Art in therapy is done by the client as part of their therapy session. The therapist gives a directive based on what the client is struggling with so that they can go deeper into the healing process. The therapist helps the client find meaning by asking questions like,

“What does the image need?”

“If the image had a voice, what would it say?”

The client ultimately decides what the image is about and what it represents for them.

Both types of art therapy are wonderful and they often overlap. A group setting can get quite analytical while a private session can be more for relaxation. The main thing to remember is that art making accesses the unconscious, so there needs to be a safe container for what is created. We leave our judgment and criticism at the door.

Art making speaks the words we cannot say, so there is always the possibility that traumatic experiences or memories will reveal themselves in the art work. That is why it is important that the therapist is skilled in helping the client work through difficult emotions and releasing the negative energy.

References

• Cane Detre, K. , Frank, T., Refsnes Kniazzeh, C., Robinson, M. C., Rubin, J. A., and Ulman, E. (1983). Roots of Art Therapy: Margaret Naumburg (1890-1983) and Florence Cane (1882-1952) – A Family Portrait. American Journal of Art Therapy, , 113-116.