Misconceptions about Art Therapy:
1. It’s just arts and crafts.
Art therapy is so much more; it’s a mental health profession.
2. You can figure me out from the pictures I draw.
Unfortunately, art therapists are not fortune tellers.
While we can make informed observations and educated guesses, art-making serves as part of a dialogue.
Art can function as the voice, or even a third party, in the therapeutic conversation.
While an art therapist might help you better understand what’s in your art, we cannot presume or project our own thoughts and experiences onto your work.
3. Isn't adult coloring books a form of art therapy?
Almost, but not quite.
Coloring books have boomed in recent years—so much so that colored pencil production has upped the ante to keep pace.
While coloring in premade designs can be self-soothing and have therapeutic effects, it’s not art therapy.
Art therapy is the therapeutic use of creating art with a qualified therapist.
Through creation, imagery brings awareness and insight to life experiences that can then be explored with the therapist.
Benefits come from both the process of making art, and the interpretation of the product by the patient.
The work done in these sessions has the potential to challenge and arouse difficult feelings in the participants.
However, this isn’t to say that calming art activities aren’t a great tool for self-regulation.
If an adult coloring book helps regulate you, color away!
4. You need to be an artist or at least good at art.
False! A common phrase I hear in groups is “I’m not good at art.”
My retort? “We aren’t trying to get into the Guggenheim. If tearing up paper best expresses how you’re feeling, and matches you right now, do that!”
The name of the game is expression.
As a visual language, art therapy need not be “good” or “well done” in the eyes of others to be effective.
Anyone with a grain of creativity, and a sprinkling of curiosity, is able!
5. Art therapy is for children or the elderly.
Untrue. Art therapy can be effective for most ages or populations.
In fact, art is one of my favorite things to bring to family therapy, as it has the ability to level the playing field.
Persons of all ages can use the same “language” and often the same skills to interact and communicate.
Art is a universal language accessible to all of us.
1. It’s just arts and crafts.
Art therapy is so much more; it’s a mental health profession.
2. You can figure me out from the pictures I draw.
Unfortunately, art therapists are not fortune tellers.
While we can make informed observations and educated guesses, art-making serves as part of a dialogue.
Art can function as the voice, or even a third party, in the therapeutic conversation.
While an art therapist might help you better understand what’s in your art, we cannot presume or project our own thoughts and experiences onto your work.
3. Isn't adult coloring books a form of art therapy?
Almost, but not quite.
Coloring books have boomed in recent years—so much so that colored pencil production has upped the ante to keep pace.
While coloring in premade designs can be self-soothing and have therapeutic effects, it’s not art therapy.
Art therapy is the therapeutic use of creating art with a qualified therapist.
Through creation, imagery brings awareness and insight to life experiences that can then be explored with the therapist.
Benefits come from both the process of making art, and the interpretation of the product by the patient.
The work done in these sessions has the potential to challenge and arouse difficult feelings in the participants.
However, this isn’t to say that calming art activities aren’t a great tool for self-regulation.
If an adult coloring book helps regulate you, color away!
4. You need to be an artist or at least good at art.
False! A common phrase I hear in groups is “I’m not good at art.”
My retort? “We aren’t trying to get into the Guggenheim. If tearing up paper best expresses how you’re feeling, and matches you right now, do that!”
The name of the game is expression.
As a visual language, art therapy need not be “good” or “well done” in the eyes of others to be effective.
Anyone with a grain of creativity, and a sprinkling of curiosity, is able!
5. Art therapy is for children or the elderly.
Untrue. Art therapy can be effective for most ages or populations.
In fact, art is one of my favorite things to bring to family therapy, as it has the ability to level the playing field.
Persons of all ages can use the same “language” and often the same skills to interact and communicate.
Art is a universal language accessible to all of us.