Frequently Asked Questions
Is art therapy right for me?
The best way to know if art therapy is right for you is to try it! Art therapy offers a way for you to express yourself without words. You do not have to have experience with art materials or come to sessions with your own materials or any knowledge of art history. Art can be used to explore mental health challenges, personal growth, or physical illness. By changing the process of thinking (words to images), you are opening your questions to tangible or visual solutions.
Are art therapists trained?
Yes. Every art therapist has to have at least a master’s degree to practice. To read more about my credentials, see my bio. To learn more about licensing in general, check out the Art Therapy Credentials Board.
Do I need to be good at art?
Absolutely not! Art therapy is about the process of healing with art materials or communicating your inside state to your outside with visuals. The process includes the words “art” and “therapy” to give you a bubble of confidentiality to make any emotional mess into a tangible mess without judgement or neatly displayed options using the materials that make you feel comfortable. The biggest take away when coming to an art therapy session is that the session is for you.
How does art therapy work?
Art therapy works much like talk therapy in that you get out of it what you put in. What you bring to therapy is guided by materials for visual and tactile exploration. A typical session will begin with a check in about the week, followed by problem solving or finding insight into symptoms or daily frustrations. Artwork made during the sessions may be brief (30 seconds - 15 minutes) or last a few sessions to a few months, depending on length of time you feel comfortable in exploring a topic.