How to Use Art Therapy to Overcome Mental Health Disorders

Northwestern Health Sciences University defines art therapy as, "A type of therapy in which a person is encouraged to express feelings through a nonverbal process, using a variety of materials to create art." Art therapy is a non-alternative form of therapy and is administered by board certified, licensed therapists.



The American Art Therapy Association states that art therapy attempts to encourage the creative process involved in artistic self-expression "to resolve conflicts, develop interpersonal skills, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight." Art therapy is also used in connection with anger management and can be effective for developing self-control.

Things You'll Need

• Art supplies
• An art therapist

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Instructions

How to Benefit from Art Therapy

• 1

  Find a licensed art therapist in your area. Using art as self-help is a practical and easy way to help yourself to gain self-esteem, develop self control, relieve stress and anxiety, and to nurture positive thoughts. However, art therapy is more than that, in that it utilizes a board-certified therapist who works along with you in helping you to express yourself and gain insight and personal awareness through art.

• 2

  Express yourself. Use your art therapy sessions to express your feelings, to represent difficult to express trauma and to recall memories from the past which may have never been addressed but need to be, such as incidents of child abuse or acts of violence. This can help you to sort through painful emotions and gain personal insight. Doing so can help to alleviate you from needless guilt and to gain perspective on your personal situation as a victim.

  Expressing thoughts about past-trauma verbally or about present confusing emotions or situations can sometimes be difficult. Art therapy provides a way to express yourself non-verbally.

• 3

  Shift the emotional tone of your artwork in your therapy sessions and at home to those of positive emotions. Recalling and sorting through the past to gain insight is a necessary exercise for many. However, it isn't good to dwell in the past for extended periods of time. Once that trauma is sufficiently dealt with, try to focus on positive emotions.

  A study from the Department of Psychology, Boston College, concluded that using art to express positive emotions was more effective in short term mood repair than "venting," using art to vent negative emotions. Use your art to build positive and forward-looking thought patterns.

• 4

  Paint and draw at home as a part of your lifestyle. Use part of your free-time to develop your skills as an artist, and to enjoy painting and drawing. It is a good cure for boredom, helps build self-esteem, can be a source of additional income or a way to create gifts.

  It is effective for relieving stress and anxiety. One stressed-out mother went to her family doctor, who prescribed art, rather than medication. The middle-aged woman began painting and never stopped. It helped her to cope with her anxieties without the need for drugs.

  Art therapy is helpful for widely diversified disorders such as ADHD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, OCD and eating disorders, as well as for autism spectrum disorders.

  Use this effective therapy to your advantage.