About Art Therapy

What is Art Therapy? 

Art therapy is an integrative mental health framework that utilises active art-making, creative processes, and applied psychological theories within a therapeutic relationship to enrich the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

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Art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal communication alone. Art therapy provides therapeutic intervention using visual arts, including drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, sand, and more. Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to an individual’s experience and empowers transformation to ultimately live more aligned to our values.

How might art therapy help you?
Art therapy is facilitated by a professional art therapist and can help foster self-awareness and self-esteem, promote insight and emotional resilience, enhance social skills and reduce and resolve conflicts and distress. Art therapy can be used to explore and make sense of challenging life experiences including trauma, grief and loss, stress and anxiety, mental health crisis, and big life changes.

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Research has shown that art therapy can be an effective therapeutic framework to develop coping and social skills, improve self-reflection, and help make meaning of complex life events.

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Who can benefit from art therapy?
Art therapy is for everyone! You don't have to be good at art to give it a go; art therapy focuses on the process of creating art rather than the final product. Art therapy can be facilitated with individuals including young people and adults, families, and groups.

Art therapy may benefit individuals who are experiencing mental health concerns, or those seeking emotional, creative, and spiritual growth.