The Benefits of Art Therapy

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefits of Art TherapyMental Health BenefitsPhysical BenefitsTechniquesWhat to ExpectGetting Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Benefits of Art Therapy

Mental Health Benefits

Physical Benefits

Techniques

What to Expect

Getting Started

Art therapy is an integrative form oftherapythat helps individuals heal through creative expression. It is a form of psychotherapy that involves the use of different art forms and mediums to aid in communication and help people to explore their experiences.

Art therapy is used in various settings with individuals, couples, families, and groups to support people of all ages with mental health and physical conditions. It is used to treat conditions that includeAlzheimer’s disease,stroke,traumatic brain injury, and mental health conditions.

This article discusses the techniques and benefits of art therapy, and provides insight on what to consider when seeking this type of therapy.

In art therapy, people can explore and express their thoughts, emotions, experiences, and perceptions of themselves through art. It provides a safe, nonjudgmental, and controlled environment where you can begin to grow and heal.

This type of therapy is often applied in settings like:

Art therapy supports people with conditions such as:

A review of multiple studies on the effectiveness of art therapy shows that it improves quality of life and a person’s ability to manage psychological symptoms, medical and age-related conditions, daily challenges, stress, and burnout.

Art therapy is individually tailored to your needs and focuses on personal goals and well-being.

Some benefits of engaging in art therapy include:

Types of Mental Health Therapy

Anxiety and Depression

Multiple studies suggest benefits for people diagnosed with anxiety and depression who receive art therapy. A 2021 review of nine studies about art therapy, anxiety, and depression looked at its use in older adults, prison populations, and more, and found art therapy improved symptoms.

Autism

Autistic children benefit from art therapy in a wide range of expression: drawing and painting, music, and theater. There’s some evidence that drawing and painting offer benefits in social skills and communication, often creating a nonverbal pathway for self-expression.

Trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has numerous causes, including natural disasters, child or sexual abuse histories, and military combat. Art therapy is one of many treatment options, typically combined withcognitive behavioral therapyand other psychotherapy approaches.

About one in three people who experiencesexual assaultare diagnosed with PTSD. Art therapy can help to reduce stress, shame, depression, and anxiety in these cases.Research suggests it can build self-awareness and self-esteem, but more study is needed to fully understand these effects.

Cancer-Related Issues

People living with acancerdiagnosis experience pain, fatigue, nausea, and other physical symptoms as well as mental health challenges like anxiety and depression.

A 2023 review of 17 art therapy studies, including painting for more than 300 children diagnosed with cancer, found art therapy helped boost their energy levels.Studies in both adults and children show that art therapy, practiced alongside traditional medicine, may offer benefits to both cancer patients and their families.

Dementia

Art therapy focuses on cognitive, motor, emotional, and interpersonal skills that can become compromised in people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related conditions.

There’s limited evidence to suggest art therapy is an effective treatment for dementia disorders, but some studies suggest improved quality of life and there’s no real risk of adverse effects.

Substance Use

People with substance use disorder may benefit from art therapy. A small 2023 study of drawing, working in clay, making crafts and collages, and other exercises found positive brain wave changes in people with alcohol use disorder who made art.

The study of physical changes in these people also found improvedimmune function, decreasedcortisollevels (stress chemicals), and mood changes including less depression.

The research on art therapy remains inconclusive, but some physical benefits can include betterpain managementand reduced pain levels. Improved pain management plays a role in how much people experience anxiety, depression, and other mental health impacts.

That was the case in a study of 195 people hospitalized forheart disease, digestive conditions,orthopedicsurgeries, and more whose medical charts reflected a benefit from art therapy.

Therapists may use and recommend many kinds of media and materials to help patients communicate and express themselves. Music, drama, dance, painting, and writing therapies are types of art therapy.

Some techniques used in art therapy include but are not limited to:

Art Therapy ActivitiesA person can engage in creative activities at home. Examples of activities include:Writing about or creating a painting of a safe placeDrawing a self-portraitPainting or drawing your moodPlaying a song that mirrors your emotions

Art Therapy Activities

A person can engage in creative activities at home. Examples of activities include:Writing about or creating a painting of a safe placeDrawing a self-portraitPainting or drawing your moodPlaying a song that mirrors your emotions

A person can engage in creative activities at home. Examples of activities include:

Throughout therapy, the patient and therapist may talk about what they are creating, their process, what comes to mind for them, what they are learning about themselves, and more.

No Art Experience RequiredContrary to popular belief, being artistic isn’t required for art therapy. Instead, a therapist may suggest strategies to help people start examining their experiences through the process of creating art.

No Art Experience Required

Contrary to popular belief, being artistic isn’t required for art therapy. Instead, a therapist may suggest strategies to help people start examining their experiences through the process of creating art.

There are a few things to consider when seeking art therapy:

Summary

Incorporating aspects of dance, drama, music, writing, and more, art therapy supports people in managing mental health and medical conditions.

You don’t have to be naturally artistic to utilize art therapy. Art therapy can provide you with activities to better understand yourself and how you relate to others and the world.

Art therapy can help people learn to communicate effectively, express themselves, and heal. Finding a professional with specialized education and training in art therapy is a great first step.

15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Oliva A, Iosa M, Antonucci G, De Bartolo D.Are neuroaesthetic principles applied in art therapy protocols for neurorehabilitation? A systematic mini-review.Front Psychol. 2023 Jun 12;14:1158304. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1158304.Hu J, Zhang J, Hu L, Yu H, Xu J.Art therapy: a complementary treatment for mental disorders.Front Psychol. 2021;12:686005. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686005Regev D, Cohen-Yatziv L.Effectiveness of art therapy with adult clients in 2018-what progress has been made?.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1531. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01531Bitonte RA, De Santo M.Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool.Ment Illn. 2014;6(1):5354. doi:10.4081/mi.2014.5354Bernier A, Ratcliff K, Hilton C, Fingerhut P, Li CY.Art Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review.Am J Occup Ther. 2022 Sep 1;76(5):7605205030. doi:10.5014/ajot.2022.049320.Vaartio-Rajalin H, Santamäki-Fischer R, Jokisalo P, Fagerström L.Art making and expressive art therapy in adult health and nursing care: A scoping review.Int J Nurs Sci. 2020;8(1):102-119. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.09.011Nanduri A, Vasquez M, Veluri SC, Ranjbar N.Scoping Review of PTSD Treatments for Natural Disaster Survivors.Health Psychol Res. 2023 Dec 9;11:89642. doi:10.52965/001c.89642.Goodarzi G., Sadeghi K., Foroughi A. (2020).The effectiveness of combining mindfulness and art-making on depression, anxiety and shame in sexual assault victims: A pilot study.The Arts in Psychotherapy, 71, 101705. doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2020.101705Miles LW, Valentine JL, Mabey LJ, Hopkins ES, Stodtmeister PJ, Rockwood RB,et al.A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Treatments for Adolescent and Adult Sexual Assault Victims.J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2023 Dec 26:10783903231216138. doi:10.1177/10783903231216138.Motlagh EG, Bakhshi M, Davoudi N, Ghasemi A, Moonaghi HK.The physical and psychological outcomes of art therapy in pediatric palliative care: A systematic review.J Res Med Sci. 2023 Mar 16;28:13. doi: 10.4103/jrms.jrms_268_22.Park N, Na II, Kwon S.Art Therapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer and Their Families: A Multiple Case Study.J Hosp Palliat Care. 2023 Dec 1;26(4):171-184. doi:10.14475/jhpc.2023.26.4.171Deshmukh SR, Holmes J, Cardno A.Art therapy for people with dementia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Sep 13;9(9):CD011073. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011073.pub2.Kang SJ, Pei CZ, Lee DH, Ha JE, Baek KH.A pilot randomized clinical trial of biomedical link with mental health in art therapy intervention programs for alcohol use disorder: Changes in NK cells, addiction biomarkers, electroencephalography, and MMPI-2 profiles.PLoS One. 2023 May 5;18(5):e0284344. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0284344.Shella, T.Art therapy improves mood, and reduces pain and anxiety when offered at bedside during acute hospital treatment. The Arts in Psychotherapy, Volume 57, 2018, Pages 59-64. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2017.10.003American Art Therapy Association.What Is Art Therapy?

15 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Oliva A, Iosa M, Antonucci G, De Bartolo D.Are neuroaesthetic principles applied in art therapy protocols for neurorehabilitation? A systematic mini-review.Front Psychol. 2023 Jun 12;14:1158304. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1158304.Hu J, Zhang J, Hu L, Yu H, Xu J.Art therapy: a complementary treatment for mental disorders.Front Psychol. 2021;12:686005. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686005Regev D, Cohen-Yatziv L.Effectiveness of art therapy with adult clients in 2018-what progress has been made?.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1531. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01531Bitonte RA, De Santo M.Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool.Ment Illn. 2014;6(1):5354. doi:10.4081/mi.2014.5354Bernier A, Ratcliff K, Hilton C, Fingerhut P, Li CY.Art Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review.Am J Occup Ther. 2022 Sep 1;76(5):7605205030. doi:10.5014/ajot.2022.049320.Vaartio-Rajalin H, Santamäki-Fischer R, Jokisalo P, Fagerström L.Art making and expressive art therapy in adult health and nursing care: A scoping review.Int J Nurs Sci. 2020;8(1):102-119. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.09.011Nanduri A, Vasquez M, Veluri SC, Ranjbar N.Scoping Review of PTSD Treatments for Natural Disaster Survivors.Health Psychol Res. 2023 Dec 9;11:89642. doi:10.52965/001c.89642.Goodarzi G., Sadeghi K., Foroughi A. (2020).The effectiveness of combining mindfulness and art-making on depression, anxiety and shame in sexual assault victims: A pilot study.The Arts in Psychotherapy, 71, 101705. doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2020.101705Miles LW, Valentine JL, Mabey LJ, Hopkins ES, Stodtmeister PJ, Rockwood RB,et al.A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Treatments for Adolescent and Adult Sexual Assault Victims.J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2023 Dec 26:10783903231216138. doi:10.1177/10783903231216138.Motlagh EG, Bakhshi M, Davoudi N, Ghasemi A, Moonaghi HK.The physical and psychological outcomes of art therapy in pediatric palliative care: A systematic review.J Res Med Sci. 2023 Mar 16;28:13. doi: 10.4103/jrms.jrms_268_22.Park N, Na II, Kwon S.Art Therapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer and Their Families: A Multiple Case Study.J Hosp Palliat Care. 2023 Dec 1;26(4):171-184. doi:10.14475/jhpc.2023.26.4.171Deshmukh SR, Holmes J, Cardno A.Art therapy for people with dementia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Sep 13;9(9):CD011073. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011073.pub2.Kang SJ, Pei CZ, Lee DH, Ha JE, Baek KH.A pilot randomized clinical trial of biomedical link with mental health in art therapy intervention programs for alcohol use disorder: Changes in NK cells, addiction biomarkers, electroencephalography, and MMPI-2 profiles.PLoS One. 2023 May 5;18(5):e0284344. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0284344.Shella, T.Art therapy improves mood, and reduces pain and anxiety when offered at bedside during acute hospital treatment. The Arts in Psychotherapy, Volume 57, 2018, Pages 59-64. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2017.10.003American Art Therapy Association.What Is Art Therapy?

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Oliva A, Iosa M, Antonucci G, De Bartolo D.Are neuroaesthetic principles applied in art therapy protocols for neurorehabilitation? A systematic mini-review.Front Psychol. 2023 Jun 12;14:1158304. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1158304.Hu J, Zhang J, Hu L, Yu H, Xu J.Art therapy: a complementary treatment for mental disorders.Front Psychol. 2021;12:686005. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686005Regev D, Cohen-Yatziv L.Effectiveness of art therapy with adult clients in 2018-what progress has been made?.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1531. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01531Bitonte RA, De Santo M.Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool.Ment Illn. 2014;6(1):5354. doi:10.4081/mi.2014.5354Bernier A, Ratcliff K, Hilton C, Fingerhut P, Li CY.Art Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review.Am J Occup Ther. 2022 Sep 1;76(5):7605205030. doi:10.5014/ajot.2022.049320.Vaartio-Rajalin H, Santamäki-Fischer R, Jokisalo P, Fagerström L.Art making and expressive art therapy in adult health and nursing care: A scoping review.Int J Nurs Sci. 2020;8(1):102-119. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.09.011Nanduri A, Vasquez M, Veluri SC, Ranjbar N.Scoping Review of PTSD Treatments for Natural Disaster Survivors.Health Psychol Res. 2023 Dec 9;11:89642. doi:10.52965/001c.89642.Goodarzi G., Sadeghi K., Foroughi A. (2020).The effectiveness of combining mindfulness and art-making on depression, anxiety and shame in sexual assault victims: A pilot study.The Arts in Psychotherapy, 71, 101705. doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2020.101705Miles LW, Valentine JL, Mabey LJ, Hopkins ES, Stodtmeister PJ, Rockwood RB,et al.A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Treatments for Adolescent and Adult Sexual Assault Victims.J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2023 Dec 26:10783903231216138. doi:10.1177/10783903231216138.Motlagh EG, Bakhshi M, Davoudi N, Ghasemi A, Moonaghi HK.The physical and psychological outcomes of art therapy in pediatric palliative care: A systematic review.J Res Med Sci. 2023 Mar 16;28:13. doi: 10.4103/jrms.jrms_268_22.Park N, Na II, Kwon S.Art Therapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer and Their Families: A Multiple Case Study.J Hosp Palliat Care. 2023 Dec 1;26(4):171-184. doi:10.14475/jhpc.2023.26.4.171Deshmukh SR, Holmes J, Cardno A.Art therapy for people with dementia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Sep 13;9(9):CD011073. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011073.pub2.Kang SJ, Pei CZ, Lee DH, Ha JE, Baek KH.A pilot randomized clinical trial of biomedical link with mental health in art therapy intervention programs for alcohol use disorder: Changes in NK cells, addiction biomarkers, electroencephalography, and MMPI-2 profiles.PLoS One. 2023 May 5;18(5):e0284344. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0284344.Shella, T.Art therapy improves mood, and reduces pain and anxiety when offered at bedside during acute hospital treatment. The Arts in Psychotherapy, Volume 57, 2018, Pages 59-64. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2017.10.003American Art Therapy Association.What Is Art Therapy?

Oliva A, Iosa M, Antonucci G, De Bartolo D.Are neuroaesthetic principles applied in art therapy protocols for neurorehabilitation? A systematic mini-review.Front Psychol. 2023 Jun 12;14:1158304. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1158304.

Hu J, Zhang J, Hu L, Yu H, Xu J.Art therapy: a complementary treatment for mental disorders.Front Psychol. 2021;12:686005. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686005

Regev D, Cohen-Yatziv L.Effectiveness of art therapy with adult clients in 2018-what progress has been made?.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1531. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01531

Bitonte RA, De Santo M.Art therapy: an underutilized, yet effective tool.Ment Illn. 2014;6(1):5354. doi:10.4081/mi.2014.5354

Bernier A, Ratcliff K, Hilton C, Fingerhut P, Li CY.Art Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review.Am J Occup Ther. 2022 Sep 1;76(5):7605205030. doi:10.5014/ajot.2022.049320.

Vaartio-Rajalin H, Santamäki-Fischer R, Jokisalo P, Fagerström L.Art making and expressive art therapy in adult health and nursing care: A scoping review.Int J Nurs Sci. 2020;8(1):102-119. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.09.011

Nanduri A, Vasquez M, Veluri SC, Ranjbar N.Scoping Review of PTSD Treatments for Natural Disaster Survivors.Health Psychol Res. 2023 Dec 9;11:89642. doi:10.52965/001c.89642.

Goodarzi G., Sadeghi K., Foroughi A. (2020).The effectiveness of combining mindfulness and art-making on depression, anxiety and shame in sexual assault victims: A pilot study.The Arts in Psychotherapy, 71, 101705. doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2020.101705

Miles LW, Valentine JL, Mabey LJ, Hopkins ES, Stodtmeister PJ, Rockwood RB,et al.A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Treatments for Adolescent and Adult Sexual Assault Victims.J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2023 Dec 26:10783903231216138. doi:10.1177/10783903231216138.

Motlagh EG, Bakhshi M, Davoudi N, Ghasemi A, Moonaghi HK.The physical and psychological outcomes of art therapy in pediatric palliative care: A systematic review.J Res Med Sci. 2023 Mar 16;28:13. doi: 10.4103/jrms.jrms_268_22.

Park N, Na II, Kwon S.Art Therapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer and Their Families: A Multiple Case Study.J Hosp Palliat Care. 2023 Dec 1;26(4):171-184. doi:10.14475/jhpc.2023.26.4.171

Deshmukh SR, Holmes J, Cardno A.Art therapy for people with dementia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Sep 13;9(9):CD011073. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011073.pub2.

Kang SJ, Pei CZ, Lee DH, Ha JE, Baek KH.A pilot randomized clinical trial of biomedical link with mental health in art therapy intervention programs for alcohol use disorder: Changes in NK cells, addiction biomarkers, electroencephalography, and MMPI-2 profiles.PLoS One. 2023 May 5;18(5):e0284344. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0284344.

Shella, T.Art therapy improves mood, and reduces pain and anxiety when offered at bedside during acute hospital treatment. The Arts in Psychotherapy, Volume 57, 2018, Pages 59-64. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2017.10.003

American Art Therapy Association.What Is Art Therapy?

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