Transforming With Art Therapy

Transforming with art therapy is simple.

Art therapy is a tool used by many to access parts of the brain they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. This is because art therapy has a calming effect on the mind and body, allowing you to relax enough to access your true, authentic nature.  If you undergo the journey of seeking art therapy with a professional, you won’t just be exposed to new and uncomfortable feelings without any sort of safety net. Art therapy is a soft, safe, and compassionate activity, and the tools you learn in art therapy can make you more resilient. Here are some ways art therapy can transform you:

Art therapy helps articulate deeper feelings

Art therapy can help you express emotions and thoughts that might be too difficult to say out loud. It provides you with a safe and empowering space to explore feelings that might otherwise lay dormant or repressed. This is because the creative process helps people slow down and experience themselves and their situation more peacefully. The mind is focused on making art. When you leave your mind idle, you’ll be more likely to get stuck in negative thought patterns and the emotions that follow. However, when you are making art, you are more likely to freely express how you feel without getting stuck in negativity. Art therapy has the potential to set you free.

Art therapy has the potential to set you free.

This is because creating art puts you in a mentally peaceful space, allowing you to freely explore your inner world.  People coping with mental illnesses are under an immense amount of stress, and creating art can be a powerful tool in managing stress. “When we were children, we drew or painted freely and nobody judged us. When I had patients, I told them that here was a safe space. It was fine that they didn’t know how to draw or paint. The result isn’t important. It is about a procedure. [While creating the artworks], we can feel ourselves breathing and are aware that colours gradually change us. Movements of colours imprint into our hearts.” -Vichapa Meethongklang

Art therapy helps empower people.

When people create and complete an art project, they are more likely to feel more empowered, valued, and able to deal with whatever life throws at them. The creators are able to connect to their art, taking in the colors and the movements that go into creating that piece. By connecting with their art, they are also connecting with themselves, which is incredibly empowering because they are getting to know themselves in a new way. They start seeing themselves as a productive person who can start and finish a beautiful project. Oftentimes, mental illnesses make people believe that they are worthless and will never amount to anything. Art therapy can help prove your mental illness wrong, helping you believe that you are worthy and that the beauty in the world is right in front of you. You created that beauty.

Integrative Counsel proudly offers virtual Art Therapy with Quinn. Quinn uses virtual art therapy to treat individuals with OCD and Anxiety, as well as those undergoing a major life transition or adjustment and are  experiencing grief. Click here to schedule your virtual art therapy session!

Starting with a creative written voice and a BA in English from ASU, Alli Cravener has become so much more than Integrative Counsel’s voice! Not only is she a writer who is passionate about connecting concepts and content, Alli is also currently a grad student working towards her Master’s in Counseling. She is also the editor-in-chief, office manager, AND intake specialist at Integrative Counsel. When you call us, you’ll talk to Alli! Alli’s interests include painting, history, learning about other people, and wearing the color pink. She likens herself to a “mouse in a palm tree”, and she loves it that way.