When searching for outlets to deal with struggles in life, many find that therapy can be the best option. Therapy, however, is a large category that contains a wide range of sub-categories. Therapy includes cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy, Exposure Therapy, and many, many more. One form of therapy, however, which is rapidly gaining popularity around the world is art therapy.

According to psychology.org, art therapy is “a tool used to help patients interpret, express, and resolve their emotions and thoughts.” Trained and licensed therapists use artistic expression, which itself is a sweeping and diverse category, to help the patients find resolutions to the issues with which they are dealing. 

Although it isn’t necessarily the first thing you think of for mental health, one reason why this form of therapy has become so popular now is because it focuses on using creativity and self expression to help the person, which in some situations can work better than dialogue and analysis. Another reason why art therapy is so popular is because the patients don’t need to think of themselves as a creative or artistic person: the artwork is just for them and their goal of better mental health.

During an art therapy session, a patient will first work with a therapist to pinpoint the issue that they are trying to work on, and will then choose a medium, including but not limited to: sculpture, painting, or drawing. The therapist will support patients in creating their artwork, which will ideally help them confront and resolve their concerns. Afterwards, the therapist and patient have a discussion in which they break down the artwork, its meaning, how the patients felt making it, and how they feel looking at the finished product.