Art therapy has been around since the 1940’s, but has only recently begun to gain traction as a legitimate form of therapy in recent years. The term “art therapy” was coined by British artist Adrian Hill, who began to notice the emotional and possibly therapeutic benefits of art. The field began to grow in both Europe and the United States throughout the forties and fifties, with psychologists and practitioners such as Margaret Naumberg and Edith Kramer. In 1969, the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) was founded, and began to educate, regulate, and credential art therapists across the country.
Art therapy is defined as:
An integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. Art therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, effectively supports personal and relational treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change (AATA, 2017).
Essentially, it is a creative and therapeutic process facilitated by a Master’s level clinician. It can be used successfully with any population, but has been found to be extra effective with populations who are non-verbal, or who have difficulty verbalizing their emotions, feelings and thoughts.
How and why does art therapy work?
That is a good question. Art Therapy has been struggling to prove itself for generations, with primarily expert opinions and qualitative studies. Researchers have found it difficult to specify and develop quantitative studies for such an objective and personal process. However, in 2015, researchers Haeyan, van Hooren and Hutchemaekers took on the task of compiling and analyzing years of data, interviews and artwork of clients with personality disorders. The analysis provided insight into positive changes in behavior, improvements in emotion and impulse regulation, positive steps towards personal integration, improvement of perceptions and self-perception, and a noticeable difference in insight and comprehension. Overall, the researchers found art therapy to be an inherently positive experience. Unfortunately, art therapy still lacks proper research and evidence to be considered a valid form of therapy across the board, but each and every day an art therapist goes out into the world and makes a positive change in someone’s life.
If you are interested in learning more, feel free to visit https://arttherapy.org/, and as always, if you can’t figure it out on your own, there are professionals (like us) to help guide you. You are still strong and valuable if you ask for help.
References:
American Art Therapy Association. (2017, June). About Art Therapy. Retrieved from https://arttherapy.org/about-art-therapy/
Art Therapy Journal. (n.d.). The History of Art Therapy. Retrieved from http://www.arttherapyjournal.org/art-therapy-history.html
Haeyen, S., Hooren, S. V., & Hutschemaekers, G. (2015). Perceived effects of art therapy in the treatment of personality disorders, cluster B/C: A
qualitative study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 45, 1–10. doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2015.04.005
Malchiodi, C. (2016, August 30). Why Art Therapy Works. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/arts-and-health/201608/why-art-therapy-works
