What is Art Therapy?

That is a big question, and I think it requires being broken down in to parts.

What is therapy?

Therapy is primarily about relationships, relationship with self, relationships with others past, present and future, the relationship we have to the world around us, and the relationship between you, the client, and me, the therapist, which is formed, nurtured and explored together in the therapy room. Our early relationships influence a great deal of how we see ourselves, others and the world around us. Our current relationships can often be a reaction to or a mirroring of early relationships. We perceive the world through a lens of our past experiences which are often coloured by how we perceive others perceive us, which is shown through their treatment of us. Making relationship the foundation of therapy allows us to look deeply at who we are and how we perceive ourselves through the eyes of the other. The other in this case being a therapist who tries to do this with empathy, non-judgemental warmth and genuineness. This is done to bring greater insight, awareness and freedom from the constraints of the world we have constructed for ourselves.

There are many reasons we seek out therapy, the urge could come from a place of deep disquiet that cannot be ignored anymore, and which try as we might we can’t seem to get past on our own, or it could be a sudden burst of pain and an inability to know where to start to process it. The world can throw a lot our way and sometimes we need the space and time to process it and heal. With the aim of self-acceptance, self-love and growth.  

It is a place to come and find safety and to be truly listened to and feel heard by another that does not have preconceptions about your life but that meets you with open honesty and empathy, with sense that you are not being judged but that someone wants to understand you and your feelings and experiences. They want to help you find awareness and insight, to help you on a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.

What role does Art play?

Art Therapy is a well established form the psychotherapy, a summary of what art therapy is, is coming, but in the meanwhile The British Association of Art Therapist is a great resource of information. Click here for their definition of what art therapy is.