Art Therapy
Credentialed mental-health therapy using visual art-making as its primary method, more clinically specific than the broader Expressive Arts Therapy.
Art therapy is a credentialed mental health field, practitioners hold the ATR or ATR-BC credential through the Art Therapy Credentials Board, and centers on visual art-making, drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, as its primary therapeutic method. It's more clinically specific than the broader Expressive Arts Therapy listed elsewhere on this site, which draws on multiple creative mediums rather than focusing on visual art alone. An art therapist interprets the process and product of art-making collaboratively with the client, no artistic skill or experience is required, and the emphasis is on what the process reveals and processes, not on creating a polished piece.
Credentialed clinical therapy that uses visual art-making as its main therapeutic tool.
What to expect: Sessions typically involve making art (drawing, painting, collage, or similar) around a prompt or open-ended theme, followed by conversation about what came up in the process or the finished piece. No artistic skill is needed, and the therapist's clinical training shapes how they interpret and work with what emerges, this isn't an unstructured art class. Materials and structure vary by therapist and setting.
Good fit for: You want a credentialed clinical therapist, not just a creative outlet, You process experience well through visual, hands-on activity, You're supporting a child or teen who may find art easier than direct conversation
Explore for: Difficulty putting an experience or feeling into words directly, Wanting a credentialed clinical therapist who works primarily through visual art, Processing grief, trauma, or a major life change through a creative, non-verbal channel, Support for a child or teen who may engage more easily through art than conversation
Not the right fit if: You're looking for a broader creative approach spanning multiple mediums, that's Expressive Arts Therapy, You have no interest in any hands-on creative activity
How to choose a practitioner: Confirm the ATR or ATR-BC credential through the Art Therapy Credentials Board Ask about their clinical focus and experience with your specific concern Clarify how much of the session is art-making versus verbal processing
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