What is Art Therapy? (For Organisations)
Defining Art Psychotherapy
Art Psychotherapy (often referred to as Art Therapy) is an established form of psychotherapy that uses visual and tactile media as its primary mode of self expression and communication, alongside talking.
As defined by the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT), Art Therapy aims to support individuals to discover an outlet for often complex and confusing feelings, and to foster self awareness and growth.
How Does it Work?
The Art Psychotherapist works within a professional, therapeutic relationship that focuses on the interplay between the client, the therapist, and the artwork.
For many clients, especially those who find it difficult to articulate their experiences verbally, such as children, people with neurodiversity, or those who have experienced trauma, art offers a safe, non verbal means to explore their inner world.
The creative process provides a contained way to:
Externalise Difficult Emotions: Give form and shape to feelings, experiences, or traumatic memories that are hard to process through words alone.
Facilitate Insight: Reflect on the symbolic meaning of the artwork and the creative choices made, leading to a greater understanding of self and personal narratives.
Promote Change: Use the creative space to experiment with new ways of being and relating, enabling positive change and growth in their life.
Accessibility and Equity
Art therapy offers a more equitable and accessible form of therapeutic support by providing less verbally-dependent and more somatic (body-based) interventions. This approach can be particularly valuable for:
People who find verbal expression difficult or overwhelming
Those with language barriers or communication differences
Individuals who have experienced trauma that affects their ability to talk about their experiences
Neurodivergent children and adults who may process experiences differently
Anyone who naturally thinks or expresses themselves more through visual, tactile, or creative means
By offering alternatives to talk-based therapy, art psychotherapy helps ensure therapeutic support is accessible to a wider and more diverse range of people, meeting them where they are in their own unique ways of making meaning and processing experience.
Important Clarification
No artistic skill or previous experience is required to benefit from Art Psychotherapy. The therapist is solely concerned with the therapeutic process and the meaning the artwork holds for the client, not its aesthetic quality.
By commissioning an HCPC registered Art Psychotherapist, your organisation provides access to a powerful and transformative approach often successful where purely verbal therapies have proved challenging.
"Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses visual and tactile media as a means of self expression and communication. Art therapists aim to support people of all ages and abilities and at all stages of life, to discover an outlet for often complex and confusing feelings, and foster self awareness and growth."
The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)