While the field of art therapy is relatively new, the idea that art making can be a form of therapy is very old.
Art making is one of the most ancient forms of healing. The visual arts are powerful, effective forms of communication which have been used to convey humanity’s collective history, ideas, feelings, dreams and aspirations.

Art therapy is based on the idea that the creative process of art making is healing and life enhancing and that it is a potent form of communication, especially when words may not be readily available. Art therapy should be dynamic and the person leading and experiencing it should take an active role. It means participating in your own treatment. A good definition is Wdrawing from within”. So while in a regular art setting you are asked to draw and/or improve on your drawing skills, in art therapy, the Process, not the product is the focus. The inner experience and the images that slowly emerge from the individual is the moment where art therapy is taking place.

Why ART Therapy Helps?

While art can be used to achieve some degree of understanding of the person who makes it, the process of art therapy and its potential to help people grow, rehabilitate and heal also comes from the actual making of art. Helping people understand their art expressions can certainly be a part of art therapy but the process is the most important part. Art therapy is a modality with special qualities for reparation, transformation and self-exploration.
When we experience something, be it positive or negative, the brain remembers it visually.
It is the images that come before the words, and therefore to release those thoughts, to elaborate those images, we can bring them to consciousness in a positive way by creating visually; a dialogue without words.