Say “art therapy” and many people picture a child with crayons in a counselor's office. Children do benefit, but the idea that art therapy is only for kids is one of the most common myths about it. Teens, adults, couples, and older adults use art therapy to process grief, trauma, anxiety, and stress, often reaching places words alone cannot. And you do not need any artistic talent to benefit.
Key takeaways
- Art therapy is a mental health profession practiced by therapists with master's-level training, not an arts-and-crafts class.
- It serves individuals, couples, families, and groups of every age, in settings from schools to veterans' clinics to senior communities.
- Making art can help adults express hard emotions, build self-awareness, and reduce distress.
- No art skills are needed. The process matters more than the product.
- At Grace Christian Counseling, art therapy can be integrated with your Christian faith.
In this article
The myth: art therapy is just for children
Children often communicate naturally through drawing and play, so art therapy is a good fit for them. That does not mean adults outgrow it. In fact, many adults find that after years of explaining, rehearsing, and analyzing their feelings, putting color and shape to an experience opens a door that talking alone has not.
What art therapy actually is
The American Art Therapy Association describes art therapy as a mental health profession that combines active art-making, the creative process, and psychological theory within a therapeutic relationship. Art therapists hold master's-level or higher degrees, and they work with individuals, couples, families, and groups in settings such as hospitals, schools, veterans' clinics, private practices, and senior communities.
According to the association, art therapy is used to foster self-esteem and self-awareness, build emotional resilience, and reduce and resolve conflicts and distress.
How art therapy helps teens and adults
Words for the unspeakableImages can express grief, trauma, or shame that is hard to say out loud.
Safe distanceWorking through a metaphor on paper can make painful memories feel more manageable.
Self-awarenessPatterns in color, shape, and theme often reveal feelings you had not noticed.
Calm and focusThe hands-on process can slow racing thoughts and ease stress.
Adults often come to art therapy for help with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, life transitions, and stress. Couples and families can use shared art projects to communicate and understand one another in new ways.
What happens in a session
A session usually begins with conversation about how you are doing. Your therapist may invite you to draw, paint, collage, or sculpt, sometimes with a specific prompt (“Draw what this week has felt like”) and sometimes freely. Afterward you talk together about the process and what you notice. You decide what the artwork means. The therapist does not “read” your picture for hidden diagnoses.
No talent required. Stick figures, scribbles, and color swatches are all welcome. Sometimes the therapy is not about the art at all. The art simply helps you open up.
Curious whether art therapy is right for you?
Licensed Christian counselors, in person across Western PA and online in PA, WV, GA, and FL.
Creativity and faith
Scripture celebrates creativity. God filled the craftsman Bezalel with His Spirit to create beauty for worship, and the Psalms are full of honest, artistic expression of joy and lament. For many Christians, art-making becomes a form of prayer, a way to bring feelings to God that are hard to put into words.
“And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.”
Exodus 31:3 (KJV)
Art therapy at Grace Christian Counseling
Grace Christian Counseling offers Christian art therapy with Adrienne Crist, MA, LAPC, who earned a Master of Arts in Art Therapy with a specialization in counseling from Seton Hill University. Adrienne works with children, teens, adults, and older adults, and she sees clients at our Irwin and Penn Hills offices. Meet Adrienne to learn more about her approach.
Art therapy can stand on its own or complement individual counseling and trauma counseling.
Frequently asked questions
Is art therapy only for children?
No. Art therapy serves people of all ages, including teens, adults, couples, families, and older adults.
Do I need to be good at art?
No. Art therapy focuses on the process of creating and what it brings up, not on artistic skill.
What can art therapy help with?
Adults use art therapy for anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, stress, and life transitions, and to build self-awareness and emotional resilience.
Who provides art therapy?
Art therapists are mental health professionals with master's-level or higher training in art therapy and counseling.
Where can I get Christian art therapy in Western PA?
Grace Christian Counseling offers art therapy with Adrienne Crist, MA, LAPC, at the Irwin and Penn Hills offices.
Related services
Sources
- American Art Therapy Association. About Art Therapy.
