Art Therapy provides an opportunity for people to express their inner feelings and experiences in a natural and active way. The very act of creating something new through the hands of the healer reinforces over time a position of psychic maturation, where the self leaves the position of a spectator of life and becomes an active participant in it.

Through painting, clay, collage, collage, masks and techniques such as active imagination, authentic movement, the dramatization of myths and fairy tales, the personal symbols and images of each therapist are felt on a conscious level and are open to their own subjective interpretation. It is through this process of deep self-awareness of one’s potentials, difficulties and patterns that one can come to accept and love one’s story, and begin the journey of individuation, living a life more in harmony with one’s heart in truth.

For some people, describing an emotion becomes easier when it is expressed through the creation of a tangible image and this is because language processing, creative thinking and emotion are all activated by different parts of the brain. Art Therapy helps integration, bridging the gaps between these functions with a more intuitive and holistic outcome for the individual being treated.

So, art therapy can be used as a way for people to express their feelings and experiences that do not communicate well verbally. Children, for example, may not yet have the skills to express their experiences or feelings in words, but they can use art as a form of expression. Art Therapy can also be used in elderly populations to promote healthy ageing. The problem solving involved in creating art (such as choosing colours and compositional elements) keeps the brain active.

Also, memories and trauma are stored in different parts of the brain than verbal language, which is why verbal therapy alone may not be as beneficial for people who have experienced trauma. If someone is in therapy to heal a trauma from the past, art therapy can help them tap into the part of the brain where these memories are stored.

Anyone can benefit from healing through art, and you don’t need to have any artistic ability to do so. A common misconception is that art therapy is only for ” creators” or for children. It’s for everyone, regardless of age, ability or demographics. Art Therapy is not a painting course where the focus is on technique and aesthetic effect. On the contrary, its purpose is not to create a perfect art piece. It is to explore how art relates to oneself, what one feels and what one wants to heal.

Scientific studies suggest that creative expression through art therapy can help people dealing with anxiety, depression and even more serious illnesses such as cancer. It can help improve memory in people of all ages, from the young to the elderly, who may need help in this area. Art therapy can be particularly beneficial for people who have experienced trauma, including people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

One study found that people with PTSD who participated in art therapy were better able to relax, communicate their memories and feelings externally through their art, had less disturbing thoughts and felt more confident about their future.

It has also been shown to improve self-esteem, build self-confidence and promote change in ways of thinking, all to improve wellbeing and can continue to help not only in the recovery of people with substance use disorders, but also in providing skills that can help them cope with the world and use them throughout their lives.

Irvin Yalom has identified eleven factors that lead to achieving drastic changes among team members:

1. Instilling hope: it creates a sense of optimism.
2. Implicity: it helps each member of the team to realise that he or she is not the only one who has to deal with the stimuli and problems with which he or she comes into contact.
3. Transmission of information: it helps the person to acquire the knowledge needed to deal with and manage the psychological situation they are experiencing.
4. Altruism: it allows the individual to gain a sense of value and importance through helping other members of the group.
5. Restorative review: helps the individual to resolve issues concerning his/her family and childhood within the framework of security provided by a sense of belonging.
6. Socialisation techniques: promote social development, tolerance, empathy and the cultivation of several interpersonal skills. It promotes effective communication.
7. Mimetic behaviour: each member learns to adopt the ways in which the other members of the group deal with their various problems.
8. Interpersonal learning: the individual is taught how to develop supportive interpersonal relationships.
9. Group cohesion: it fosters in group members a sense of belonging, a sense of acceptance, self-worth and security.
10. Purification: it helps to release repressed emotions and promotes healing through the disclosure of inner thoughts and information to the other members of the group.
11. Existential factors: they incorporate into the therapeutic process how the individual can learn to exist simply as part of a larger whole that transcends the boundaries of the self. Through the existential way of life, the individual realizes that life goes on and that it is natural to go through the stages of pain, death, sorrow and joy. The individual also learns to accept these situations without trying to avoid them.