What is Art Therapy - Yvonne Gordon

What is art therapy?
According to the American Art Therapy Association:
"Art Therapy is the use of art materials in a therapeutic setting that enables a client to express through art what they can’t say with words. It’s not necessary to be an artist to realize the benefits of art therapy. Art therapy is not about creating a pretty picture, rather it’s about letting intuitive expression come through the unconscious'. It has been found that people of all ages and abilities are able to participate in art therapy because it is generally seen as less threatening than more traditional forms of psychotherapy. For children the act of creating artwork usually comes very naturally but for adults, this process can often cause stress. The Art Therapist is in a unique position of being able to offer verbal and non-verbal, direct, gentle and less threatening interventions where talking is not necessarily required, but also not ruled out. Art therapy has been found to facilitate improvements in motor skills and memory, improve interpersonal skills, can generally ease anxiety, depression and stress during the experience and over extended practice". (Paraphrased from AATA)