What is art therapy and what does it achieve? By definition, art therapy is used in psychotherapy as a non-verbal means of expression between the patient and the therapist. You don\’t have to be an artist to practice art therapy, nor does the patient have to be especially talented to be able to participate in the art projects.

Art therapy is a type of meaningful therapy in which patients use art making to show their thoughts and emotions without needing to speak. It is likewise a type of projective technique used by therapists to see into the deeper workings of a patient\’s mind.

Many patients, especially those with post traumatic stress disorders, choose not to talk about the events that caused their trauma. Sometimes, the events that occurred are too much to bear and the victim chooses to shut out the world.

Incest, for example, is a very delicate topic for people to talk about, especially with people they do not yet trust. Art therapy could be used as an ice-breaker for the therapist to gain more trust and to make the patient more comfortable. The therapist could ask the patient to paint a particular picture or to draw something on a piece of paper.

Unconsciously, patients would actually start to draw exactly how they feel and what they want to take place. Even if they do not want to discuss things that occurred to them, therapists could quickly tell exactly what\’s going on by the lines, colors, as well as the spacing in their drawings. And even when they begin to talk, words are in some cases insufficient to show every little thing that\’s going on inside the mind of a sufferer. Art therapy helps them release the negative ideas and feelings they are struggling with.

Art therapy for counseling is a non-threatening technique for patients to take part in without having to be pressed to talk. It provides them time to be familiar with their very own situations and permits them to become comfy and achieve trust with their therapist.