FAQ
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the act of art making. It works by helping clients to connect with and understand their inner world, and towards the development of a client's integrated sense of self, with increased self-awareness and acceptance.
The creative process is employed to help clients increase insight and jusdment, cope better with stress, work through traumatic experiences, increase cognitive abilities, have better relationships with family and friends, and to just be able to enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of the creative experience.
Sometimes words do not say it all, but by using art, clients can develop a visual language that enables them to gain a different perspective of their situation and facilitates their inner feelings to be expressed in a new way.
There is no set way that an art therapy workshop unfolds, as each person and group is different, but there are certain aspects that should always remain the same:
- The session is a safe, confidential, trusting and non-judgmental environment.
- There is no pressure to use the art material on your first session, it's your session and you choose when and how to use the materials.
- Although art making can be a nonverbal process, it can be useful to reflect on the image in a verbal way with the therapist or group, but again, this is the choice of the client as each person's needs are different.
Contents of art therapy workshops are considered to be confidential. Confidentiality is an important part of the relationship between a client and therapist and it is protected by the law. Workshops take place in a group setting, and all members of the group are expected to respect the privacy of other members. There can be exceptions howeer, such as in cases where the client is considered to be a danger to others or themselves.
