What is art therapy? A Guide for Clients

Maybe you’ve heard of art therapy but aren’t quite sure what actually happens in a session. Do you have to be good at art? Does your therapist interpret your drawings? Is it basically an art class with feelings?

Art therapy is a type of psychotherapy that brings creative expression into the therapeutic process. Instead of relying on words alone, art therapy allows clients to explore alternative means of expression and self-discovery. Artmaking can be used to tap into hard-to-pin-down feelings, release energy, explore personal narratives, practice new skills, and beyond!

You also don’t need to consider yourself an artist to participate. Art therapy is about the experience of creating and what you discover through it—not about making something beautiful or technically impressive.

In art therapy, the possible artistic mediums are endless—painting, collage, drawing, scribbling, creative writing, music, dance, and more! One of the most important rules in art therapy is that there is no wrong way to make art! Regardless of the result, the process of making art has significant therapeutic benefits. Improved emotional regulation, self-awareness, and cognitive function are some of the possible benefits of art therapy. An art therapist can also help you engage in reflection, gaining valuable insights into your emotions, past experiences, relationships, and other aspects of your mental health.

Want to learn more? Here is an article outlining the basics of art therapy.

What Is Art Therapy?

Art therapy combines the creative process with talk therapy. It is facilitated by a trained art therapist who has education in both mental health and therapeutic uses of art.

Sometimes words are exactly what we need. Other times, it can be difficult to explain an emotion, experience, or part of ourselves through conversation alone. Art therapy offers another way to explore what’s happening internally.

That might mean using color and shape to express an emotion, creating a collage about identity, drawing something you don’t yet have words for, or simply noticing what comes up while you make something.

Art and conversation can also work together. You might create for part of a session and spend the rest talking about your experience—or you might decide that you would rather talk that day. Art therapy does not have to mean making art during every session.

What Happens During Art Therapy?

There isn't one right way for an art therapy session to look.

Your therapist might offer a creative prompt related to something you have been exploring together. For example, you might create an image about what anxiety feels like, make a collage exploring different parts of your identity, or experiment with art materials while noticing your emotional and sensory responses.

At other times, you might choose what you want to create or bring an ongoing creative project into therapy.

Afterward, your therapist may invite you to reflect on the experience. What did you notice while you were creating? Did anything surprise you? What parts of the artwork feel important? How does it connect with what is happening in your life?

You are the expert on what your artwork means. Rather than looking at a drawing and telling you what it supposedly reveals about you, I approach artwork with curiosity and explore its meaning alongside you.

Do I Need to Be Artistic?

Not at all!

You don't need any art experience to participate in art therapy, and there is no expectation that your artwork will look a particular way. Stick figures, scribbles, abstract colors, elaborate paintings, collages, digital drawings, and everything in between can all belong.

In fact, worrying about whether something is “good enough” can sometimes become part of the therapeutic process itself. Perfectionism, self-criticism, comparison, and fear of making mistakes often show up on the page in ways that give us something tangible to notice and explore.

And if you're already an artist, your existing creative practice can absolutely be incorporated into therapy too.

Is Art Therapy Just Making Art?

Art can be therapeutic on its own, but making art and participating in art therapy aren't quite the same thing.

You might draw, paint, knit, make music, or color outside of therapy because it helps you relax, express yourself, or process your day. Those experiences can be meaningful and supportive without being art therapy.

In art therapy, the creative process takes place within a therapeutic relationship with a trained mental health professional. Your therapist considers your goals, experiences, needs, and responses to the creative process and helps you explore what emerges.

The artwork isn't simply an activity added onto talk therapy. It can become another way for us to communicate, reflect, experiment, and understand your experiences together.

Can Art Therapy Be Done Online?

Yes! Art therapy can work well through telehealth, and you don’t need a full art studio or expensive supplies to participate.

During online art therapy sessions, you can create using whatever materials you already have at home—such as paper, pencils, markers, paint, collage materials, or other supplies that feel comfortable and accessible to you.

If you prefer creating digitally, I also offer access to a secure digital art therapy platform at no additional cost. This allows us to create and explore artwork together online without requiring you to purchase art supplies.

Telehealth art therapy can also give you more choice over your creative environment. You can work with familiar materials, create from the comfort of your own space, and adapt the process to your sensory, physical, and creative needs.

What Can Art Therapy Help With?

People come to art therapy for many of the same reasons they seek other forms of counseling. You don't need to have a particular diagnosis or problem to benefit from incorporating creativity into therapy.

Art therapy may offer another way to explore experiences related to:

• Anxiety and emotional overwhelm

• Stress and burnout

• Perfectionism and self-criticism

• Identity and self-exploration

• Life transitions

• Grief and loss

• Relationships and boundaries

• Trauma and difficult experiences

• Neurodivergence

• LGBTQIA+ identity and experiences

• Difficulty identifying or communicating emotions

For some people, art provides a way to approach experiences that feel difficult to put into words. For others, creating makes therapy feel more engaging, concrete, playful, or accessible.

The role art plays in therapy can also change over time. Some sessions might involve a lot of art-making, while others may look more like traditional talk therapy.

How Is an Art Therapist Different From an Art Teacher?

Art teachers and art therapists can both encourage creativity, but they have different roles and training.

An art teacher typically focuses on developing artistic knowledge and skills, such as learning techniques, working with particular materials, or understanding elements of art and design.

An art therapist is a mental health professional who has specialized training in psychotherapy, human development, mental health, and the therapeutic use of art and creative processes.

In art therapy, there isn't a grade, and I'm not evaluating how successfully you used a particular technique. We might instead be curious about what creating was like for you, what you noticed, and how the experience relates to the things you're working on in therapy.

What Credentials Does an Art Therapist Have?

Art therapy is a specialized mental health profession. Art therapists complete graduate-level education that includes training in psychotherapy as well as art therapy theory and practice.

You may see credentials such as ATR (Registered Art Therapist) or ATR-BC (Board Certified Art Therapist) after an art therapist's name. These credentials are administered by the Art Therapy Credentials Board.

Licensing works somewhat differently because mental health licensing requirements vary by state. An art therapist may also be licensed—or working toward licensure—as a counselor, marriage and family therapist, social worker, or another type of mental health professional.

When looking for an art therapist, it's completely appropriate to ask about their education, art therapy training, professional credentials, state license, and experience working with concerns that are important to you.

How Do I Find an Art Therapist in Washington?

If you're looking for an art therapist in Washington State, start by considering what you're hoping for from therapy. Art therapists have different specialties, approaches, identities, and areas of experience, just like other therapists.

You might want to ask:

• Does this therapist work with the concerns I want to address?

• Do they offer telehealth, in-person therapy, or both?

• Are they licensed to provide therapy where I live?

• What art therapy education and training do they have?

• Do I need to provide my own art supplies?

• Does their approach to therapy feel compatible with what I'm looking for?

• Do they understand identities or experiences that are important to me?

If you're specifically looking for neurodivergent-affirming or LGBTQIA+-affirming care, it can also be helpful to look beyond whether a therapist simply lists those populations on their website. Read how they describe their approach and consider asking what affirming care actually looks like in their practice.

I provide telehealth art therapy and counseling for clients throughout Washington State, with a particular focus on LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent-affirming care. My approach is collaborative, creative, and flexible: art can be central to our work, something we use occasionally, or something we don't use at all on a particular day.

If you're curious about whether art therapy might be a good fit for you, I offer free 15-minute consultations so we can talk about what you're looking for and answer any questions you have before getting started.

Learn more about explore Art Therapy, how Art Therapy can help neurodivergent clients, or contact me to schedule a free consultation.

About Beryl Olson
Beryl Olson, LMHCA, ATR-P, is an art therapist and mental health counselor based in Olympia, Washington. She provides LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent-affirming therapy via telehealth throughout Washington State.