Art Therapy: The Field
Art Therapy is a distinct, regulated, integrative mental health and human service profession, designed to enrich the lives of individuals, families and communities. As a credentialed practitioner, I have had years of specialized training, internships, supervision, written a thesis and dissertation, taught at the graduate level, been employed at top institutions, participated on the board of directors of a regional association, and fulfilled many hours of continuing education to be able to call myself a board certified, registered art therapist (ATR-BC).
Practitioners apply psychological theory integrated with art making and the creative process, utilizing a rich toolbox of materials, techniques, and a growing body of research to impact therapeutic, developmental, creative, and humanitarian goals. The application of art therapy as an approach to counseling, psychotherapy, coaching and consultation, or to various populations is endless.
Art Therapy: The Language
As an art therapist, and artist, I have a familiarity and facility with a wide range of creative media, am knowledgeable about their inherent qualities and features to inform experience and outcome. I possess the flexibility to generate effective interventions as needed by my clients, and the language to converse about client intent, process, or vision for their independently created works. Be it to bypass barriers inherent to verbal expression or intellectualization, or to avail ourselves of the capacity to convey complex ideas in a single image, or to pivot the focus from end goals to highlight process, the shift to non-verbal forms of expression can add to, or be the medium of, our work together.
No Art Experience Necessary
No experience with art or having a creative identity is required to make use of art therapy. That said, those who think eidetically, in pictures, vs. linguistically, through speech and words, or those who identify as creative and artistic, tend to appreciate the option to work with tactile or visual communication content and methods.
There is a flavor of spontaneity and playfulness art therapy offers to our work that is less accessible to most of my clients when limited to words. I invite you to explore this medium, and employ my expertise in this field to enhance our collaboration.
Contact our office to get started.