What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a distinct mental health profession that integrates the creative process of making visual art with psychotherapeutic theory and clinical practice. Unlike casual art-making, art therapy is facilitated by credentialed professionals who hold a minimum of a master’s degree and have completed extensive supervised clinical training. The practice uses visual media—drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, and other forms—as a primary mode of expression and communication within a therapeutic relationship. The focus is not on aesthetic achievement or artistic skill but on what the creative process reveals, expresses, and helps process.
The American Art Therapy Association defines it as “an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.” The British Association of Art Therapists similarly describes it as “a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of expression and communication,” noting that clients “are not required to have experience or skills in the arts.”
Art therapy is practiced in hospitals, psychiatric facilities, schools, rehabilitation centers, prisons, hospice settings, veterans’ clinics, and private practice. It is used to address trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, developmental disorders, chronic illness, and behavioral issues. The discipline incorporates knowledge from psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, and systemic therapeutic frameworks, making it an integrative approach informed by multiple schools of psychological thought.
Origins & Lineage
The formal profession of art therapy emerged independently in Europe and the United States during the mid-20th century. The term “art therapy” is attributed to British artist Adrian Hill, who coined it in 1942 while recovering from tuberculosis in a sanatorium. Hill observed that drawing and painting provided patients with emotional relief and a sense of freedom despite their confinement. His work led to the adoption of art-based approaches in mental hospitals throughout the United Kingdom; by 1964, the British Association of Art Therapists had been established.
In the United States, art therapy developed along parallel lines in the 1940s and 1950s, rooted in psychoanalytic theory and progressive education. Margaret Naumburg (1890–1983), often called “the Mother of Art Therapy,” developed what she termed dynamically oriented art therapy. Naumburg, who founded the Walden School in New York City, was influenced by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. She believed that spontaneous art-making allowed unconscious material to surface through symbolic communication, enhancing verbalization and transference in the therapeutic process. Naumburg taught art therapy courses at New York University in the 1950s and published several foundational texts, including Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy: Its Principles and Practice (1966).
Edith Kramer (1916–2014), born in Vienna, studied art under Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, a Bauhaus-trained artist who later used art with children imprisoned at Theresienstadt concentration camp. Kramer immigrated to the United States in 1938 and developed an approach she called “art as therapy,” emphasizing the healing inherent in the creative process itself, particularly through the psychoanalytic concept of sublimation. In contrast to Naumburg’s focus on symbolic interpretation, Kramer argued that the act of making art could be therapeutic without requiring verbal processing. She worked at Wiltwyck School for Boys beginning in 1950, where she was formally given the title “art therapist.” Kramer published Art Therapy in a Children’s Community (1958) and Art as Therapy with Children (1971), and in 1976 co-founded the graduate Art Therapy program at New York University.
The American Art Therapy Association was founded in 1969. Other early contributors include Florence Cane (Naumburg’s sister), Hanna Kwiatkowska (who pioneered family art therapy), Elinor Ulman (who founded the first art therapy journal), and Edward Adamson in the UK. The Art Therapy Credentials Board was established in 1993 to credential art therapists and later became an independent organization in 2010.
How It’s Practiced
Art therapy sessions are conducted individually, in couples or family formats, or in groups. A typical session involves the art therapist offering materials and guiding clients to explore feelings, experiences, or concerns through visual expression. Media may include paint, clay, collage materials, pastels, markers, photography, or digital tools. The therapist observes not only the finished image but also the process—how the client approaches the work, what materials they choose, what emotions arise.
Some art therapists work psychodynamically, exploring unconscious symbolism in the imagery and facilitating verbal insight. Others emphasize the inherent therapeutic value of the creative act itself, particularly for clients who have limited verbal capacity—children, trauma survivors, individuals with developmental disabilities, or those experiencing grief. Cognitive-behavioral art therapists may use structured directives to challenge negative thought patterns. Humanistic and person-centered approaches prioritize the client’s autonomous creative expression.
Art therapy assessments also exist, including tools like the Draw-A-Person Test and the Diagnostic Drawing Series, though many practitioners question the validity of making interpretive assumptions. The field increasingly integrates neuroscience research exploring how art-making activates neural pathways related to emotion regulation, memory processing, and sensory integration.
Art Therapy Today
Today, art therapy is practiced globally, with professional organizations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and many other countries. In the United States, approximately 5,000 professionals belong to the American Art Therapy Association. Credentialing through the Art Therapy Credentials Board includes the Provisional Registered Art Therapist (ATR-P), Registered Art Therapist (ATR), and Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC), the highest credential achieved by passing a national examination. Multiple U.S. states now offer art therapy licensure.
Seekers encounter art therapy in outpatient mental health clinics, cancer treatment centers, schools, veterans’ hospitals (the VA documented its use as early as 1945), community wellness centers, and private practice settings. Some practitioners offer studio-based open sessions; others work within medical teams in hospitals. Graduate programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) ensure rigorous training. Art therapy is used with diverse populations: children with autism, adults with PTSD, people in palliative care, incarcerated individuals, refugees, and those recovering from substance use.
Common Misconceptions
Art therapy is not an art class. The quality, technique, or aesthetic merit of the work is irrelevant. No artistic skill is required.
Art therapy is not merely “doing art for relaxation.” While creative expression can be calming, art therapy is a clinical intervention conducted within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional. Adult coloring books, paint-and-sip events, and community art workshops may be beneficial but are not art therapy.
Art therapy is distinct from expressive arts therapy, which integrates multiple modalities—drama, music, dance, poetry—fluidly within sessions. Art therapy focuses specifically on visual media, though it may incorporate other creative forms depending on the therapist’s training.
Evidence for art therapy’s efficacy is growing but remains mixed. A 2023 meta-analysis by France’s National Council of Nurses found no conclusive evidence of effectiveness across 2,500 studies, highlighting methodological inconsistencies in the research. The field continues to strengthen its empirical foundation.
How to Begin
If you are interested in experiencing art therapy, seek a credentialed art therapist (ATR or ATR-BC) through the American Art Therapy Association’s therapist locator or verify credentials via the Art Therapy Credentials Board registry. Many therapists offer sliding-scale fees or accept insurance.
For those considering art therapy as a profession, pursue an accredited master’s program in art therapy. Undergraduate majors in psychology, art, or counseling provide strong preparation, though they are not required. Essential readings include Edith Kramer’s Art as Therapy with Children, Margaret Naumburg’s Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy, and Cathy Malchiodi’s Handbook of Art Therapy (2003). The journal Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association publishes current research and clinical case studies.
If you wish to explore creative expression for personal growth outside a clinical context, consider community studios, open art groups, or self-directed practice—but understand that these are not substitutes for therapy when mental health concerns are present.