What is Art Therapy?
We get this question often. Art therapy combines the creative process with traditional talk therapy as a form of mental health care. And, TATP is the only nonprofit in NYC dedicated to providing access to group art therapy.
Art Therapy is a way of bringing the creative process into the therapeutic experience. We use psychology as the foundation for art making, offering clients a form of non-verbal self-expression that can access feelings and memories often difficult to address through talk therapy alone.
One does not need to be an artist to participate in and benefit from art therapy, as art therapy focuses on the creative process and the feelings that emerge while making art, not the skill that goes into the finished product.
The unique combination of psychotherapy and art techniques can help clients: better understand their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem.
Art therapy is facilitated by master’s level mental health professionals licensed in the field of art therapy, offering clients a unique path towards personal transformation.
Traditional Talk vs. Art Therapy
In art therapy, we use creative materials as a tool to gain insight into feelings that are often difficult to verbalize. It’s a space for self-awareness, catharsis, and connection.
A Shared Foundation
Art therapy and talk therapy are similar in that they both are rooted in a rich tradition of theory. In their practice both require the therapist to leverage an awareness of psychological frameworks combined with an awareness of their client's history, to serve the therapeutic goals and objectives established with the client.
Both art therapy and talk therapy offer space for clients to hear themselves speak aloud their inner truths, which may never have been verbalized prior. Equally, clients benefit from hearing these inner truths being reflected back to them by their therapist, allowing what is expressed to be reframed within the context of their lived experience and further explored on deeper levels.
The Creative Bridge
The true distinction of art therapy lies in the inclusion of art-making itself. Art therapists are trained to use creative materials as a bridge to the unconscious, using the art making process as a tool for clients to increase their self-awareness and gain insight into the complex feelings that emerge, which are often difficult to put words to.
The creative process offers both a physical release supporting stress relief, and helps move difficult to express experiences into the tangible world. The art is not a replacement for talking, but rather the non-verbal and verbal work together to support a client's needs when words alone are not enough.