Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesTechniquesUsesBenefitsEffectivenessConsiderationsGetting Started

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Types

Techniques

Uses

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Effectiveness

Considerations

Getting Started

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People who are experiencing mental health issues may have a difficult time interpreting or describing how they are feeling. Through expressive arts therapy, they can learn more about themselves and share what they are feeling in a therapeutic context.

If you’re considering this therapy or it has been recommended to you, it’s helpful to understand the types available and how it can help. Keep reading to also learn what research says about expressive arts therapy’s effectiveness, along with things to consider when determining if it isthe right therapy for you.

Types of Expressive Arts Therapy

The International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) explains that expressive arts therapy is a multimodal approach, combining several expressive arts—movement, writing, music, and more—“to foster deep personal growth and community development.“As a multimodal therapy, it draws on a few different types of single-modal approaches.

Four types of creative arts often used in expressive arts therapy include:

While each of these therapeutic modalities can be used on its own, expressive arts therapy is an integration of several approaches together, sometimes in the same session. It can also be incorporated into other therapy methods and integrates well with several approaches.

By drawing on different modalities and integrating them in ways that are beneficial to each individual’s needs, this approach to treatment can create unique experiences that allow people to better understand their emotions, thoughts, memories, and experiences.

A List of Your Therapy Options

Expressive Arts Therapy Techniques

This type of therapy focuses on the creative process. So, expressive arts therapists may draw on a wide variety of techniques to create a treatment best suited to the individual’s needs. Such techniques can include:

In addition to utilizing the healing properties of self-expression through art, professionals trained in expressive arts therapy also incorporate other types of therapy into their client sessions. They might pull techniques frompsychodynamic therapy,cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness-based approaches.

Art Therapy: Drawing for Stress Relief

What Expressive Arts Therapy Can Help With

Expressive arts therapy can be used with both adults and children and may be beneficial for several different mental health conditions. Some conditions or concerns it can help with include:

Expressive arts therapy can also help hospitalized children deal with the stress associated with their hospitalization.

Benefits of Expressive Arts Therapy

The IEATA shares that expressive arts therapy can help peopleimprove creativity, gain clarity, and achieve deep healing.Plus, many art activities are suitable for a wide variety of individuals and can often be employed in any setting with only minimal supplies.

One review found that expressive arts therapy has been used in a wide range of contexts. It has been implemented in community centers, as well as with people who are homeless, immigrants, cancer patients, patients in dementia care, and patients in hospice care.

Expressive Arts Therapy Effectiveness

Several pieces of research suggest that expressive arts therapy is effective in a variety of ways.

More generally, art-making has been found to have several positive mental health effects. For instance, a 2020 study found that engaging in a coloring activity helpedreduce anxietyandimprove moodin older adults.

The Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy

If You’re Considering Expressive Arts Therapy

If you are thinking about trying expressive arts therapy, you don’t have to have training or experience in the activity you’re doing. You also don’t have to be good at that art form. This therapy is not about what you are creating; it is the process of creating that matters.

Expressive arts therapy isn’t the same as taking an art class. Your focus isn’t on learning artistic techniques but on theinner emotional experienceas you engage in the artistic process, either in a receptive (such as listening to music) or creative (such as making art) manner.

That said, expressive arts therapy isn’t right for everyone. For example, it might not be a good fit for people who are skeptical or unwilling to participate in the creative experience. It may also not be appropriate for individuals with certain psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia.

Getting Started With Expressive Arts Therapy

If you are interested in trying expressive arts therapy, here’s how to get started:

What to Expect During Your First Therapy Session

12 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.Welcome to IEATA.Appalachian State University.Questions about expressive arts therapy.Cleveland Clinic.Creative arts therapies.Hoffmann B.The role of expressive therapies in therapeutic interactions; art therapy - explanation of the concept.Trakia J Sci. 2016;3:197-202. doi:10.15547/tjs.2016.03.001Siegel J, Iida H, Rachlin K, Yount G.Expressive arts therapy with hospitalized children: A pilot study of co-creating Healing Sock Creatures©.J Pediatr Nurs. 2016;31(1):92-8. doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2015.08.006International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.Who we are.Vaartio-Rajalin H, Santamäki-Fischer R, Jokisalo P, Fagerström L.Art making and expressive art therapy in adult health and nursing care: A scoping review.Int J Nurs Sci. 2020;8(1):102-119. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.09.011Mahendran R, Gandhi M, Moorakonda RB, et al.Art therapy is associated with sustained improvement in cognitive function in the elderly with mild neurocognitive disorder: findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial for art therapy and music reminiscence activity versus usual care.Trials. 2018;19(1):615. doi:10.1186/s13063-018-2988-6Koo M, Chen HP, Yeh YC.Coloring activities for anxiety reduction and mood improvement in Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults: a randomized controlled study.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Jan 21;2020:6964737. doi:10.1155/2020/6964737Farokhi M.Art therapy in humanistic psychiatry.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2011;30:2088-2092. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.406Laws KR, Conway W.Do adjunctive art therapies reduce symptomatology in schizophrenia? A meta-analysis.World J Psychiatry.2019;9(8):107-120. doi:10.5498/wjp.v9.i8.107Pak J.Does your health insurance cover art and music therapy?Healthcare Insider.

12 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.Welcome to IEATA.Appalachian State University.Questions about expressive arts therapy.Cleveland Clinic.Creative arts therapies.Hoffmann B.The role of expressive therapies in therapeutic interactions; art therapy - explanation of the concept.Trakia J Sci. 2016;3:197-202. doi:10.15547/tjs.2016.03.001Siegel J, Iida H, Rachlin K, Yount G.Expressive arts therapy with hospitalized children: A pilot study of co-creating Healing Sock Creatures©.J Pediatr Nurs. 2016;31(1):92-8. doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2015.08.006International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.Who we are.Vaartio-Rajalin H, Santamäki-Fischer R, Jokisalo P, Fagerström L.Art making and expressive art therapy in adult health and nursing care: A scoping review.Int J Nurs Sci. 2020;8(1):102-119. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.09.011Mahendran R, Gandhi M, Moorakonda RB, et al.Art therapy is associated with sustained improvement in cognitive function in the elderly with mild neurocognitive disorder: findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial for art therapy and music reminiscence activity versus usual care.Trials. 2018;19(1):615. doi:10.1186/s13063-018-2988-6Koo M, Chen HP, Yeh YC.Coloring activities for anxiety reduction and mood improvement in Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults: a randomized controlled study.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Jan 21;2020:6964737. doi:10.1155/2020/6964737Farokhi M.Art therapy in humanistic psychiatry.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2011;30:2088-2092. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.406Laws KR, Conway W.Do adjunctive art therapies reduce symptomatology in schizophrenia? A meta-analysis.World J Psychiatry.2019;9(8):107-120. doi:10.5498/wjp.v9.i8.107Pak J.Does your health insurance cover art and music therapy?Healthcare Insider.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.Welcome to IEATA.Appalachian State University.Questions about expressive arts therapy.Cleveland Clinic.Creative arts therapies.Hoffmann B.The role of expressive therapies in therapeutic interactions; art therapy - explanation of the concept.Trakia J Sci. 2016;3:197-202. doi:10.15547/tjs.2016.03.001Siegel J, Iida H, Rachlin K, Yount G.Expressive arts therapy with hospitalized children: A pilot study of co-creating Healing Sock Creatures©.J Pediatr Nurs. 2016;31(1):92-8. doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2015.08.006International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.Who we are.Vaartio-Rajalin H, Santamäki-Fischer R, Jokisalo P, Fagerström L.Art making and expressive art therapy in adult health and nursing care: A scoping review.Int J Nurs Sci. 2020;8(1):102-119. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.09.011Mahendran R, Gandhi M, Moorakonda RB, et al.Art therapy is associated with sustained improvement in cognitive function in the elderly with mild neurocognitive disorder: findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial for art therapy and music reminiscence activity versus usual care.Trials. 2018;19(1):615. doi:10.1186/s13063-018-2988-6Koo M, Chen HP, Yeh YC.Coloring activities for anxiety reduction and mood improvement in Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults: a randomized controlled study.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Jan 21;2020:6964737. doi:10.1155/2020/6964737Farokhi M.Art therapy in humanistic psychiatry.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2011;30:2088-2092. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.406Laws KR, Conway W.Do adjunctive art therapies reduce symptomatology in schizophrenia? A meta-analysis.World J Psychiatry.2019;9(8):107-120. doi:10.5498/wjp.v9.i8.107Pak J.Does your health insurance cover art and music therapy?Healthcare Insider.

International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.Welcome to IEATA.

Appalachian State University.Questions about expressive arts therapy.

Cleveland Clinic.Creative arts therapies.

Hoffmann B.The role of expressive therapies in therapeutic interactions; art therapy - explanation of the concept.Trakia J Sci. 2016;3:197-202. doi:10.15547/tjs.2016.03.001

Siegel J, Iida H, Rachlin K, Yount G.Expressive arts therapy with hospitalized children: A pilot study of co-creating Healing Sock Creatures©.J Pediatr Nurs. 2016;31(1):92-8. doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2015.08.006

International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.Who we are.

Vaartio-Rajalin H, Santamäki-Fischer R, Jokisalo P, Fagerström L.Art making and expressive art therapy in adult health and nursing care: A scoping review.Int J Nurs Sci. 2020;8(1):102-119. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.09.011

Mahendran R, Gandhi M, Moorakonda RB, et al.Art therapy is associated with sustained improvement in cognitive function in the elderly with mild neurocognitive disorder: findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial for art therapy and music reminiscence activity versus usual care.Trials. 2018;19(1):615. doi:10.1186/s13063-018-2988-6

Koo M, Chen HP, Yeh YC.Coloring activities for anxiety reduction and mood improvement in Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults: a randomized controlled study.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Jan 21;2020:6964737. doi:10.1155/2020/6964737

Farokhi M.Art therapy in humanistic psychiatry.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2011;30:2088-2092. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.406

Laws KR, Conway W.Do adjunctive art therapies reduce symptomatology in schizophrenia? A meta-analysis.World J Psychiatry.2019;9(8):107-120. doi:10.5498/wjp.v9.i8.107

Pak J.Does your health insurance cover art and music therapy?Healthcare Insider.

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