Art therapy

Art therapy
Intervention
Two convict artists draw designs of carpets on graph paper at Industrial Workshops of Central Jail Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan, in 2010
MeSH	D001155
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Art therapy (also known as arts therapy) is a creative method of expression used as a therapeutic technique. Art therapy originated in the fields of art and psychotherapy and may vary in definition.

Art therapy may focus on the creative art-making process itself, as therapy, or on the analysis of expression gained through an exchange of patient and therapist interaction. The psychoanalytic approach was one of the earliest forms of art psychotherapy. This approach employs the transference process between the therapist and the client who makes art. The therapist interprets the client's symbolic self-expression as communicated in the art and elicits interpretations from the client. Analysis of transference is no longer always a component.

Current art therapy includes a vast number of other approaches such as: person-centered, cognitive, behavior, Gestalt, narrative, Adlerian, family (systems) and more. The tenets of art therapy involve humanism, creativity, reconciling emotional conflicts, fostering self-awareness, and personal growth.

Various definitions of the term "art therapy" exist, each reflecting the historical narrative or theoretical underpinnings of its proponents.

The British Association of Art Therapists defines art therapy as:

...a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of communication. It is practised by qualified, registered Art Therapists who work with children, young people, adults and the elderly. Clients who can use art therapy may have a wide range of difficulties, disabilities or diagnoses. These include, for example, emotional, behavioral or mental health problems, learning or physical disabilities, life-limiting conditions, brain-injury or neurological conditions and physical illness. Art therapy may be provided for groups, or for individuals, depending on clients' needs. It is not a recreational activity or an art lesson, although the sessions can be enjoyable. Clients do not need to have any previous experience or expertise in art.

The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as: