What Is Art Therapy, and How Is It Different From Making Art?
Written by Creative Continuum
Written by the team at Creative Continuum, led by Marina Doering, ATR-BC, a board-certified art therapist helping Phoenix-area kids, teens, and adults use creative expression as clinically guided therapy, not just a coping hobby.
Art therapy is a mental health treatment that uses art making and creative processes within a therapeutic relationship with a trained art therapist. Making art for relaxation or self-expression can also be meaningful, but it is not automatically art therapy. Understanding the difference can help you choose the kind of support that fits your needs or your child's needs.
Key Takeaways
Art therapy combines creative expression with clinical therapy.
Making art on your own can support relaxation and self-expression, but it is different from art therapy.
You do not need to be "good at art" to participate in art therapy.
Art therapists use the creative process as part of individualized treatment.
Art therapy can be appropriate for children, teens, and adults.
Look for credentials such as ATR or ATR-BC when choosing an art therapist.
Table of Contents
What Is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a form of mental health treatment that uses art making and the creative process within a therapeutic relationship. The goal is not simply to make something attractive; the art-making process can become another way to explore thoughts, feelings, experiences, and patterns that may be difficult to explain with words.
An art therapy session is guided by a qualified art therapist who considers your goals, developmental needs, communication style, and clinical concerns. The therapist may use drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, or other creative activities as part of the therapeutic process rather than treating the artwork as a test that has one correct interpretation.
This distinction matters because art therapy is not based on whether someone produces "good" art. The creative process becomes part of the work happening between you and your therapist. Research and professional literature describe art therapy as a field that combines active art making, creative processes, psychological theory, and a therapeutic relationship.
For some people, art making can provide another way to explore or communicate experiences that may be difficult to put into words.
What Is 'Art as Therapy',and How Is It Different?
"Art as therapy" usually refers to using creative activity for personal wellbeing, self-expression, relaxation, or emotional support without a therapist directing the process as clinical treatment. You might journal with watercolor, sketch after a difficult day, make pottery with friends, or spend an hour painting because it helps you feel more grounded.
Those activities can have real value. Research has explored how creative activity and art making can affect emotional states and brain processes, while also emphasizing that art therapy involves the additional element of a therapeutic relationship with a trained art therapist.
The difference is not that one kind of art making is "better." The difference is the purpose, setting, and professional relationship surrounding the creative process.
If you want a calming hobby, personal creative practice may be exactly what you need. If you want help understanding anxiety, trauma, grief, identity, relationships, emotional regulation, or another mental health concern, art therapy provides a clinical framework for that work.
Do You Need to Be ‘Good at Art’ for it to Work?
You do not need to be good at art to participate in art therapy. Art therapy is about the process of creating and exploring meaning, not about producing artwork that belongs in a gallery.
A blank page can be enough. So can a few colors, a simple collage, a repeated shape, or a quick drawing made without a plan. Your therapist may invite you to experiment with materials based on what you are working through rather than asking you to demonstrate artistic skill.
This can be helpful for children who already feel pressure around performance. A child does not have to draw realistically, follow artistic rules, or finish a polished project to participate successfully in art therapy.
Creative Continuum approaches art therapy as a space where curiosity matters more than perfection. The therapist helps make the creative process accessible so the artwork does not become another place where a client feels evaluated.
What Happens in an Art Therapy Session?
An art therapy session typically combines conversation, creative activity, and therapeutic reflection based on the client's goals. The exact structure can change depending on the person's age, concerns, communication style, and treatment plan.
A session might begin with a conversation about what has been happening since the previous session. The therapist may then introduce a creative activity designed to support the work you are already doing in therapy.
The artwork does not have to be "decoded" by the therapist. Instead, you and the therapist can explore what you notice, what the process felt like, what choices you made, and whether anything about the experience connects to your life outside the session.
For some clients, the creative process may provide another way to explore and discuss emotions, memories, or patterns that can be difficult to address through conversation alone. Art therapy research describes art making within the therapeutic relationship as a potential avenue for both verbal and nonverbal communication.
At Creative Continuum, the goal is not to make every session look like an art class. The creative process is selected because it can support the therapeutic work.
Who Tends to Benefit Most From Art Therapy?
Art therapy may benefit children, teens, and adults who want a creative way to explore mental health concerns or personal experiences. Art therapy may be particularly useful for people who find traditional talk therapy limiting, but enjoying art is not a requirement for benefiting from the approach.
For some children, art can provide another way to express or explore feelings that may be difficult to explain with words. Teens may appreciate having another way to explore identity, relationships, stress, or emotional experiences without having every conversation feel like an interrogation.
Adults can also use art therapy to work through anxiety, trauma, grief, life transitions, relationship concerns, or other challenges. Art therapy for adults is not simply "adult coloring with a therapist"; it is a clinical approach that uses creative expression within individualized mental health care. For adults who prefer a shared creative environment, Creative Continuum's therapy groups offer another way to connect, create, and receive structured support.
How Do I Know Which Approach Is Right for Me or My Child?
The right approach depends on whether you want creative self-expression or clinical mental health support. If you want a hobby, relaxation activity, or creative outlet, making art on your own may be enough. If you want support with a mental health concern, working with a qualified art therapist may be a better fit.
For children, what is prompting the concern can help guide the choice. An art class or creative project may be appropriate when a child simply wants to create and have fun. If a child is struggling with anxiety, emotional regulation, trauma, communication, or another mental health concern, art therapy can incorporate creative expression into an individualized treatment plan.
The same distinction applies to adults. You do not need therapy every time you pick up a paintbrush, and you do not need to consider yourself an artist to participate in art therapy.
When choosing an art therapist, look for appropriate graduate-level art therapy training and professional credentials such as ATR (Registered Art Therapist) or ATR-BC (Board Certified Art Therapist). You should also check whether the therapist holds the state license required for the mental health services they provide. Licensing requirements vary by state, so consider both the therapist's art therapy credentials and applicable clinical license.
"Art therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy facilitated by a trained, credentialed art therapist, certified by the Art Therapy Credentials Board, Inc. Because art making can evoke strong emotions, traumatic memories, or psychological themes clinical training and certification are essential when the goal is healing rather than creativity"- Carley Cote
The ATR credential reflects education and supervised clinical experience in art therapy. The ATR-BC is a board certification earned through a national examination focused on professional knowledge and clinical skills in art therapy.
If you are looking for art therapy in Phoenix, ask about the therapist's education, art therapy credentials, clinical license when applicable, and experience with your specific concerns. You can also ask how creative activities are incorporated into treatment and what role art therapy would play in your overall goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Insurance coverage depends on your plan, the clinician's credentials and licensure, the services provided, and your insurer's policies. Creative Continuum can discuss current payment and coverage questions during the intake process.
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There is no universal number of sessions because progress depends on the person's goals, needs, treatment approach, and circumstances. A therapist can help establish realistic goals and review progress as therapy continues.
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Art therapy is available for adults as well as children and teens. Adults can use art therapy to explore concerns such as anxiety, trauma, grief, relationships, identity, and major life transitions.
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Look for a qualified art therapist with appropriate graduate-level training and professional credentials such as ATR or ATR-BC. The American Art Therapy Association identifies ATR and ATR-BC as national art therapy credentials administered through the Art Therapy Credentials Board.
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Start by looking for a clinician who has appropriate art therapy credentials and can legally provide mental health services in your state. For Phoenix families and adults, Creative Continuum offers art therapy as part of its broader clinical services and can help you determine whether an art therapy approach fits your needs.
About Creative Continuum Therapy
Creative Continuum Therapy is a Phoenix-based practice combining evidence-based clinical care with art therapy, EMDR, and neurodivergent-affirming approaches for children, teens, adults, and families. Led by board-certified and registered art therapists, the team specializes in ADHD, autism, anxiety, executive functioning, and trauma.
Creative Continuum brings creative expression into clinical care without treating art as a requirement or a performance. Sessions are available in person in Phoenix and online throughout Arizona, giving clients the option to choose a format that fits their needs.
If you are wondering whether art therapy could be a good fit for you or your child, schedule a consultation with one of Creative Continuum's credentialed art therapists.
