Art Therapy in Grand Rapids and Holland, MI
Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy. It uses art materials: paint, drawing, clay, collage, and even digital media like photography and tablet technology. This approach combines traditional psychotherapeutic theories and techniques with the psychological, interpersonal, and somatic aspects of the creative process and self-expression.
“When words are not enough, we turn to images and symbols to tell our stories. And in telling our stories through art, we find pathways to wellness, recovery and transformation.”
– Cathy Malchiodi, PhD
Art therapy accesses the inner world of our thoughts and feelings through visual images. In particular, the art you make in a session expresses the symbolic and metaphoric content of your internal life. Through this expression, new pathways of healing can open up.
As one nine-year-old client put it: “Art therapy can help when you’re stressed. It might calm you down.”
What to Expect in Art Therapy
Your first session will typically look like a regular talk therapy session. However, you can work with art materials right away if you’d like. From there, your art therapist will learn your goals and explore how the creative process can help you meet them.
How Art Therapy is Tailored to You
Every session fits your specific needs, whether or not it includes art making. For example, sessions can also include other expressive arts, like writing, poetry, or music. Ultimately, the art you create holds the emotional content you bring to each session, whether that’s anxiety, depression, PTSD, relationship issues, or grief and loss.
