Art Therapy FAQ
Who are you?
Hello! I’m Ellen, and I am an art therapist and counselor at The Boketto Center. I received my master's degree in counseling and art therapy from George Washington University and have been practicing therapy for about four years. If I had to choose an art medium I love most, it would be ceramics because it makes me feel grounded and more at one with myself and the earth. If I had to choose a psychological intervention, it would be Internal Family Systems Therapy (sometimes known as "parts work" or inner child work) because I love how it provides an opportunity for clients to learn more about themselves both inside and outside of the therapy session.
What is art therapy?
Art Therapy is a type of psychotherapy where the creative process helps you express and understand how you think, feel, and act on a deeper level. Art Therapy allows you to non-verbally explore your thoughts and feelings in a space that feels comfortable and with a trained art therapist. Art therapists are also trained in addressing depression and anxiety symptoms and provide solution-focused art directives for clients to gain positive coping skills when managing these diagnoses. Because the experience of trauma affects our brains and bodies in ways that make it difficult to talk about, art therapy is also extremely beneficial for those who have experienced trauma and are ready to dive deeper into their trauma processing.
What is the difference between an art therapist and an art teacher?
The primary difference between an art therapist and an art teacher is their approach to art-making. Art therapists are masters-level mental health clinicians trained in providing art materials for self-expression and often work in psychiatric hospitals, private practice, or outpatient clinics where confidentiality is enforced. Art therapists develop treatment planning goals and objectives with their clients to relieve and reduce psychological symptoms. Additionally, art therapists build rapport and a clinician-client relationship while focusing on the process of art-making.
Art teachers are specifically trained to provide the art-making techniques necessary to master the art material and tend to work in a school-based setting where confidentiality is not enforced within the classroom. Art teachers develop lesson plans, and their primary goal is to accomplish a task with a specific art material to pass the assignment. Art teachers develop teacher-student relationships and tend to focus on the product of the art rather than the process.
What is the difference between an art therapist and a counselor or social worker?
The main difference between an art therapist and another masters-level clinician is that an art therapist is trained in the expressive use of art materials and incorporating other psychological modalities and interventions. For example, I have extensive 2-year training in trauma-informed techniques making me highly specialized in combining art therapy and trauma processing. Additionally, I have extensive supervision, background, and neuropsychology knowledge in how our brains and bodies can positively change when working with certain art materials. This means that I can pinpoint the exact art material and directive to utilize to decrease anxiety and depression based on the type and amount of chemicals being released in the brain and affecting the body.
Who can benefit from art therapy?
Everyone! No, really, everyone can benefit from art therapy. Even within the specialty of art therapy, some clinicians specialize in working with different populations and address different problems, just like all other therapists.
Do you have to be an artist to do art therapy?
Heck no! I often say to my clients who are not artists themselves that non-artists tend to benefit tremendously from art therapy because they do not have to get over the perfection hump. Artists are trained to see the imperfections of their techniques in their artwork and can become knit picky. The imperfection and experimentation in the art are what makes it authentic and, at times, beautiful.
Do art therapists interpret my artwork?
Many people are hesitant to share their artwork with others, especially an art therapist. This may be because they fear the vulnerability of being read like a book. Art therapists are not psychics! We will work with you to interpret your art piece and ask guiding questions that allow you to process what you made. Often the art that comes out in session is rooted in deep, unexpressed thoughts and feelings that we cannot put to words yet. By processing the artwork, you will develop a language to describe your experiences and ultimately release them making you feel lighter, more relaxed, and confident in your self knowing.
How long is an art therapy session? What is the cost? Does insurance cover it?
Art therapy individual sessions are usually 50 minutes unless otherwise discussed. Currently, I charge $150 intake fee for the first session and a $100 fee per session after that. In some states, insurance does cover the cost of art therapy. However, in Michigan, art therapists are still advocating for protected state licensure (this means anyone, even those without proper training, can say they are an art therapist!). Therefore, insurance does not cover our sessions.
Why would I choose art therapy over regular talk therapy?
Like any therapy or therapist, you should choose a style and way of working that benefits you. It would be best to choose art therapy based on your intuition and not necessarily choose one therapy type over another. However, sometimes talk therapy comes to a stuck point where you feel you have said everything there is to say, yet you still need relief. Art therapy is the natural next step to begin your nonverbal healing process since many of our experiences are non-verbal. Regardless of the type of therapy, we will work together to find a process that honors your unique being.