Art Therapy Informative Essay

The human mind is a beautiful thing. Full of thoughts, memories, and pictures. It is what makes you, you. The exploration of the brain is even more intriguing. Nothing is more complex and scientists and psychologists are always looking for more information in this field. Art is the self-expression and the application of human creative skill and imagination. It is the bridge between mind and matter. If you can think it, you can create it, because when it comes to art the possibilities are endless.

You can express your thoughts and emotions through making art that you could not through words alone. That is why art therapy is an effective form of helping patience of all kinds. Art therapy can help just about anyone with a mental or emotional illness if they are willing to cooperate. People say that a picture is worth a thousand words and when it comes to art therapy, they really mean it. Art therapists use color, patterns, and shapes fabricated by the patient to determine their thoughts and feeling. Because color is a big part of representing how we feel we can use the drawings, paintings, or other forms of art to help us further understand someone. Art therapy is especially helpful when the patient cannot speak or properly communicate with others. That is because art is like talking

without actually using words. They have used this method all over the world for thousands of years now. Some people believe that it is the connection between body and mind.
Art therapy is a part of the psychological field. In order to obtain an entry level art therapist license you need a master’s degree. They work in a variety of places such as hospitals, halfway houses, clinics, schools, art studios, private practice, and elder care facilities. As an art therapist you may see a diverse group of people depending on your workplace. That is including people with medical issues of all ages, ethnicities, and cultures. “Just beginning the career you can make generally around thirty thousand to forty thousand dollars while those with prior experience may even earn salaries over one hundred thousand dollars” (Art therapist).
Overall, it requires a total of six years of schooling to become an art therapist.

“Art therapists have to be trained in the field of art as well as psychology. Being able to understand the type of media that you are using is very important. They are knowledgeable about human development, psychological theories, clinical practice, spiritual, multicultural, and artistic traditions, and the healing power of art” (What is art therapy?). As an art therapist you have to see many different types of patients. You could see everyone from people with Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to people with some kind of trauma so you have to be sensitive to each person’s

needs.
Being qualified for the job is only one part of being a successful art therapist. “You must also possess certain personal qualities such as sensitivity, emotional stability, patience, impersonal skills, acceptance, the understanding of many different types of artistic media, and insight to human behavior” (Ford-Martin, Paula). Being able to communicate with your patient is very important for this particular job. You need to be able to read body language very well and understand what the person is trying to say. Being an art therapist is all about reading a person. Most times a patient will unknowingly give away crucial information and you need to be able to notice that.
Art therapy has helped many and continues to help more each day. As an expressive medium, art can be used to help clients communicate, overcome stress, and explore different aspects of their own personalities” (How Does Art Therapy Work?). It is a big responsibility to care for someone’s emotional well-being but with its large impact on a community it is well worth it.