Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy (treatment of mental disorder). Which involves the encouragement of free self-expression through painting, drawing, and making art projects. In the words of Kendra Cherry (2014), “While people have been using the arts as a way to express, communicate, and heal for thousands of years, art therapy only began to formalize during the middle of the 20th-century.” A fact on art therapy is that it was first used by Adrian Hill, a British artist, in 1942. Art therapy is most useful for children because it helps them express how they feel and free their minds in a creative, and artistic way. Abused children or children that have gone through a traumatic event really benefit from art therapy because they don’t always …show more content…
Art therapy helps children feel confident, and boost up their self-esteem. Children won’t have to feel like their work is not good enough. In art therapy, the therapist is focused on building up your confidence in yourself and help you realize how special your art is. As claimed by What Is Art Therapy?, “The goal is not to produce uniform work, but to celebrate the diversity of each child's unique creation.” The art therapist is there to motivate you and helping you realize you are capable of doing anything you dream of. As stated by What Is Art Therapy?, “It can also help him to perceive himself as a person who "can" rather than as someone who "cannot". Art therapy can be a secure place. A child is able to understand your own feelings towards their problems such as abuse. They will be more sure of their emotions and increase their communication to the problems they are facing. “One can splash feelings onto a sheet of paper without hurting anyone and without feeling guilty or fearful of retaliation” (What is Art Therapy, 2015). This indicates that the child will not be judged for what he or she drew on the paper, but instead they are able to let go of what is afflicting them