Individual Art Psychotherapy

Art therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy that incorporates creative expression into the therapeutic process. Like more traditional talk therapy, art therapy involves forming a professional relationship with a therapist to help you with personal problems. Rather than giving you specific advice, an art therapist serves as a skilled listener and observer who helps you clarify issues, discover wishes and explore feelings through both verbal and non-verbal means. With this improved understanding of the patterns and beliefs that inform how you live your life, you can more effectively make changes and resolve the problems that are causing you distress.

The field of art therapy is founded in a long history of art being used for psychological healing. Typically, psychotherapy is a space for clients to explore problems without judgment. Art therapy adds another dimension to the self-exploration by providing a concrete tool, the created art object, allowing an examination of life patterns through metaphor and symbolic expression. Art therapy is a licensed field of practice in New York state. Like clinical social workers, counselors, and marriage & family therapists, a licensed art therapist must have a Masters degree, pass a board exam, and have at least 1500 hours of post-graduate supervised experience.