Does Art Therapy Work for Anxiety? Creativity and Comprehensive Treatment Programs

While all creative expression is beneficial to us in one way or another, art therapy goes deeper than many people realize. It’s more than spending a contemplative hour with an adult coloring book. This is a studied, proven, and professionally-practiced treatment option that is currently helping thousands of people in schools, hospitals, military bases, and therapy settings around the globe. Performing artistic and creative activities in the presence of a compassionate and experienced therapist can help each of us process our emotions better, learn more about ourselves, and gain a sense of calm.

Art therapy has been found to help people of all ages, races, and backgrounds heal from and handle difficult experiences and emotions like fear and worry. It’s been actively requested by parents and children who suffer from leukemia, to help them stay strong and positive through difficult hospital procedures. It’s helped aging adults reduce anxiety levels by as much as 70.6%. Art therapy has also been proven to help those who struggle with trauma and those who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness cope with the reality of their situations.

Art therapy has potential benefits for us all. According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy exercises help “foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, [and] reduce and resolve conflicts and distress.” However, this particular treatment has also been studied and proven to specifically help those who deal with anxiety disorders. Especially when used in combination with other treatment methods, research shows that art therapy:

• Calms the nervous system.
  • Art therapy activities are meditative, quiet, and calming, which helps soothe symptoms of stress, nervousness, and irritability. A calm mind is better able to process difficult emotions and experiences. Mental health professionals have found that art therapy is helpful for resolving deep inner conflicts through meaningful moments of calm. Over time, these experiences help individuals to feel more peaceful in general throughout their daily lives.
• Encourages self-expression.
  • Many of us struggle with anxiety surrounding thoughts, feelings, or events that we cannot or don’t want to speak about out loud. Art therapy helps us express ourselves in a safe manner. Through thoughtful exercises and with the guidance of a compassionate and experienced therapist, individuals with anxiety can learn how to express how they’re feeling in a creative, constructive manner. Creative self-expression helps each of us connect with experiences and emotions in a healthy, rewarding way.
• Increases self-awareness.
  • When we engage in creative pursuits, we often discover new aspects of ourselves that we weren’t aware of before. This phenomenon is especially clear when experienced in the context of an art therapy session. Through meditative, expressive, and idiosyncratic exercises (such as drawing with the non-dominant hand), individuals gain an increased sense of self-awareness. It’s much easier to understand and identify with feelings and experiences that exist below the surface of our conscious minds when we focus on a creative activity.