Pictures Worth Thousands of Words: Art Therapy

You've heard the phrase, but can you place it with the treatment in holistic health?

Last month alone, it seems, Art Therapy, the creative process of art that can contribute to the healing of trauma with models of counseling, was featured in more than ten major newspapers for its many benefits.

In Miami it was helping mentally ill patients in a small, private hospital. In Louisiana, it was aiding traumatized victims of hurricanes. In Maryland it was helping kids cope with cancer and seniors with Alzheimers.

Art Therapy provides two modes for healing: it reveals things the victim cannot say, and it involves creative activity which literally changes the traumatized composition of the brain.

It is more than finger painting. You need a masters level degree, or above.

And now, the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), who regularly checks the credentials of the more than 3000 board-certified practitioners, has recently established mandatory licensing in New Mexico, New York, California, Texas, and Mississippi.

Proponents of art therapy come from all sides of the street(conventional medicine, complementary health and alternative health), who all agree that artistic self-expression helps people resolve conflicts, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, and increase self-esteem and self-awareness.