Seattle Art Therapy
Art is a great tool for individuals and couples to express themselves in a meaningful way. Art therapy is used to foster self-esteem, self-awareness, improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions and cultivate emotional resilience.
Art therapy is not focused on the final result, it is a creative process. Founded on the belief that self-expression through art and creativity has a healing effect on children, adults, and couples, art therapy combines psychotherapy and some form of visual art.
Self-expression Through Art
By giving people a way to express their problems, and an escape to a happier, serene reality, art is a powerful weapon in preventing challenges by improving one’s well-being.
Sharing your story through creative expression is a powerful way to connect with your therapist as they guide you in your healing process.
All people can benefit from working with someone trained in art therapy. Art therapy reduces stress by keeping clients’ minds off of the things that are troubling them, and by shifting the focus to the enjoyable process of creating art.
Art Therapy for Children, Teens, & Adults In Seattle
People of all ages — children, teenagers, and adults — can take advantage of this treatment in Seattle, WA. Art Therapy can be a great way for children and teens who may not otherwise be able to express their personal narratives. Art therapy has been shown to aid in child development.
There are many paths to healing, and working with mental health counselor who is trained in art therapy is a fun and interactive approach to help to improve lives and create meaningful change in the lives of children and teens.
Family Art Therapy Seattle
Art Therapy can also be a great way for families in Seattle, WA to connect and share challenges, experiences, and feelings that can be hard to talk about with traditional talk therapy.
Your family therapist may use art therapy to support understanding of each other to rebuild and form new connections with each other.
Family members can use art to address dynamics that have affected everyone differently while validating the experiences of everyone in the family system.
Families can also feel free to use art to explore how experiences in their ancestral line have contributed to both the strengths and challenges seen today.
What Is Art Therapy?
Art Therapy is a therapeutic process that is the combination of creative processes using visual art and talk therapy. Art Therapy works on the premise that people can share their authentic selves through creative expression.
You can find art therapy in many settings like hospitals and in private practice. We offer art therapy at Anchor Light Therapy Collective in Seattle.
Our art therapist is trained to understand how color, texture, studio art, and various media can help enable the process of revealing a person’s thoughts, feelings, and overall disposition.
This process helps one to experience emotions in a way that allows them to regulate themselves and form a narrative to work through past and present issues. Art therapy is entirely client-centered.
How Does It Work?
Art in therapy can help convey something that’s difficult to express in words. Working with an art therapist can allow people to freely express themselves while keeping a focus on improving their mental health.
Using many forms of materials, a client can experience therapy in a way that is intentional and self-directed. These activities activate sensory responses and generate imagery that is directly connected to emotions.
Where an art class is focused on teaching techniques or creating a specific finished product, art therapy is more about letting clients focus on their inner experience.
What Does Art Therapy Help With?
Art therapy can be used to treat a wide range of mental health disorders and psychological distress. In many cases, it might be used in conjunction with other psychotherapy techniques such as group therapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Clients who have experienced emotional trauma, physical violence, life transitions, anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues can benefit from expressing themselves creatively in a safe space.
Art therapy can facilitate the journey of self-discovery, personal insight, relationship building, creating a stronger sense of self, community issues, stress management – and much more!
FAQs
Is an art therapist a licensed mental health counselor?
Art therapists hold at least a master’s degree in psychotherapy with additional art therapy education. Art therapists are professionals with training specifically in the practice of using art-making as a vital tool in therapy.
How does art therapy help?
Art therapy coupled with traditional clinical mental health counseling provides a safe place where patients can explore unpleasant emotions such as anger, sadness, stress, or fear.
What Should I Expect?
You can expect a comfortable environment with art supplies and a place to introduce yourself before sharing what brings you into the session.
Your sessions could potentially include activities such as working with clay, painting, making a mask, creating a visual journal, and assembling a collage.
Do I already have to be good at art to succeed in art therapy?
People do not need to have artistic ability or special training to participate in art therapy, and people of all ages including children, teens, and adults can benefit from it.
Art Therapy Pricing
Therapy creates a space for you to experience healing and progress in a way that can change your life. But of course, it’s also an investment of both time and finances. When you’re ready to commit to healing and transformation, here is what you can expect.
Standard individual session
(50 minutes) $190
Insurance
We do not participate with any insurance panels. Anchor Light Therapy Collective is considered an out-of-network provider.
As a courtesy to any individual clients who wish to utilize their insurance benefits, We are happy to verify your out-of-network plan benefits to tell you what portion, if any, may be covered by your health insurance provider.