What Is Art Therapy? How It Works, Who It Helps and the Evidence

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which a trained art therapist uses art-making, such as drawing, painting, collage or clay, as the main way for you to express and explore what you are going through. You do not need any artistic skill. It is used with children and adults, individually or in groups, in clinics, hospitals, schools and private practice. This guide explains what art therapy involves, where it comes from, what research shows and how to find a qualified therapist.

What art therapy is and how it works

The British Association of Art Therapists defines art therapy as a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of communication, a definition quoted in a 2018 Cochrane review. Clients need no experience in art, and the therapist is not mainly concerned with how the image looks. The aim is to help a person change and grow through using art materials in a safe, supportive setting.

In practice, a session usually moves between making and reflecting. You might start by talking about how you are, then work with materials, either freely or with a gentle prompt from the therapist. Afterward, you and the therapist look at what you made together. The therapist does not tell you what your picture means; they ask open questions and help you notice what feelings, memories or patterns it brings up and how they connect to your life.

Why might this help? Practitioners describe art as a way to approach feelings that are hard to put into words, to make difficult experiences feel more manageable by giving them a shape outside yourself, and to slow down and reflect. Those are explanations from the field rather than mechanisms that research has confirmed. What is clear is that art therapy combines creative activity with a therapeutic relationship, and studies cannot easily separate the two.

Where art therapy comes from

People have long used images to express feeling and meaning, and the Cochrane review notes that drawings and paintings were recognized as useful within psychiatry and psychology well before art therapy became a profession. Art therapy itself emerged in the mid-20th century in Britain and the United States, bringing together psychotherapy and creative practice.

In Britain, the term is often credited to the artist Adrian Hill, who described the benefits of painting during his own recovery from tuberculosis in the 1940s. In the United States, the educator Margaret Naumburg developed an approach rooted in psychoanalytic ideas. Since then, art therapy has become an established profession in many countries, with its own training programs and professional bodies.

What people use art therapy for

People come to art therapy for many reasons. Common ones include low mood and depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, grief and loss, and coping with serious illness such as cancer. It is also used with children and teenagers, with people who have learning or communication difficulties, and in dementia and older adult care. Many people choose it because talking alone feels hard, or because they want a more active, hands-on way to work through something.

It is often offered alongside other care. A person might see a psychiatrist or doctor for medicine, or a psychotherapist for talking therapy, and attend art therapy as well. Related creative approaches include music therapy and drama therapy, which use sound and performance in similar ways.

These are reasons people explore art therapy, not promises of any outcome. You can browse the conditions and symptoms hubs to see how it fits alongside other approaches.

What the research says

The results are mixed: art therapy shows modest benefits for some outcomes, especially depression, but much of the research is low in quality and some well-run trials found no effect. A 2024 review in JAMA Network Open pooled 69 randomized trials with about 4,200 people aged 4 to 96. Art therapy was linked to improvement in 18% of measured outcomes, while 81% showed no improvement, with a small to moderate overall effect and low study quality.

For depression, a 2026 analysis by the same research group combined 19 trials with 997 people and found a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms. An earlier 2015 UK review of group art therapy found 11 trials with 533 people; art therapy beat control groups in 7, but the trials were generally poor quality. A 2021 review in adults with cancer found positive effects in 4 of 7 studies.

Other findings are less encouraging. A 2018 Cochrane review of art therapy in dementia found just two small trials and insufficient evidence of any effect. A large UK trial of 417 people with schizophrenia found that a year of group art therapy did not improve functioning or symptoms compared with standard care.

Safety and who should check first

Art therapy is generally low risk, but it is real therapy and can stir up strong emotions, memories or distress, especially after trauma. That is one reason training matters: a credentialed art therapist knows how to pace sessions, keep you grounded and respond if things become overwhelming. Tell your therapist about your mental health history, any current treatment and anything that feels off-limits.

If you are in crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself, are experiencing psychosis or have severe trauma symptoms, speak with your doctor or mental health team first; art therapy for these needs should be part of a wider care plan. In the US you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Mention any allergies or skin sensitivities that might affect which materials you use.

Fitting it alongside everyday and conventional care

Art therapy is best seen as one part of mental health care rather than a replacement for it. For depression or anxiety, it can sit alongside talking therapy, psychotherapy or medicine your clinician recommends, and the research mostly tests it in that way, added to usual care.

Outside therapy, making art for its own sake can be a pleasant way to relax and connect with others. That is worth doing, but it is not the same as art therapy. If you are struggling, tell your doctor you are interested in art therapy, ask whether it is available through your health service, and keep up any treatment you already have.

Finding an art therapist

Look for a credentialed art therapist, not just an artist or activity leader. In the UK, anyone using the title art therapist must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council; elsewhere, ask what qualification and registration or license they hold and check it with the issuing body. Browse the Gyfts directory, read the art therapy modality page, or explore related approaches. Fees vary, so ask up front.