art therapy activities pdf

100 Art Therapy Exercises

Here is a popular internet list of art therapy activities originally posted up in 2011 by the Nursing School Blog. I have since taken over the list and I consistently research current links that reflect the most inspiring art therapy directives on the internet today, keeping them as close as possible to the original list.

Last Updated October 31, 2023

• Draw or paint your emotions .  In this exercise, you'll focus entirely on painting what you're feeling.
• Create an emotion wheel.  Using color, this activity will have you thinking critically about your emotions.
• Make a meditative painting.  Looking for a creative way to relax?  Have trouble sitting still to meditate?  Meditative painting might be just the thing you're looking for.  No painting skill or experience necessary - only a desire to relax and become more creative.
• Put together a journal .  Journals don't have to just be based around words. You can make an art journal as well, that lets you visually express your emotions.
• Explore puppet therapy .  Puppets aren't just for kids. Make your own and have them act out scenes that make you upset.
• Use line art .  Line is one of the simplest and most basic aspects of art, but it can also contain a lot of emotion. Use simple line art to demonstrate visually how you're feeling.
• Design a postcard you will never send .  Are you still angry or upset with someone in your life? Create a postcard that expresses this, though you don't have to ever send it.
• Create a family sculpture .  For this activity, you makes a clay representation of each family member-- mother, father, siblings, and any other close or influential family members to explore emotional dynamics and roles within your family.
• Paint a mountain and a valley .  The mountain can represent a time where you were happy, the valley, when you were sad. Add elements that reflect specific events as well.
• Heal your shadow .  Heal your shadow, amplify your intuition, and access inspiration with three simpple intuitive creativity prompts.
• Draw Your Heart.  Draw your feelings in a heart formation.

Art therapy can be a great way to relax. Consider these exercises if you're looking to feel a little more laid back.

• Paint to music .  Letting your creativity flow in response to music is a great way to let out feelings and just relax.
• Make a scribble drawing .  With this activity, you'll turn a simple scribble into something beautiful, using line, color and your creativity.
• Finger paint .  Finger painting isn't just fun for kids– adults can enjoy it as well. Get your hands messy and really have fun spreading the paint around.
• Make a mandala .  Whether you use the traditional sand or draw one on your own, this meditative symbol can easily help you to loosen up.
• Draw with your eyes closed .  Not being able to see what you are drawing intensifies fluidity, intuition, touch and sensitivity.
• Draw something HUGE .  Getting your body involved and moving around can help release emotion as you're drawing.
• Use color blocks .  Colors often come with a lot of emotions attached. Choose several paint chips to work with and collage, paint and glue until you've created a colorful masterpiece.
• Let yourself be free .  Don't allow yourself to judge your work. If you think your paintings are too tight and controlled, this collection of tips and techniques to try should help you work in a looser style. 
• Only use colors that calm you .  Create a drawing or a painting using only colors that you find calming.
• Draw in sand .  Like a Zen garden, this activity will have you drawing shapes and scenes in the sand, which can be immensely relaxing and a great way to clear your mind.
• Make a zentangle .  These fun little drawings are a great tool for letting go and helping reduce stress.
• Color in a design .  Sometimes, the simple act of coloring can be a great way to relax. Find a coloring book or use this mandala for coloring.
• Draw outside .  Working  en plein air  can be a fun way to relax and get in touch with nature while you're working on art.

Art can not only help you deal with the bad stuff, but also help you appreciate and focus on the good. Check out these activities all about reflecting on your personal happiness.

• Collage your vision of a perfect day . Think about what constitutes a perfect day to you and collage it. What about this collage can you make happen today?
• Take photographs of things you think are beautiful .  No one else has to like them but you. Print and frame them to have constant reminders of the beautiful things in life.
• Make a collage related to a quote you like .  Take the words of wisdom from someone else and turn them into something visually inspiring.
• Create a drawing that represents freedom.   The Surrealists embraced automatic drawing as way to incorporate randomness and the subconscious into their drawings, and to free themselves from artistic conventions and everyday thinking.
• Document a spiritual experience .  Have you ever had a spiritual experience in your life? Paint what it felt like intuitively.
• Make a stuffed animal .  Soft, cuddly objects can be very comforting. This project could be used to create an imaginary animal from your intuitive drawings.
• Collage Your Joy .  Spontaneously find out what would bring you more joy through this intuitive collage exercise
• Build a "home."  What does home mean to you? This activity will have you create a safe, warm place that feels like home to you.
• Document an experience where you did something you didn't think you could do.  We all have to do things that we're scared or unsure of sometimes. Use this activity as a chance to commemorate one instance in your life.
• Think up a wild invention .  This invention should do something that can help make you happier– no matter what that is.
• Make a prayer flag .  Send your prayers for yourself or those around you out into the universe with this project.

Often, a great way to get to know yourself and your relationships with others is through portraits.

• Create a past, present and future self-portrait.  This drawing or painting should reflect where you have been, who you are today, and how see yourself in the future.
• Draw a bag self-portrait .  On the outside of a paper bag, you'll create a self-portrait. On the inside, you'll fill it with things that represent who you are.
• Choose the people who matter most to you in life and create unique art for each . This is a great way to acknowledge what really matters to you and express your gratitude.
•   "I am" Collage.  Create an intuitive collage and discover more about yourself.
• Create an expressive self-portrait .  Paint in expressive colors. Select colors for emotional impact.
• Draw yourself as a warrior.  Start thinking about yourself as a strong, capable person by drawing yourself as a warrior in this activity.
• Create a transformational portrait series .  Transform your perceptions about yourself with this list of self-portrait ideas.
• Imitate Giuseppe Arcimboldo .  Using objects that have meaning to you, create a portrait of yourself.
• Create a body image sketch.  Practice life drawing to fall in love with all of the varieties of the human body, including your own.
• Draw a mirror self-portrait .  This activity is based around a Piet Mondrian quote: "The purer the artist's mirror is, the more true reality reflects in it." 
• Draw yourself as a superhero.  Many people like superhero stories. We resonate with the themes in the stories, with the dilemmas and problems that superheroes face, and we aspire to their noble impulses and heroic acts.

These activities will ask you to face some unpleasant aspects of life, but with the goal of overcoming them.

• Draw a place where you feel safe.  An art therapy directive for finding your safe place.
• Create a mini-diorama .  A diorama can showcase an important moment in your life or something from your imagination.
• Transform your worries .  Creativity is a great way to notice your worries, move through them and transform them into something new.
• Draw something that scares you .  Everyone is frightened of something and in this project you'll get a chance to bring that fear to light and hopefully work towards facing it.
• Turn your illness into art .  Struggling with a potentially terminal illness? Process your feelings about your illness.
• Art journal through a loss in your life.  If you've lost someone you love, process it in your art journal.
• Make art that is ephemeral .  Sand painting is practiced in many cultures, usually for healing purposes. Create beautiful patterns with sand on canvas.

If you prefer to cut and paste rather than draw or paint, these projects are for you.

• Create a motivational collage .  Collage a vision board. Fill it with images you find motivating.
• Create a face collage on a mask .  We all wear masks of some sort. This project lets you showcase what's in your mask and the face you put on for the world.
• Create an intuitive collage .  Intuitive collage is a process of quieting your everyday mind and inviting imagery to express the story of your inner world.
• Create a calming collage. Choose collage elements that you find soothing, calming or even meditative and combine them to create a collage to help you to relax.
• Collage a painting .  Incorporate collage symbolism in a painting.

Examine aspects if who you are and how you see the world through these art projects.

• Draw images of your good traits.  Creating drawings of your good traits will help you to become more positive and build a better self-image.
• Draw yourself as an animal.  Is there an animal that you have a special interest in or feel like is a kindred spirit? Draw yourself as that animal.
• Create a timeline journal.  Timeline the most important moments of your life through this writing therapy exercise.
• Put together a jungle animal collage .  Choose jungle animals that you find the most interesting, draw them, and then reflect on why you've chosen these specific animals.
• Sculpt your ideal self.  If you could make yourself into the perfect person, what would you look like?
• Paint different sides of yourself.  Explore your many emotions through painting.
• Make art with your fingerprints.  Your fingerprints are as unique as you are. Use ink and paint to make art that uses your fingerprints.
• Draw yourself as a tree. Your roots will be loaded with descriptions of things that give you strength and your good qualities, while your leaves can be the things that you're trying to change.
• Design a fragments box .  In this project, you'll put fragments of yourself into a box, helping construct a whole and happier you.
• Paint an important childhood memory.  What was a pivotal memory in your childhood? This activity asks you to document it and try to understand why it was so important to you.
• Write and illustrate a fairy tale about yourself .  If you could put yourself into a happily ever after situation, what role would you play and how would the story go? Create a book that tells the tale.
• Design a visual autobiography .  This creative project asks you to make a visual representation of your life.
• Create your own coat of arms .  Choose symbols that represent your strengths to build your own special coat of arms.
• Draw a comic strip.  Enjoy a moment of levity with this exercise that will focus in on a comical event that happened to you.
• Build your own website.  Websites are very versatile ways to express yourself. Build your own to express what's most important about you.
• Create a box of values .  First, collage or paint a box the represents you. Then, place items inside the box that represent the things you value the most.

Here you'll find a collection of projects that will help you be happy about what you have and express your gratitude for it.

• Document your gratitude visually . What things are you grateful for in your life? Paint or collage a work that represents these things.
• Create a family tree of strength .  This exercise honors those around you who support you. Paint those close to you who offer you the strength you need.
• Make something for someone else .  Making something for someone else can be a great way to feel good and help someone else do so as well.
• Make anchor art .  Who are the anchors in your life? In this project, you'll make an anchor and decorate it with the people and things that provide you stability and strength.
• Draw all the positive things in your life.  Everyone has at least one good thing in life, so sit down and figure out what makes you happy– then draw it.
• Sculpt your hand in plaster .  Explore the symbolism of hand casting.
• Paint a rock .  Paint rocks for relaxation and fun.
• Create a gratitude tree .  What are you grateful for? This clay project asks you to write those things on leaves to construct a tree.
• Create a life map.  A Life Map helps you discover what you want for yourself and your life
• Create a snowflake out of paper .  Write ideas about how you are unique on the snowflake.
• Build a personal altar.  This is a highly personal project that will help connect you with your spiritual side and honor your resilience.

Inside the Mind

Take a look inside your mind to see what's going on with these projects.

• Create blot art .  Like a classic Rorschach test, fold paper in half with paint or ink in the middle and describe what you see.
• Mind Mapping.   Make a visual representation of your thoughts to figure out how your mind works.
• Make a dreamcatcher .  Having bad dreams? Create this age-old tool for catching your dreams with a few simple tools.
• Draw your dreams.  You can learn a lot from what goes on in your dreams, so keep a dream journal and use it for inspiration to draw or paint.

If you're still looking for something to empower, help or soothe you, these projects may fit the bill.

• Use natural materials .  Leaves, sticks, dirt, clay and other natural materials can help you get in touch with the natural world and the more primal side of yourself.
• Explore archetypes .  Study the archetypes to help you explore how you see and create your world. 
• Use your body as a canvas .  You don't need paper when you have your body. Paint on your hands and feet or anywhere else to feel more in touch with yourself.
• Create spirit dolls.  Weave life and love into a creation by making something solely by hand with materials from nature.
• Make art out of recycled items .  You can reuse old items that have meaning to you or just re-purpose something you have laying around. Either way, you'll get insights into how you can reshape and reevaluate your own life.
• Collage with old photographs.  If you're uncomfortable using old photos you can make copies. Explore these mixed media techniques with your old photos.
• Create your own interpretation of a famous work of art .  How would you have painted the Mona Lisa? Using a famous work as your inspiration, create your own work. It could help reveal more about your lens on the world.
• Work collaboratively.  Art can be better when two work at it together, so find a partner and collaborate on just about anything.
• Use a found or made object as a paintbrush .  Whether it's something sharp or something soft, make your own artistic tool and use it to express what you're feeling.
• Make crayon stained glass.  Reflect upon your spiritual side with this project that lets you create your own stained glass window.
• Paint a window.  Windows let you see in and see out. Paint yours with things you want to hide or show to the world.

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Personality

• Enneagram type 1

Mental disorders

Resignation letters.

Table of Contents

Art Therapy Activities (5 PDFs)

In this brief guide, we will look at some Art Therapy Activities and PDFs related to the same.

Art Therapy Activities (+PDFs)

Art Therapy activities are psychotherapeutic approaches that integrate the idea of expression through art with psychological well-being and improvement of psychological problems like anxiety and depression.

Art Therapy is a relatively newer psychological approach that helps the person with expressing their innermost desires and issues in a constructive way, and it might be exceptionally useful for individuals that are struggling with expression in other ways.

Art Therapy is particularly useful for individuals who have trouble vocalising their problems or feelings, like someone with Autism Spectrum disorder or someone suffering from cognitive impairment of some kind.

According to the American Psychological Association, Art Therapy may be defined as follows:

“Art Therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

Art Therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, effectively supports personal and relational treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art Therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensory-motor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.

Art therapists are master-level clinicians who work with people of all ages across a broad spectrum of practice. Guided by ethical standards and scope of practice, their education and supervised training prepares them for culturally proficient work with diverse populations in a variety of settings. Honoring individuals’ values and beliefs, art therapists work with people who are challenged with medical and mental health problems, as well as individuals seeking emotional, creative, and spiritual growth.

Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone. Kinesthetic, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic opportunities invite alternative modes of receptive and expressive communication, which can circumvent the limitations of language. Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience, and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation.”

If you are a parent interested in Art therapy activities for your young kids then you may also be interested in Family therapy activities to increase communication .

Art Therapy Activity 1

This art therapy activity is called The Lighthouse activity, and it is meant for anyone that feels lost and needs help coming back to themselves.

This activity may be suggested to anyone that feels lost, overwhelmed, or isolated, and it may help the person to express those feelings and visualize hope, as well as identify needs, feel hope for the future, and realize where they are on a specific journey.

This activity is great for both children and adults, and to begin with the person needs to imagine being lost at sea and visualizing the ideal lighthouse that would provide the right kind of guidance to them so they may come out.

While children can also do the activity, it may be better for adults because the depth and symbolism of the project may be better suited to their advanced psychological conditions.

Materials the person may need for this activity are as follows:

• Plain or colored paper
• Coloring pens and pencils

The art therapist needs to begin with a basic guided meditation and make sure that the patient is calm, comfortable and relaxed, and when their breathing is deeper and more consistent, you may give them the beginning instructions of the activity, which may be about how there are points in our life where all of us feel lost, isolated, or overwhelmed. 

Acknowledge that the person is likely going through a scary time, and that even though they may feel that there is no way out, there may be a light to help guide them back to safety.

This is the part where the art therapist may start to tell the person a story about being out on a boat on a clear day, but eventually the sky has darkened, and because the sea is black and choppy water is flowing into the boat and they have lost their way.

The story progresses similar to the mindset of the person, and they may feel that they are unsure of how they will find their way back again but they eventually see a light in the distance that is coming from a lighthouse which is showing them the way to safety.

The story needs to taper off towards the person heading towards the lighthouse, and after that, the art therapist needs to bring the person slowly out of their meditative state, and towards the reality.

The person is then provided with the materials mentioned before, and they may then be instructed to draw, color, or paint a lighthouse as a source of guidance. 

The person is also encouraged to depict themselves in relation to the lighthouse somewhere in the image and to add words that represent sources of guidance in their life.

After the person is done drawing, the therapist may discuss with them how they felt through the journey that was described, and how they feel about the various aspects of the drawing they have done.

Here are some more art therapy activities in PDF form.

One might also find one of the best Art Therapy Activities, which is about emotion faces, here .

Art Therapy Activities 2

This is another great art therapy activity that aids the person’s understanding of anxiety and helps them visualize their anxiety so that they can get started on controlling and treating it.

People may find it hard to represent their anxiety as an abstract concept, or even a human one and even when the person is asked to represent it as a monster they might not be able to do so.

The typical artist needs to develop strategies to recognize their anxiety so that they may depict it better, and therefore it may be incredibly hard for any normal person to do it.

This activity allows anyone that is going through art therapy to help with their anxiety to deal with it in a constructive and head-on manner.

The materials needed for the activity are as follows:

• Collage materials
• Sculpting clay
• Miscellaneous materials such as fabrics and textures
• Any other decorative materials to help participants create their ‘anxiety’ 
• Paints and easels
• Scissors, paper, and glue

The art therapist behind by introducing the concept of the workshop activity by discussing anxiety properly, and in detail, not just the signs and symptoms, but also the effect it has and how it changes how someone thinks about the challenges in their life.

The person is also asked to reflect on the idea that anxiety is mostly an unseen thing, and encourage them to think of what if they could see it and what they think it might look like.

The person may also be asked to take a mindful minute to reflect on these questions, and they may be asked to think up an image for the anxiety they feel, what they might see it as in their minds, before they put it down on paper.

The therapist may even ask them to close their eyes and focus on their breathing and then ask them to turn their thoughts to their anxiety and on the image they have of the anxiety, in their minds.

The next step is to ask the person if they might be able to describe it, and if they have trouble starting they may be prompted with questions such as does it have a body and a head and limbs, or is it more abstract? What shape does it take? Is it tall, short, skinny, fat? What color is it?

The person may then be asked to reflect on the personality of the anxiety like do they think it can talk, or if it is silent or even what things it cares about, if anything, or how it might express what it cares about?

When it is comfortable for the person, one may provide them with the materials, and ask them to recreate their anxiety on it, and they can also be told to use any medium they feel comfortable with.

Once the person has completed their creation, the therapist might discuss the appearance and personality of the anxiety, or journal about what they’ve discovered.

Here is a worksheet about Gratitude Jars which may also be used with someone suffering from anxiety.

Art Therapy Activity 3

This last Art therapy activity is quite useful for children, and it is known as What’s in your heart.

The worksheet for this activity may be found here , and this activity contains exercises for children to express their emotions or define the things they care about.

Apart from the printout of the worksheet, the individual may also need:

• Glitter, sequins, and glue (if desired)

The person participating may be asked to take a moment to reflect on the things that make their heart happy or what makes them feel good.

They may also be asked what words they might use to describe these things that make them happy or if they could draw them, what would they draw?

Once the person has talked about these things, they may be provided with the worksheets and ask them to fill the heart with what we have just been thinking and talking about. 

These can then be discussed at length depending on how the person feels about them.

In this brief guide, we looked at some Art Therapy Activities and PDFs related to the same.

Art therapy activities can be very helpful for individuals who are not able to express what they are feeling well enough in words, or maybe they are not feeling much relief from doing the traditional cognitive behavior therapy exercises that may be done with other patients.

Art therapy activities can help tremendously with problems related to anxiety, depression, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and even some conditions with psychosis, like Schizophrenia or substance abuse.

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

If you have any questions or comments about Art Therapy Activities, please feel free to reach out to us at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Art Therapy activities PDF

What is art therapy and how does it work.

Art therapy is a technique that works on the principle of creative expression and believes that it can foster healing and mental well-being. It is a belief of the proponents of art therapy that art Art can lead to people exploring their emotions through either creating it or viewing others’ art, and therefore that and therefore this process can be used to develop self-awareness or even to cope with stress or boost self-esteem, and work on one’s social skills.

What is the role of art therapist?

The role of an art therapist may be to aid the process of the individual’s self-expression through their artwork and to help clients understand their emotional conflicts which are being represented in whatever the artwork contains.

An Art Therapist may also help the person who is engaging in art therapy to develop social skills, improve self-esteem, manage addictions, reduce anxiety, and restore normal function through art in a healthy manner.

How is art therapy effective?

Art therapy is effective because it helps to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions of the person engaging in it, and it has also been shown to foster self-esteem and self-awareness in individuals.

Art Therapy can also help cultivate emotional resilience and promote insight in people, and in those that have limitations in their social sphere, and artworks can also be used to enhance the person’s social skills, as well as reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change as well.

What is art therapy counseling?

Art Therapy counseling involves making use of artworks done by the individual in the context of art therapy and basing the counseling insights on these artworks.

Art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services approach that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active artworks, and creative processes, and it consists of applied psychological theory as well as knowledge of human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

https://positivepsychology.com/art-therapy/

https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheets/art/none

https://intuitivecreativity.typepad.com/expressiveartinspirations/100-art-therapy-exercises.html

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Expressive Arts Therapy: 15 Creative Activities and Techniques

It is especially well suited to clients who lack the ability to articulate their inner world with words alone. These clients can use the many forms of creative arts to express themselves.

In this article, we will discuss expressive arts therapy by explaining the interventions used and the difference between expressive arts therapy and creative arts therapies. You will be introduced to expressive arts therapy techniques and ideas for your psychotherapy and counseling sessions, both with individual adults and groups.

The article will also introduce training programs and degrees in expressive arts therapy and present a brief review of some of the best books on the subject.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will provide you with detailed insight into Positive CBT and give you the tools to apply it in your therapy or coaching.

This Article Contains:

What is expressive arts therapy, expressive arts therapy vs creative arts therapy, 12 techniques and ideas for your sessions, 3 activities for adults and groups, training in expressive arts therapy, top 14 courses, programs, and degrees, 3 best books about expressive arts therapy, helpful positivepsychology.com resources, a take-home message.

Expressive arts therapy incorporates elements of all forms of creative expression into a multimodal expressive form of integrative psychotherapy (Knill et al., 2005).

Expressive arts therapists are proficient in interpreting creative expression, rather than arts practitioners who have trained in a specific form of therapy.

In expressive arts therapy, each client is encouraged to use multiple forms of creative expression to articulate their inner world, including drawing and painting, photography, sculptures using a range of materials from clay to paper mâché, music, drama and role-play , poetry, prose, and dance and movement.

Expressive arts therapy focuses on four major therapeutic modalities:

• Imagination
• Active participation
• Mind–body connection

Human beings have used expressive arts as healing modalities since ancient times (Malchiodi, 2020). Expressive arts therapists facilitate multimodal creative expression, sometimes in one session, usually non-directively.

In other words, the therapist provides the materials, equipment, and media required to facilitate a client’s creative expression during the therapy session.

Dr. Cathy Malchiodi is a psychologist and expressive arts therapist who explains the four core healing practices when using expressive arts to work with trauma: movement, sound, storytelling through image, and silence through contemplative and self-regulatory practices.

Expressive arts therapy involves a multimodal integration of varied elements of the creative arts therapies into psychotherapy and counseling.

Creative arts therapies include art therapy, dance therapy , music therapy , drama therapy , and writing therapy . Creative arts therapists tend to be expert arts practitioners in one specific area who have gone on to train in a specific type of creative arts therapy (Stuckey & Nobel, 2010).

For example, a painter who has graduated with a fine art degree may then complete graduate training in art therapy to practice as an art therapist, or a professional performer may train as a dance or drama therapist.

However, expressive arts therapists are not expert arts practitioners. Rather, they are proficient in the skilled use of expressive arts as an integrative intervention in psychotherapy (Knill et al., 2005).

1. Drawing and painting

Intuitive drawing and painting with pastels, chalks, acrylics, and watercolors can be useful for expressing emotions, mood states, or relational dynamics that are difficult to express in words (Laws & Conway, 2019; Stuckey & Nobel, 2010; Trevisani et al., 2010).

Take a look at the video under the next item for an example of an intuitive drawing session.

2. Sculpting

Clay sculpting during a session can be very therapeutic, as clay is moldable and remoldable. Clay can take a lot of impact, and sculpting can be used to represent abstract inner states, a self-image, and other people (Vaartio-Rajalin et al., 2020). It can then be stretched, pummeled, and flattened as a means of expressing emotions.

In the video below, expressive arts therapist Natalie Rogers uses the two techniques mentioned during a therapy session with the same client.

Mask making using a range of materials such as tissue paper, clay, or paper mâché can be a powerful tool for expressing the many different roles people play in different relationships and life situations (Jones, 1996).

It can also express personal strengths. In this article , art therapists Gioia Chilton and Rebecca Wilkinson describe how they use mask making while working with people in addiction recovery.

4. Movement

Movement can be a powerful form of self-expression to connect to the wisdom of the body and its innate healing capacity. This may include dance, but not necessarily.

Movement can relieve stress and can be a powerful tool for self-regulation (Jones, 1996). In the video below, somatic psychologist and dance/movement therapist Dr. Jennifer Tantia explains how she used movement to transform her client’s anxiety into a sense of agency.

Expressive journal writing can combine words, drawings, sketches, collages, or photos to represent emotions, thoughts, events, memories, aspirations, strengths, and other inner experiences.

The journal provides a safe place for a client to express their authentic voice and practice honest self-expression (Knill & Atkins, 2020).

It can help clients clarify thoughts and feelings and forge a deeper connection to their needs, aspirations, and goals. This activity can also be continued between sessions as an adjunct to therapy then discussed during sessions. In this article , expressive arts therapist Shelley Klammer explains the wider benefits of expressive journaling.

Poetry writing is a central technique in expressive arts therapy that aims to mobilize artistic language, symbolism, and poesy as the source of creative expression. Clients can be encouraged to write expressively but also share poems written by others that have moved them.

The video below is the trailer for the book Poetry in Expressive Arts: Supporting Resilience Through Poetic Writing  by Margo Fuchs Knill and Sally Atkins (2020) and presents examples of poetry written as therapy.

7. Role-play

We all play many roles in our lives – at work, in social situations, and in our relationships.

Drama therapy is a safe method for exploring these roles in a nonthreatening way (Jones, 1996). Masks and puppets can also be used to explore roles and express difficult feelings rather than participating in active role-play if a client is uncomfortable expressing themselves directly.

This drama therapy intervention enables clients to explore roles they dislike, roles they aspire to play in the future, and current roles they’d like to expand. Role-play may be used in interventions designed to enhance self-awareness, strengthen a sense of identity, and enhance relationships.

Collage can be used to make emotionally expressive images using cut-outs, photos, paints, and felt pens. The key to this exercise is working quickly and spontaneously, as free of internal verbal commentary as possible.

The expressive collage-making exercise by expressive arts therapist Shelley Klammer in the video below is designed to enhance self-acceptance.

9. Self-portraiture

Self-portraiture using a range of materials can be very cathartic, and a series of self-portraits can reflect how a client sees themselves changing over time. These can be made by drawing, painting, mask making, sculpture, photography, or mixed media using a combination of these materials.

10. Photography

Photography used in a therapeutic context is often called photo therapy or therapeutic photography (Gibson, 2018).

Photo therapy can enhance clients’ appreciation of their environment and what they love about their daily life. It can also be used to journal the healing process after trauma or loss.

In the TED Talk below, How Photography Saved My Life , Bryce Evans explains how therapeutic photography helped him recover from depression and anxiety.

11. Mandala making or coloring

Mandala making or coloring can be a wonderfully meditative exercise for emotional expression, centering, and self-soothing.

Mandala derives from the Sanskrit word for “circle,” and in Eastern religious traditions, mandalas are often used as an aid to contemplation and meditation.

To make a mandala from scratch, the client needs to draw a circle (perhaps tracing around a circular object or using a compass) and then fill the circle in with spontaneous patterns and colors.

Alternatively, mandala coloring books such as 150 Mandalas: An Adult Coloring Book With 150 Beautiful Mandalas in Various Styles for Stress Relief and Relaxation can be used to relieve stress and for self-soothing purposes (Koo et al., 2020).

12. Filmmaking

Filmmaking is another powerful expressive art form that is now available to most of us, given we can all make videos with our smartphones and edit them with various low-cost or free video-editing apps online.

This video trailer for the book Video and Filmmaking as Psychotherapy (Cohen et al., 2016) gives a taste of how filmmaking is being used in psychotherapy with veterans to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

All the techniques above are used in expressive arts therapy in conjunction with person-centered, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and mindfulness-based approaches to maximize and integrate psychological healing.

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We share three activities with which to get started.

1. Mindful painting for stress relief

For this activity, you will need drawing pencils, ink pens, felt pens, colored pencils, pastels, chalks, crayons, acrylic and/or water paints, and brushes. This activity can be conducted with an individual or in a group.

The activity involves intuitively drawing or painting abstract representations of the things that stress your clients in response to the prompt ‘pressure.’ The idea is for clients to express how pressure makes them feel by making marks on the paper without judgment, rather than holding them in their bodies.

This exercise should begin with a brief mindful breathing exercise for each participant to relax and register their stress levels. Then, encourage them to make marks with colors that represent their feelings and draw and paint their problems away.

This video by Mindful Creative Muse for World Mental Health Day explains the process in more detail.

2. Guided imagery with music into a safe place

This activity can be conducted with individuals or in a group and was devised by music therapist Paula Higgins. For this activity, you will need space for clients to sit or lie down, yoga mats or cushions for them to lie on, and a device that can play music either using the video below or your own source.

The activity uses relaxation, guided imagery , music, and the mindfulness of breathing to create a sense of safety and stability. It could be particularly helpful for clients who are grieving, experiencing stress or anxiety, or in recovery from addiction.

You can download the transcript by clicking on the three dots on the right-hand side under the video and then clicking “open transcript.” You can copy and paste the transcript from the text box on the right. Adapt it for your session.

3. Mindful photography as phototherapy

This activity is again suitable for individuals or a group and involves slowing down through mindfully looking at photos to relieve stress through appreciation. Ruth Davey, the founder/director of Look Again has made a short video to give a taste of mindful photography and its benefits.

For this activity, each participant will need access to a digital camera of some sort. A mobile phone camera is more than adequate. Access to nature in either a garden or park is also preferable (Atkins & Snyder, 2017), as it’s much easier to slow down in nature than in a busy urban setting.

Participants benefit by relaxing, becoming more present, and through an enhanced sense of creativity and flow.

The International Expressive Arts Therapy Association has a searchable list of training programs. The following are some of the top courses available, from certificates to diplomas and degrees up to PhD.

Some are offered purely remotely, some are hybrid courses that combine a residential component with online learning, and some are campus based. Most of the training programs are currently based in the United States. There is also one training institute in Europe and one in Hong Kong, with new trainings emerging all the time.

The best place to get started with expressive arts, is by learning more about it. Have a look at the following selection of courses, spread out over the globe.

1. Expressive Arts Florida Institute

The following courses range from an introductory online program to a series of campus-based master’s degrees in expressive arts therapy in conjunction with other approaches, such as coaching, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.

• Creative Wisdom – Introductory Online Training in Expressive Arts
• Certificate Training Program in Intermodal Expressive Arts
• Master of Arts Degrees in Expressive Arts Therapy; Expressive Arts Coaching and Consulting; and Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding (offered in conjunction with the European Graduate School, Switzerland).

2. Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, United States

Lesley University has a range of on-campus courses available from undergraduate to graduate certifications and a doctoral program.

• BA in Expressive Therapies
• Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Expressive Therapies
• Graduate Certificate in Expressive Therapies Studies for mental health professionals
• PhD in Expressive Therapies – low residency

3. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, United States

• Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Concentration in Expressive Arts Therapy
• Graduate Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy

4. The European Graduate School (EGS), Saas-Fee, Switzerland

The courses listed below and other programs at EGS are the only expressive arts therapies training options currently available in Europe.

They offer hybrid study options that comprise a residential component on campus in Switzerland with other studies conducted at a university in your home country. Programs include the following:

• Continuing Education CAS Expressive Arts Practice
• Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Expressive Arts
• MA degrees in the fields of expressive arts therapy
• Doctoral program

5. The University of Hong Kong, Centre of Behavioral Health, Hong Kong

This graduate degree program with a duration of two years full time or three years part time at Hong Kong University is the only one available in Asia.

• Master of Expressive Arts Therapy

These books are highly recommended and created by experts in the field.

1. Principles and Practice of Expressive Arts Therapy: Toward a Therapeutic Aesthetics – Paolo J. Knill, Stephen K. Levine, and Ellen G. Levine

This book begins by describing the philosophical foundations of expressive arts therapies in poiesis (creating by making) as an antidote to mind–body dualism and modern alienation as the root cause of many mental health problems.

This book will really appeal to practicing psychotherapists who want to understand how to incorporate expressive arts techniques into their existing approach.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy – Sally Atkins and Melia Snyder

This book is also aimed at practicing therapists and helping professionals with an interest in expressive arts and ecotherapy.

This book explains how environmentally aware creative expression can be used to heal the relationship between human beings and nature that can exacerbate and even cause mental health problems from an ecotherapy perspective.

3. Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body, and Imagination in the Healing Process – Cathy A. Malchiodi

This book is specifically aimed at therapists and helping professionals who work with trauma.

Malchiodi explains the neuroscience of trauma and how expressive arts can reprogram the nervous system through holistic acts of creative expression, by helping to process traumatic experiences that often evade language.

PositivePsychology.com has free resources that can help you introduce expressive arts interventions into your practice.

Try our Self-Love Journal worksheet, which provides 10 journal prompts for those clients needing to cultivate self-compassion.

Alternatively, try our Mapping Emotions worksheet, which uses visualization and color to enhance emotional awareness.

Our Positive Psychology Toolkit© also contains numerous expressive arts therapy tools, including Rewriting the Narrative With Humor, a tool for promoting emotional wellbeing and resilience using writing therapy to reframe a narrative about an embarrassing event with humor.

Also in the Toolkit is Drawing Grief,  an expressive arts tool that aims to help bereaved clients explore their thoughts and feelings about their loss through drawing.

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others through CBT, this collection contains 17 validated positive CBT tools for practitioners. Use them to help others overcome unhelpful thoughts and feelings and develop more positive behaviors.

17 Science-Based Ways To Apply Positive CBT

These 17 Positive CBT & Cognitive Therapy Exercises [PDF] include our top-rated, ready-made templates for helping others develop more helpful thoughts and behaviors in response to challenges, while broadening the scope of traditional CBT.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

Some pre-linguistic symptoms from trauma, grief, addiction, and anxiety may be inaccessible to conventional language processing. New neural pathways can be built through creative expression, which is a much more potent approach than talking.

Expressive arts therapy is an intervention that can help heal the body and mind, with ancient roots in ritual, music, song, art, poetry, dance, and drama across all cultures.

And although this approach is relatively new to Western psychotherapy, it is growing in relevance as our understanding of the functioning of the brain and nervous system explains why expressive arts therapy can be so effective.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. For more information, don’t forget to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free .

• Atkins, S., & Snyder, M. (2017). Nature-based expressive arts therapy: Integrating the expressive arts and ecotherapy . Jessica Kingsley.
• Cohen, J. L., Johnson, J. L., & Orr, P. (2016). Video and filmmaking as psychotherapy: Research and practice . Routledge.
• Gibson, N. (2018). Therapeutic photography: Enhancing self-esteem, self-efficacy and resilience . Jessica Kingsley.
• Jones, P. (1996). Drama as therapy: Theatre as living . Routledge.
• Knill, M. F. & Atkins, S. (2020). Poetry in expressive arts: Supporting resilience through poetic writing . Jessica Kingsley.
• Knill, P. J., Levine, E. G., & Levine, S. K. (2005). Principles and practice of expressive arts therapy: Toward a therapeutic aesthetics . Jessica Kingsley.
• Koo, M., Chen, H. P., & Yeh, Y. C. (2020). Coloring activities for anxiety reduction and mood improvement in Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults: A randomized controlled study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020 , 6964737.
• Laws, K. R., & Conway, W. (2019). Do adjunctive art therapies reduce symptomatology in schizophrenia? A meta-analysis. World Journal of Psychiatry , 9 (8),107–120.
• Malchiodi, C. A. (2020). Trauma and expressive arts therapy: Brain, body, and imagination in the healing process . Guilford Press.
• Stuckey, H. L. & Nobel, J. (2010). The connection between art, healing and public health: A review of current literature. American Journal of Public Health , 100 (2), 254–263.
• Trevisani, F., Casadio, R., Romagnoli, F., Zamagni, M. P., Francesconi, C., Tromellini, A., Di Micoli, A., Frigerio, M., Farinelli, G., & Bernardi, M. (2010). Art in the hospital: Its impact on the feelings and emotional state of patients admitted to an internal medicine unit. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 16 (8), 853–859.
• Vaartio-Rajalin, H., Santamäki-Fischer, R., Jokisalo, P., & Fagerström, L. (2020). Art making and expressive art therapy in adult health and nursing care: A scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Science , 8 (1),102–119.

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Creative Therapy Ideas

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5 Amazing Art Therapy Activities for Adults

While working with adults, you will likely come across a wide variety of issues. From anxiety to PTSD, to grief to substance use, therapy with adults covers a broad range. But there are some issues that are universal. Many adults struggle with things like unresolved loss, life transitions, identity development, and conflict in relationships. And there are some art therapy activities that work well with these common issues. That’s why I put together this collection of art therapy activities for adults. These art therapy activities provide a helpful springboard for your work with adults. 

* Disclosure : This post contains affiliate links, including links to Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend resources, products, and services that I adore and find to be useful.  If you happen to make a purchase using one of my affiliate lin ks, I will earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Read more about our policies here .

Using Art Therapy Activities with Adults

Some people believe that art therapy is the province of children, and that most adults would balk at the suggestion of making art in sessions. There’s no doubt children can do well in art therapy. This is due to a number of reasons, including things like their natural drive toward play and creative expression. But adults are driven to create, too. Plus, many adults appreciate the way art allows for nonverbal communication and exploration of issues on a symbolic level. 

What’s more, art-making creates a safety buffer for adults who struggle with direct talk therapy. Art externalizes their issues, making it easier to communicate concerns by delving into the art, rather than themselves. 

The Efficacy of Art Therapy Activities with Adults

An art therapy literature review published in Frontiers in Psychology (2018) looked at studies conducted between 2000 and 2017 to examine the efficacy of art therapy with adults. Researchers found that art therapy can be an effective treatment option for adults, especially for certain populations (i.e. cancer patients, adults who have experienced trauma, & the elderly), and especially when therapy is long-term.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hayley Gallagher, MA, AT, LPC (@creativetherapyideas)

Art Therapy Activities for Adult Populations

Although more research is needed to further determine how effective art therapy is with adult populations, there are certain groups for which art therapy appears to be a promising option. 

Here are some of the adult populations that could benefit from art therapy:

• Cancer patients
• Adults who have experienced trauma
• Elderly people
• Adults with depression
• Adults with anxiety
• Prison inmates
• Adults with dementia
• Adults experiencing high stress/burnout

Engaging Adults in Art Therapy

As mentioned above, adults often experience similar presenting concerns, but for some adults, things like health, stage of life, family constellation, and other personal circumstances create unique issues that require special attention. That is where art therapy can really shine. The client has control over the art-making process and the art will take them where they need to go.

The client has control over the art-making process and the art will take them where they need to go.

Some adults are not initially open to art therapy. That’s where it’s helpful to get creative. The Handbook of Art Therapy (2003) suggests you offer the following details about art therapy to help put them at ease:

• Art is another form of communication.
• Art provides an opportunity to explore problems and discover possibilities for change.
• Art externalizes the problem, making it easier to explore.
• Art therapy has little to do with esthetic value, or making something pretty or Pinterest-worthy.
• Artwork can provide visual representations that allow clients to picture scenarios, experience possibilities, participate in role plays, and reframe their meaning.
• Art therapy can provide a “visible trail”, or visual record, of their therapeutic journey.
• Art therapy taps into different parts of the brain than talk therapy alone.

Creative Ways to Use Art Therapy Activities with Adults

There are lots of ways to use art therapy activities with adults, including the standard drawing, painting, and sculpting. But here are a few more art therapy ideas for creative ways to use work with adults:

• Photography
• Mixed Media, Collage, Assemblage
• Comic Strips & Comic Books
• Sand Trays and Zen Gardens
• Altered Books
• Activities that Use Bridge, Road Map, or Container Metaphors
• Combined Expressive Arts (i.e. visual, dance, movement, music, creative writing)
• Group Art Therapy

While there are countless art therapy activities for adults that could work well, these 5 art directives include some of my favorites.

• Draw Your Wall Art Therapy Activity
• Identity Collage Art Therapy Activity
• Unfinished Business Container Exercise
• Bridge Drawing Art Therapy Activity
• Meaning Machine Series
• Draw Your Wall Activity

This straightforward art activity provides an excellent metaphor for your adult clients to work through any number of issues. You can explore past trauma, current boundaries, life stuckness, and even check in on the therapeutic relationship.

A Metaphor for Adults Who Have Experienced Trauma

While the Draw Your Wall activity can benefit treatment no matter what the issue, in my experience, the Draw Your Wall activity is especially useful for clients who have experienced trauma. 

Sometimes when people experience trauma, their brains and bodies go into protective mode, locking down the painful memories and physically embedding sensory data for future reference. This is helpful on a survival level, but when clients get stuck in that mode, they can experience all kinds of issues and symptoms.

That’s why I find the wall metaphor to be incredibly powerful for clients who may not be ready to delve into their trauma. The wall metaphor presented in this art therapy activity respects the power of the traumatic experiences. Instead of directly targeting the trauma, it respects those built up protective devices and explores their purpose. 

Respecting the Client’s Need for Protection

I was working with a 23 year-old woman (I’ll refer to her as Sydney) who was having trouble opening up about a past trauma. After assessing that she was just not ready to go there, I gently introduced the wall metaphor into the session. I told her that we didn’t need to go deep into her trauma.

Rather than explore the details of her experiences, I asked Sydney to depict the wall that got built as a result of those events. This opened up a productive dialogue in which Sydney felt safe to discuss the function of her wall and the impact of the trauma in a broader sense, thus allowing her to keep necessary protections intact until she was ready to dismantle them.

How to Facilitate this Art Therapy Activity for Adults

Facilitating this art therapy activity for adults is pretty straightforward and can be done in a single session, or carried over several sessions.

Provide them with paper and drawing tools. It can be any size, but should probably be at least 8.5×11. Depending on the client’s issues, you may tailor the directive prompt to meet that need, (i.e. draw the wall between you and your partner, draw your wall in therapy, etc.), or you can leave it open-ended, and simply say ‘draw your wall’.

Once your client has finished, run through some open-ended processing questions to explore their meaning.

• Identity Collage

This simple yet powerful art therapy directive works well for clients who are struggling to define who they are. Whether their identity struggles are related to childhood trauma, unresolved loss, or a life transition, the Identity Collage art therapy activity can help them explore who they are. Because it’s collage, it’s super accessible for most clients and there is a lot of versatility in terms of what kind of prompt and materials you provide.

Identity Formation and Art Therapy

Research has shown that social-cognitive processing that is centered around self-exploration, self-reflection, and an integrated self-knowledge is crucial when it comes to developing a meaningful  sense  of identity (Beaumont, 2015).  Beaumont (2015) surmises that “art  therapy  approaches that  focus  on  increasing  self-exploration,  self-reflection,  and effective  emotional  coping  will  promote  the development  of the  integrated self-knowledge  that  is  necessary for  coherent identity formation” (p.7-8).

Exploring Identity Through Collage Art Therapy Activities

Art therapist and author Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT, explains in a Psychology Today (2010) article on art therapy interventions that collage is an excellent intervention to use with adults because they “don’t have to go through the agony of drawing something realistic and are spared the feeling of embarrassment that [their] pictures look like a 10-year-old drew them; this is welcome relief to most of my adult clients who bring this worry to initial sessions.”

Assemble as many different kinds of old magazines as you can find. You may also want to include printed images, mixed media supplies, and found objects, depending on your client’s preferences. You will need glue and scissors, too. 

Arrange the supplies and provide a prompt for your client. For this activity, the prompt should relate to identity in some way. I usually say something like “Explore the materials provided. You may cut, rip, or select the images, words, or objects that resonate with you. Assemble and glue the collected pieces in a way that feels representative of your identity and inner sense of self.” 

When they are finished, give them a chance to present what they have created. Ask open-ended questions about what you see and also offer up any “noticings” that occur to you about their process, product, and symbols. Be mindful not to assign your own meaning without allowing the client to do so first.

Container exercises are wonderfully versatile art therapy activities for adults and kids alike. Containers provide an excellent metaphor to work through a number of issues, including anxiety, unresolved grief, family secrets, and childhood trauma, to name a few. This art therapy activity for adults explores “unfinished business”, using the container as a metaphor for repressed/buried/unresolved feelings, regrets, goals, dreams, etc. 

How Boxes and Containers Can Help in Art Therapy and Counseling

According to an article published in the American Journal of Art Therapy (2001) on using boxes in art therapy , boxes are a promising therapy tool. In fact, Farrell-Kirk (2001) states that “the use of boxes to enclose and conceal contents, create a new realm of space, and unite opposites makes the box effective in therapy. Due to the symbolic value of these characteristics, the box has been utilized throughout art history. This presence in art history is one of the characteristics contributing to the effectiveness of the box as a tool for art therapy” (p. 88).

When we go through something painful, whether it’s as intense as losing a loved one or as everyday as not accomplishing a professional goal, our brains and bodies sometimes do things with that pain without us even knowing it. Feelings and associations related to the pain can get jammed up, repressed, or acted out/expressed in less than desirable ways. 

The container metaphor can serve as a physical symbol that can tap into those feelings and experiences. Exploring the concept of “containment” through art can help clients uncover things that are being contained. It can also help them contain things that may feel overwhelming or out of control through visual and/or tactile means. Containment activities provide a way for clients to protect, preserve, and honor those parts of themselves that feel vulnerable. 

Containment activities provide a way for clients to protect, preserve, and honor those parts of themselves that feel vulnerable.

The Power of the Container Symbol for Processing Our Stuff

For example, when I was in grad school, our studio art therapy professor asked us to make a box out of cardstock that represented our memory bank. She then asked us to create small visual images on paper for each of the important things we kept in there. This activity allowed us to explore the parts of ourselves that we were holding onto, both positive and negative. Let me just say, when it came time to process as a group, things got emotional . ? In a good way.

The act of taking those little bits of paper and ink out of the box, holding them, talking about them, and putting them back in the box (and sometimes slamming the lid closed!), had a powerful impact on each one of us.

For me, honoring those parts of myself, bringing them into the light, and then containing them once again brought about a new level of self-awareness that I remember fondly to this day. 

There are so many variations for how to use boxes and containers in your work with adults. They can be drawn, sculpted, or crafted. You could also use a ready-made container to build upon. For the purposes of this exercise, I prefer to use these small premade cardboard boxes that get assembled by hand (see below).

You could also have your client craft their own box out of cardstock or cardboard, too. For many containment art directives, the process of building the box from scratch can have immense therapeutic value, in and of itself.

However, for this art therapy activity, the contents of the box is the star so the premade option works well and saves time.

Materials and Directions

I give the clients various drawing tools ( these sharpies work really well on the boxes ), cardstock in various colors, and I also like to offer these brightly colored index cards . I ask the client to think of the flattened box as their ‘self’. I instruct them to decorate the outside in ways that represent how they show who they are to the world.

Next, I tell them to put the box together. After that, I encourage the client to draw symbols, images, shapes, words, etc. on paper that represent the parts of themselves that feel unresolved, AKA their “unfinished business”. Once they have all of their symbols inside the box, I ask them to take them out, one at a time, and talk about each one. 

During processing we explore things like how their unfinished business impacts the way they show up in life, whether their unfinished business affects that way they show who they are on the outside, and whether any of their symbols could be explored with magnification, just to name a few. 

• Bridge Drawing

I love bridge drawings. They offer a simple, accessible prompt that can elicit so much meaning. Bridge drawings make excellent art therapy activities for adults because they can help with processing problematic situations and difficult life transitions. 

The Benefits of Bridge Drawings in Art Therapy

Sometimes the clients we work with come to therapy because somewhere along the way, they got stuck in a life transition. For some reason, they couldn’t quite navigate the developmental milestone, and they got stuck.

Bridge drawings make excellent art therapy directives for exploring these life transitions. They can also help clients explore what they need to get to the other side of a tough situation. Bridge drawings also help clients identify the barriers that are in the way through symbolic imagery and meaning-making. Additionally, when you ask clients to place themselves in their drawings, you get lots of good information about where they might be stuck and why. 

There are many ways to conduct bridge drawings with your clients and I will put forth two options: a classic from the Handbook of Art Therapy , and my own variation geared toward difficult life transitions.

Classic Bridge Drawing Technique

This version of the bridge drawing technique comes from the Handbook of Art Therapy , from the section on clinical application with adults. In the chapter on using art in counseling, Gladding and Newsome (2007) describe a solution-focused bridge drawing.

Clients start by dividing a piece of paper into three sections.

• In the first panel, they depict a current problem.
• Next, clients shift to the third panel where they draw the solution to their problem. In other words, “what things would look like if the problem were solved” (p. 247). In the center panel, clients draw symbols for the barriers that are keeping them from solving the problem. 
• Lastly, clients draw a bridge over the obstacles, creating a connection between the problem and the solution. With support from the art therapist, the client can add symbols, words, lines, and shapes to the bridge that represent ways to get around their obstacles. Clients may also depict themselves somewhere along the bridge.

Further processing can provide more clarification on how the client can solve their problem based on where they are along the bridge.

Bridge Over Water Drawing

In this art therapy directive, you can draw upon elements of the classic bridge drawing above while also “diving deeper” into the metaphor (please excuse the water pun).

For this activity, clients are asked to think about a difficult life transition. It can be something they have already gone through, something they are experiencing now, or something on the horizon. Next, clients are asked to draw a bridge across the page, drawing their bridge over a body of water. They are also asked to place themselves somewhere in their drawing. 

In my experience, it’s most helpful to leave some parts of the activity open-ended. In other words, don’t specify what kind of bridge or body of water they should depict.

When they are finished, ask them to explain how their bridge drawing represents the difficult life transition portrayed in the art. Ask processing questions to further explore their drawing. For example, you could ask about what the body of water might represent for them, or how sturdy and reliable their bridge is, and what it’s like to be where they are in the drawing. 

The Meaning Machine Series is an art therapy directive that allows clients to explore their frame on a particular issue, as well as what meaning they are assigning to things related to that issue. They get the opportunity to define and redefine their meaning around a given stressor or problem in order to work toward healing.

About the Meaning Machine Art Directive

I came up with this art therapy directive while working with a parent who was stuck in a pattern of self-defeating thoughts and behaviors. Her meaning around her ability to be a good mom was wrapped up in guilt about her past drug use. Her immense guilt seemed to rule her decision-making more often than not, and it seemed to extinguish any instincts she may have felt with regard to self-care. 

I developed this series as a means to explore that meaning and help her discover a more positive frame.

The Meaning Machine drawing series serves as a springboard for learning how internalized messages, polarized thinking, and unprocessed emotion (i.e. guilt or shame) can keep us stuck in a rut. I chose a machine metaphor because of the way machines are designed to solve problems. 

The basic idea behind the activity is for the client to take their current unhelpful view of their problem and put it through a “meaning machine” in order to fabricate new meaning that serves them better. 

Exploring Meaning and Using Reframes in Art Therapy

When you assess that a client’s view of their situation is self-defeating, it can be really helpful to walk them toward a reframe. By confirming the objective facts of the situation, and then adjusting the lens through which they are viewed, you can help the client seize a more positive frame of meaning that can inspire them to approach their problem differently.

Reframes can honor and highlight the client’s mission versus focusing on the negative. For example, for the mother I mentioned above, I’ll call her Jane, a reframe of her past drug use and subsequent recovery allowed her to process through the guilt she felt. Through our work together, we determined that Jane’s drug use was a way for her to ‘sound the alarm bells’ about the overwhelm she felt as a single mom of 3 young children. 

She found respite in her heroin use, and fully escaped the only way she knew how. This method of escape pulled in much-needed supports for her and her family. As things stabilized, she embraced recovery. She ultimately stepped back into her parent role, surrounded by a supportive community. 

Using the Meaning Machine Art Directive

In therapy, Jane drew her unhelpful view of the problem as a dark, messy blob of lines and jagged shapes. The meaning machine she created was made of clean, round shapes and bright colors. After “sending” her old view through her meaning machine, a large heart filled with brightly-colored segments “came out” the other side. 

Through the reframing process, we owned that the method wasn’t the best, as it caused damage in its wake, but we honored that her mission was good, and in the end resulted in her family’s unmet needs getting met. 

This art therapy activity can be done in one session or over the course of several sessions, depending on how long the client needs. Using three large sheets of paper, preferably 9×12 or something similar, ask your client to do the following: 

• On page one, draw their current (usually unhelpful) frame of their problem. Take some time to process their view of the problem. Explore ways this could be reframed. Ask them to look past the not so good method and identify the good mission behind the problem.
• On the second page, draw the machine that will fix it. If they need guidance, ask them to describe the tools they would need to get past the problem and their current negative view. Tell them to fashion a pretend machine that could shift their thinking about the problem. Once they have finished their machine, help them process what they came up with.
• Finally, ask them to envision putting their problem into the machine. On the third page, they should draw what comes out.

Once they are finished, explore what they have created. Ask them how their meaning has shifted and how their new frame will serve them. 

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Art therapy disclaimer:.

Introducing art into your work with clients can be powerful. There are so many benefits to art therapy, it’s easy to see why the field is growing. While it is possible to include art in your practice if you aren’t a professional art therapist, it’s important to ensure you have training on art therapy and how to use art effectively. 

It’s also important that you are clear with your clients that you are not an art therapist, and you are not providing art therapy.

Though there are ways to incorporate art into your practice, the general practice of art therapy by untrained or non-credentialed art therapists is not recommended. According to the American Art Therapy Association, “art therapy can only be practiced by an individual who possesses the required training, certification, and/or state licensure. Bona fide art therapy is beyond the scope of practice of non-art therapists.” 

Additionally, some art therapy directives can be self-guided, but they work best under the guidance of a trained art therapist. 

About the Clients Referenced in this Post

Every vignette, case study, or reference to a client has been adapted and adjusted for legal and ethical publication. Names, demographics, and other identifying information have all been changed in order to protect client identity, confidentiality, and privacy. The information presented in each example is for educational purposes only, intended to illustrate a concept, technique, or activity.

About the Artwork in this Post

All artwork used in this post was created by me. The images serve as a reference for the reader. Most of the artwork I feature in blog posts is “response art”. That means that when I set down to create each piece, I reflected on my work with a specific client, and then created the artwork with that experience in mind. All efforts were made to comply with HIPAA law and confidentiality and privacy of all clients.

Beaumont, Sherry. (2015). Art Therapy Approaches for Identity Problems during Adolescence. Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal . 25. 7-14. 10.1080/08322473.2012.11415557.

Farrell-Kirk, R. (2001). Secrets, symbols, synthesis, and safety: The role of boxes in art therapy, American Journal of Art Therapy , (39), 88-92.

Fiese, B. H., Tomcho, T. J., Douglas, M., Josephs, K., Poltrock, S., & Baker, T. (2002). A review of 50 years of research on naturally occurring family routines and rituals: Cause for celebration? Journal of Family Psychology , 16(4), 381–390. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.16.4.381

Malchiodi, C. A. (2003). Handbook of Art Therapy . New York: Guilford Press.

Regev, D., & Cohen-Yatziv, L. (2018). Effectiveness of Art Therapy With Adult Clients in 2018—What Progress Has Been Made? Frontiers in Psychology , 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01531

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Hayley Wilds, MA, LPC

Hayley Wilds, MA, LPC, is a licensed counselor, art therapist, and practice owner from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hayley has worked in the mental health field for 20 years, helping both clients and clinicians.

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10 At-Home Art Therapy Activities to Help You De-Stress

B eing creative can lead to better overall health and well-being? Get started with these 10 At-Home Art Therapy Activities to help you de-stress!

Did you know that getting creative can actually lead to better overall health and well-being?

Yup, through art therapy and activities like meditation painting, you can enjoy powerful, therapeutic benefits as you create.

Research indicates that art therapy can help participants lower feelings of stress, anxiety and depression while building self-esteem and inner peace.

Studies even show that art therapy has the power to reduce pain and increase the quality of life in cancer patients, so don’t overlook this activity when formulating your self-care plan this year!

If you’re looking for great ways to soak up all the benefits of art therapy at home, there are some activities that are better for the job than others. You want something that’s self-contained, all-consuming and easy for beginners.

Anything involving expensive, complicated supplies is off the table. Remember: Simple enjoyment is your goal when it comes to art therapy!

Here are some of our favorite art activities to help you get tuned in to your creative side and maybe even enjoy long-lasting health benefits.

• Diamond Art Painting —Who knew painting with diamonds could be so incredibly satisfying? This trendy new craft has been described as paint-by-numbers meets cross-stitch, and it involves filling in a templated canvas with dazzling jewels. The beauty of this craft is that it provides the feeling of deep, creative satisfaction without the need for a bunch of supplies, a large workspace or prior artistic experience. It also has built-in guidelines, so it’s great for those who are overwhelmed by the feeling of limitless artistic potential (such as staring at a blank canvas). Plus, there are hundreds of diamond art kits you can do!
• Adult Coloring —The adult coloring craze may be dying down, but that doesn’t make it any less beneficial. Studies have shown that coloring can help adults struggling with anxiety and stress and may even help improve mood and boost mindfulness. The nostalgic, relaxing component of coloring makes it extremely enjoyable for participants of all ages!
• Bullet Journaling —If you’re a person who struggles from stress and anxiety as a result of being overwhelmed in life, then bullet journaling may be the release you need. This unique, art-forward hobby combines journaling, organizing and drawing in a way that makes you feel triple-productive. This method of organization features schedules, reminders, brainstorms, to-do lists and more in a single notebook slash sketchbook that you decorate yourself.
• Crocheting —Crocheting has gone from a grandma-exclusive activity to one that’s totally mainstream among all age groups in the past decade or two, and it isn’t hard to see why.  Not only does needlecraft leave you with a functional, wearable work of art, but it also uses a repetitive hand motion that can be comforting and relaxing for participants. If you don’t believe us, consider that there is actually something called crochet therapy to help the elderly and those with onset dementia improve memory and give each day a special purpose.
• Calligraphy and Hand-Lettering —Another excellent way to keep the hands busy, calligraphy and hand-lettering are calming disciplines that can be mastered by virtually anyone, regardless of age or artistic experience. The discipline is perfect because it combines the relaxation factor of creating repetitive hand motions with the ability to be creative in any way you desire. It also goes perfectly with other kinds of therapeutic crafting, like bullet journaling or card-making.
• Macramé —Macramé is the art of using knotting to create intricate, hanging displays, clothing, bedspreads, tablecloths, plant hangers and more. You may have seen macramé in scenes from the 1970s, but this vintage craft is back in a big way and gaining tons of steam among modern makers. To get started, all you need is some macramé cord, scissors, a support and knowledge on how to tie a few simple knots . From there, you can create an endless array of beautiful designs.
• Ceramic Painting —While creating ceramics from scratch is definitely a therapeutic endeavor, it’s a bit too in-depth for your daily art meditation session. However, painting pre-made ceramics is a great way to make beautiful, functional works of art without the need for any fancy equipment. Create hand-painted pots, bowls, mugs, plates and anything else you want to display or give as a gift.
• Sewing —Whether your idea of sewing is darning a sock or making your own clothes from a pattern, it sure is one of the most practical crafts to master. However, for it to be considered therapeutic, there needs to be some creative release involved. Consider learning to sew to create your own clothes and accessories—start small with things like miniature makeup pouches or headbands—or making a quilt out of meaningful old T-shirts. Once you get into the groove of a single project, you’ll feel the joy of deep creative release!
• Jewelry – Making —Who doesn’t love jewelry and art? This hobby combines them both and helps you sink into a state of focused relaxation, which leads to feelings of happiness and inner peace. Jewelry-making doesn’t have to be a complicated endeavor, either. Consider starting with something small, like simple woven bracelets or dangle earrings featuring a single statement bead.
• Collage and Decoupage —Take things back to your teenage years with collage-making. This fun, relaxing and eco-conscious hobby lets you recycle and repurpose old magazines, cards, catalogs and more. Whether you create a beautiful mood board for an upcoming project or simply cut and paste at random, you’ll start to notice the pure, relaxing joy of creating immediately with this kind of craft. Learn to decoupage while you’re at it to immortalize all your amazing creations forever!

Destress with Clinical Art Therapy People who are clinically depressed or suffer from serious mood disorders should consider professional art therapy at the direction of a therapist. While there’s no denying the deep feelings of tranquility and therapeutic benefits that come from working on an art project at home, for it to be treated as a mental health therapy, it should be performed in a professional setting.

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