Art therapy allows a person to work through transition in their own time and in their own unique way.
Change is an inevitable part of life, period, for each and every one of us, no matter how hard we may resist it. Sometimes the change is something really positive such as getting married or having your first child, and of course, the change can be painful such as the loss of a loved one, the end of a career, a devastating illness, or a divorce. While it may seem obvious that the more painful changes require a process of transition, it is also quite normal to struggle with the more positive changes which requires us to make important shifts in order to move forward and grow.
The creative process facilitated by a trained art therapist is a powerful tool that can inspire and allow us to positively navigate and work through change. As a coping mechanism, art therapy can support a person in regulating their emotions during stressful times, allowing them to both express themselves in a way that isn’t possible with words alone, and also to understand themselves and create plans for the future that is more conducive to their new situation or role. With positive changes such as becoming a parent, and with the more difficult ones such as grieving a loss, we must successfully grieve our old ways of being that are no longer possible or no longer serve us, integrate them, and find new ways of being.
Color, line, texture, and shape give us the tools we need to unconsciously put our feelings into concrete form, functioning as a visual way to vent our thoughts, feelings, and frustrations, and this process can lead to a better understanding of self, allowing a person to create their best version of themselves and their lives as the creative process opens their eyes up to new possibilities.