Art therapy is defined by the American Art Therapy Association as utilizing “active art-making, the creative process, and applied psychological theory—within a psychotherapeutic relationship—to enrich the lives of individuals, families, and communities.” Often practiced in tandem with psychotherapy, art therapy is nonpharmacological and can be used as a medical intervention for mental disorders. Art therapy is an integrative practice, as it encourages alternative methods of communication and expression. In doing so, art therapy is also capable of helping “to improve cognitive and sensorimotor 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.” There are many different ways of participating in art therapy, such as dance movement psychotherapy, music therapy, and drawing, painting, and craft therapy.

For most of human history, art has been an important method of communicating events, ideas, and stories. Closely connected to the expression of emotions, the term “art therapy” first emerged in 1942 when patients suffering from tuberculosis found freedom through drawing and painting. Art therapy practices soon moved into the mental health realm with the foundation of the British Association of Art Therapists in 1964. As art therapy gained traction around the world, it was implemented alongside child psychotherapy. The creation of art helped children express their feelings despite their “underdeveloped or limited vocabulary.” It quickly became a treatment for........

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