Art Therapy

The famous painter and sculptor Joan Miro once said, “A simple line painted with the brush can lead to freedom and happiness.” Art has provided human beings with freedom and happiness since the beginning of time. This concept is the foundation of the art therapy program at Painted Desert Recovery.

In a sense, our art therapy program is a form of artistic recovery. All addiction recovery facilities have forms of therapy that heavily rely on talking. Certainly, these types of therapy are essential building blocks for long-lasting recovery,

But, what happens when past trauma or raw emotions won’t allow you to express yourself properly in words? Sometimes, an art therapy program can act as an emotional release or a positive outlet. Our Painted Desert Recovery team proudly offers our clients art therapy for addiction.

What to Expect in an Art Therapy Session

Art therapy is defined as the creative process of producing art in order to improve the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of a person. But what exactly is an art therapy session like?

An art therapy program is individualized, depending on the needs of the client and the goal of a session. A trained therapist may ask you a certain question, and you must use your artistic skills to provide an answer. Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong answer to the therapist’s question; only the expression of your feelings.

The art therapy program at Painted Desert Recovery gives you an alternative kind of treatment that is quite different from the traditional therapeutic approach of sitting around in a circle and telling others how you currently feel. Since emotions can be volatile in early recovery, art therapy provides a way to access and express feelings nonverbally.

An art therapy program typically follows these steps:

• A brief check-in occurs to discuss and process significant events, thoughts, or feelings from the last week.
• A prompt is given from the therapist to either engage in unstructured art or complete an assignment based on a particular prompt.
• You work on your art while the therapist is observing their process; the therapist can participate in the process or create their own art as a model.
• The therapist may work to interpret the work that you have created when completed, or they will focus on encouraging your artistic process without the need to critique or judge the final product.
• Before the session concludes, you and your therapist meet to discuss the impact of the art and plan for the next session.

This artistic recovery process may act as an emotional release and can help you to address feelings that you have buried for years.

Discover How an Art Therapy Program Can Help Your Recovery

At Painted Desert Recovery, we want your recovery process to not only heal your mind and body but also to ease emotional pain, as well. Our art therapy program gives the opportunity for women to deal with the root causes of addiction in a creative and emotionally healthy way. Learn more about how our art therapy program can be a vital tool in the recovery journey by calling 844.540.0357 or completing our confidential online form.