Does Art Therapy Work?
In short, art therapy can work when certain conditions are met.
To legitimately answer this question, there are a few things to consider.
Credentials and Credibility
The first is dependent on the art therapist’s credentials which, if located in the United States, includes a credential from the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB). If you are working with an art therapist who has received the proper training in art therapy and holds the appropriate credential (ATR-P, ATR, ATR-BC), then art therapy treatment is more likely to work.
Patient Subjective Belief
The second is dependent on your belief in the treatment you are receiving. Research shows that if someone believes they are receiving effective treatment, the treatment is more likely to be successful (Fassi et al., 2023), regardless if it is evidence-based.
Therapeutic Relationship
The third is dependent on the therapeutic relationship. Referencing this DeAngelis (2019) article from the American Psychological Association:
Based on its 16 meta-analyses on aspects of the therapy relationship, the APA Task Force on Evidence-Based Relationships and Responsiveness concludes that a number of relationship factors—such as agreeing on therapy goals, getting client feedback throughout the course of treatment and repairing ruptures—are at least as vital to a positive outcome as using the right treatment method.
Therefore, art therapy is more likely to work when there is trust, safety, and collaboration in the therapeutic relationship.
Lastly, art therapy is more likely to work when you enjoy working with your therapist!
Resources:
DeAngelis, T. (2019, November 1). Better relationships with patients lead to better outcomes. Monitor on Psychology, 50(10). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/11/ce-corner-relationships
Fassi L., Hochman S., Daskalakis Z. J., Blumberger D. M., Kadosh R. C. (2023). The Importance of Individual Beliefs in Assessing Treatment Efficacy: Insights from Neurostimulation Studies eLife 12:RP88889 https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.88889.2
How can art therapy help me?
Read about the benefits of art therapy, supported by the research.
