Art Therapy and Counseling Services at coastal art therapy
Art Therapy
Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a person's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The creative process involved in expressing one's self artistically can help people to resolve issues, develop and manage their behaviors and feelings, reduce stress, and improve self-esteem and awareness.
Art therapy works for various mental health conditions, providing evidence of its efficacy, although the research landscape lacks large-scale randomized control trials to definitively prove its effectiveness for every individual.
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a unique form of psychotherapy that harnesses the power of creative processes, such as drawing, painting, and sculpting, to foster emotional growth, self-awareness, and healing. This mental health profession combines the creative process with psychological theories and techniques to help individuals, groups, and families navigate a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship issues. At Coastal Art Therapy Services, we believe that creating art can be a powerful tool for self-expression, communication, and personal growth, offering a therapeutic outlet that offers more than traditional talk therapy.
Just like with other therapy sessions, art therapy can be delivered individually, in group, or within the community.
Art therapy can be a helpful modality if an individual struggles with traditional talk therapy. Some benefits of engaging in art therapy include improved cognitive and sensorimotor processing, increased self-esteem, resilience, reduced psychological distress, and improved emotion regulation.
Art therapy is facilitated by a professional art therapist or someone that has a master’s degree in art therapy or related field and, if located in the U.S., holds or is working toward an ATR-P, ATR, ATR-BC, and/or ATCS credential.
Obtaining a master's degree is essential for pursuing a career in art therapy. Accredited programs prepare students to become nationally registered art therapists or state licensed if in the US, ensuring they meet the necessary qualifications for certification and effective practice.
Check out the art supplies we use in art therapy here!
For more information on how art therapy can help you, read this blog post or visit the American Art Therapy Association.
Individual Counseling
We are trained in providing evidence-based treatment approaches to make progress in treatment. Combined with art therapy or used on their own, these approaches include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).
Skills Training
We provide DBT skills training groups and RO DBT skills training class. Skills training is psychoeducational, with an emphasis on teaching new skills and fostering a sense of belongingness - you are not alone and there are other individuals willing to learn and work alongside you! Skills training is different than process or support groups, which traditionally involve the group leader or group members asking open-ended questions and looking to others for support, guidance, and validation. Skills training is a structured group consisting of a mindfulness exercise, homework review, learning a new skill for the week, and assigning of homework. Groups/classes are usually limited to 6-8 members. Find more on DBT here and RO DBT here.
Supervision
CATS provides supervision for individuals pursuing credentials as a licensed professional counselor (LPC) from the Virginia Board of Counseling and a registered art therapist (ATR) from the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB). This supervision is essential for those aiming to become board certified art therapists and as a licensed art therapists in the Commonwealth of Virginia, ensuring they meet the rigorous standards and professional expectations required in the field.
DBT for parents, couples, and families
We provide support services for family members of individuals going through Dialectical Behavior Therapy treatment. We completed training via the Center for DBT and Families to provide adapted DBT with parents, couples, and families. Couples sessions are for couples with at least one individual who has completed a DBT adherent program or has attended DBT skills groups. Family sessions and parent coaching sessions can be offered simultaneously while an individual is currently in an adherent DBT program.
Couples sessions are 75-min in length and are self-pay only. Insurance typically does not cover couples counseling because it is not deemed as “medically necessary.” View our self-pay rates here.
Family sessions and parent coaching sessions can be covered by insurance under “family therapy.”
service learning and community engagement
Service learning and community engagement are integral components of art therapy education and maintaining standards as an art therapy practitioner. Beginning from the time as an art therapy student, art therapists at Coastal Art Therapy Services continue to participate in service learning projects, working with community members through arts programs to maintain skills in outreach and engagement. These experiences with other community organizations provide invaluable hands-on experience with diverse populations. Continued community involvement helps our art therapists with cultural competence, empathy, a commitment to social responsibility and to contribute positively to the communities we serve.
What are you waiting for? Finding peace of mind is just a click away!
