Art therapy is becoming an increasingly common way for clients at

rehabilitation centers to express feelings, communicate personal trials and tribulations and allow one to further uncover ones true self.
As the concept of art therapy develops, its proven effectiveness is
demonstrated time and time again in treatment facilities around the
country.

As therapeutic approaches change and evolve as doctors and scientists

learn more about human psychology, new methods of treatment and
rehabilitation are brought into addiction therapy facilities in order to
more fully expose addiction and work through the pain of recovery. Art
therapy is one way that successful centers are reaching their clients.

Art Therapy: In Addiction Treatment

Why Do Programs use Art Therapy?

The process of addiction recovery is an uphill battle. There are many therapy
techniques, strategies and rehabilitation treatments utilized in the process of
helping those who have experienced struggles with addiction.
However, different approaches work for different individuals and a therapeutic
technique that works well for one person doesnt necessarily work for another.
Common techniques include abstinence from the substance in question,
meetings with therapists to find the root of internal issues and support group
activities to show individuals that they are not alone in their hardships.
Art therapy programs help clients at recovery centers tap into their inner emotions and challenges.
Clients at a rehabilitation center are encouraged to find whatever means will
help them recover, whether that means talking, writing, reflecting, sharing or
spending time alone with ones mind. For many, art therapy helps unlock emotions and thoughts that other methods cannot.

Art Therapy: In Addiction Treatment

The History of Art Therapy

Art therapy is a melding of traditional art practices and theories of psychotherapy.
Despite its current use as a therapeutic technique, art therapy
originated in the mid-1900s as a part of art education in universities and colleges in Europe and other English speaking
countries. A British artist named Adrian Hill is known for
having a large influence in the practice of modern art
therapy.
Hill is cited with the first known use of the term, associating it with the idea of alleviating stress and sharing
feelings through the creation of images.
Hill published a book in 1945 called Art Versus Illness, the first
ever to advocate for art as a therapeutic treatment.
Art therapy was first used formally at Netherne Hospital in Surrey
by therapy proponent Edward Adamson in 1946.
His practices included an open art studio that hospital residents
were permitted to visit freely in order to create works of art to express
their feelings.

Art Therapy: In Addiction Treatment

The History of Art Therapy cont.

Adamson believed that individuals were more effectively treated by using their
own discretion to create works of art, especially since mid-twentieth century treatment facilities tended to be bleak, depressing and often harmful to an individuals
state of mind.
With the ability to create paintings, sculptures, functional pieces and drawings, the
people Adamson worked with showed amazing progress at a pace few other therapeutic techniques could match.
Although art therapy first started as an approach to treating mental illness, the other uses for the rehab practice have become clear over the last several decades.
Today, art therapy is used in schools, universities, addiction recovery centers and to
ease pain for the terminally ill.
Art therapy has been found to be effective in promoting happiness and well-being
in every walk of life, whether at the beginning of the addiction recovery process or
years after recovery has ended.

Art Therapy: In Addiction Treatment

Art Therapy Application

Rehabilitation centers around the world use art therapy for many different forms of
addiction.
While different facilities use art therapy in different ways, its presence is very common.
In general, most addiction recovery centers have either designated art therapy
classes or time slots scheduled in an individuals day or, as in the original use of art
therapy, an open studio for people to use at their leisure, whenever they feel they
are ready to express and communicate through art.
Many different mediums are used in the process of art therapy. Many facilities stock
a wide variety of art supplies in order to promote a certain freedom to the creation
process.
No matter how an individual wants to express him or herself, most rehabilitation
centers are willing to accommodate artistic inspiration.

Art Therapy: In Addiction Treatment

Painting Therapy
Possibly the most common form of creation in art therapy is painting, a universal
art form practiced all over the world. Painting is often favored in art therapy for its use
of broad, bold colors.
Accordingly, there are many different paints
that can be adapted to show a wide range
of emotion.
Oil paints, for example, can be used to show
bright colors and express many different
feelings and thoughts, allowing for a spectrum of images and messages.
Watercolor paints are also commonly
used for the soft, serene feelings such
muted hues can convey.
Whether the rehabilitation process
triggers feelings of sadness, anxiety or
anger, painting can be a cathartic way
to reveal these sentiments.

Art Therapy: In Addiction Treatment

Sculpting Therapy
Clay and the process of sculpting is also a very common technique.
While the final product of painting can often be considered suggestive and evocative, the entire process of sculpting can be very
satisfying.
Feeling how clay, plaster or other substances can be
molded, melded and rearranged can function akin to
a stress ball: individuals can take their feelings out on
a medium like clay during the process of creating a
work of art.
A physical product that individuals can touch, hold
and walk around with can be a moving experience,
making sculpting a very effective form of art therapy.
While sculpting has a pronounced place in art therapy, clay and ceramics can stand alone as a medium.
The skill and patience it takes to throw on a wheel
or master the art of hand building can be a welcome
distraction on the road to recovery, making clay a
popular choice outside of the realm of sculpture.
Learning to focus on a new skill can be helpful in taking ones mind away from the struggle to overcome an addiction.

Art Therapy: In Addiction Treatment

Other Therapies
Origami paper folding can help individuals focus on details and creating something
beautiful and delicate.
Oil pastels, charcoal and colored pencils are also favored by many on the road to
addiction recovery. In most art therapy studios or classes, rehabilitation facilities
allow individuals to use whatever mediums they desire in order to promote the
highest level of recovery possible.

Art Therapy: In Addiction Treatment

The Benefits of Art Therapy

Regardless of personal feelings about artwork, artists or what makes a piece
of art effective, art therapy is an incredibly popular and effective
technique that promotes success in addiction recovery.
No matter what stage an individual is in in the
recovery process, art therapy can be incredibly
useful.
Using mediums such as paint and clay or processes like drawing or sculpting can help individuals
communicate feelings, express emotions and
promote quiet, careful introspection.
The process of recovering from addiction is a
challenge.
Using art therapy to become in touch with ones
feelings regarding the process and what path may
have lead one to such a place in life can work wonders in uncovering and unveiling emotions and clearing the path to recovery.
No matter your addiction, your recovery progress or your past life,
art therapy can pave the way to clean living and a happy, healthy life long
after the recovery process is over.

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Art Therapy: In Addiction Treatment