When people learn that I’m an art therapist, one of the first questions they ask is, “What exactly is art therapy—and how does it work?”
Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses creative expression to support healing, self-discovery, and personal growth. Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, or simply want to deepen your understanding of yourself, art therapy can be a powerful tool in helping you explore yourself. All without needing to find the perfect words.
Have you ever felt something so deeply that words just couldn’t capture it? That’s where art therapy can come in. Different parts of your brain handle different functions like language, emotion, creativity, and memory. When we make art, we activate these different areas together, bridging the gap between what we feel and what we can say. Through painting, drawing, collage, or sculpture, art therapy helps you express your experiences and tell your story in new, healing ways.
Art-making isn’t just emotionally powerful- it’s neurologically beneficial. Research shows that engaging in creative activities can reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), improve your mood, and even increase neural connections in the brain. In art therapy sessions, you don’t have to be an artist to benefit. The goal isn’t to create a masterpiece—it’s to create a safe enough space for you to feel comfortable enough to do, to create. Taking action and doing- that is the medicine we need for our brains.
Art therapy helps you slow down, tune into your body, and notice how emotions show up physically. This is because art therapy uses art materials as a tactile resource to ground you into the present moment. Whether you are playing with color, shape, texture, or movement, you can explore sensations and patterns that words might cloud up. This awareness and insight can help you make change that actually lasts in your day to day life.
As a Registered Art Therapist in Texas, I work with individuals and groups across the state- both in person and online. My goal is to help people reconnect with themselves through creative expression, and help them find joy in creativity again. No matter where you are in the state of Texas, art therapy can help offer you a safe, nonjudgmental space to heal.
Each session is personalized to your needs and comfort level. Some people explore themes of anxiety, grief, or trauma, while others use art therapy for personal growth, mindfulness, or stress relief.
If you’re curious about how art therapy can help you or your loved ones, I invite you to reach out. You don’t need to consider yourself creative or perfect at art to benefit. All you need is a little bit of trust and an openness to exploring your feelings in a new way.
