with patients checking back in with the therapist to
discuss their artwork and the emotions it evoked.
HOW TO HARNESS YOUR INNER PICASSO
if you’re considering art therapy, it’s im-
portant to find a provider who is a registered art ther-
apist (ATR). This ensures that they have at least a
master’s degree in art therapy (or a counseling field
plus graduate coursework) and have gained experi-
ence under the supervision of a mentor. You can find
a credentialed therapist via the Art Therapy Creden-
tials Board website (atcb.org).
But art therapy itself can be expensive—anywhere
from $85 to $150 a session—and isn’t always covered
by insurance (you have a better chance if your thera-
pist is both a psychologist and a certified art thera-
pist, says Malchiodi). The good news is that you can
reap many of the benefits of art therapy in the com-
fort of your own home. “It’s like exercise—if you do
15 minutes a day, that’s great, but if you can do 45
minutes, it’s even better,” says Malchiodi, who usu-
ally recommends that her clients try to do 45 minutes
three times a week. Here are five easy ways:
Start an art journal. Folks who have a hard time
expressing their feelings in writing can take a large
piece of poster board and literally draw pictures
of their thoughts and experiences, recommends
Praveen Injeti, an occupational therapist at Loma
Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center. One
ideal medium for this is pastels, or sticks made up
of pure powdered pigment that look very similar to
sidewalk chalk. “They have a great tactile feel, and
you can easily blend colors together,” he explains.
“I have patients keep a journal for weeks or even
months as a way to chart their feelings over time.”
Doodle. Even an activity as simple as doodling
when you’re on the telephone activates your brain’s
reward pathway, according to a 2017 study published
in the journal The Arts in Psychotherapy. When re-
searchers had 26 participants complete three differ-
ent art activities—doodling in or around a circle, free
drawing or coloring in a mandala (a circular geomet-
ric pattern), they found that those who doodled had
the greatest increase in blood flow in their brain’s
prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that wires its
reward circuit. “It’s a great place to begin because
it’s something we all have experience with, and it’s
something that can be done easily,” Malchiodi says.
Try an adult coloring book. If you swear you
don’t have an artistic bone in your body, an adult
coloring book can be a great way to start. “It’s very
repetitive, which in itself can be very soothing,” ex-
plains Malchiodi. One good option is a book that fea-
tures mandalas. When people drew or colored for 20
minutes, those who colored in mandalas reported
the biggest decrease in anxiety levels, according to a
study published in 2012 in the Journal of the Ameri-
can Therapy Association. “When you’re just draw-
ing, you have to stop and think about what you draw,
but if you’re coloring in a mandala, you really have
to concentrate and focus, which in turn encourages
mindfulness,” Malchiodi says.
Create origami. The paper-folding activity has
been shown to stimulate the brain’s prefrontal cortex.
Albers recommends hiding inspirational messages or
a funny quote in the folds. “This way, you can pick up
your masterpiece when you’re feeling stressed, pull
back a random fold, read the message inside and re-
peat or chant it to yourself to help you relax.”
Rock it out. One way to enhance the benefits of
art therapy, says Albers, is to combine it with for-
est therapy, a.k.a. spending time outdoors in nature.
She often has clients go out to the woods to collect
rocks and then has them paint them. “Painting is very
soothing and relaxing because it’s very rhythmic,” she
explains. The final step is to type or write up some sort
of motivational quote or mantra and paste it on the
rock. “This activity has the advantage of using both
your left and right brain, which is important because
both play a role in responding to stress,” says Albers.The mosT imporTanT thing is to have fun with
your project and not sweat the small details. “I’ve had
patients make major breakthroughs working with
finger paints and cheap paper,” Puder says. “The key
is to draw or paint or sculpt without thinking about
it too much—it’s OK to get messy and create some-
thing that’s ugly. It shouldn’t be perfect.” Remember,
this is for yourself and not necessarily for public dis-
play. Finally, turn off the TV, podcast or music. “You
don’t want to be doing something mindlessly—it’s
not like being on autopilot,” says Puder. “You want
to be present with what you’re doing.”
Lite agrees. Although she no longer paints every
day, she still gets the same sense of joy whenever
she takes out her color palette. “As soon as I pick up
my brush, I’m back in the zone,” she says. “I don’t
obsess about it. I choose colors that feel good to me,
and as I create swirls I can feel the relaxation pour-
ing through my body again.” •